Grappling with Teaching Design and Technology: a beginning teacher's experiences

Title
Grappling with Teaching Design and Technology: a beginning teacher's experiences
Publication Date
2003
Author(s)
Stein, Sarah
Ginns, Ian
McRobbie, CJ
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Routledge
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.1080/0263514032000127202
UNE publication id
une:12195
Abstract
This paper reports on an investigation into the first time implementation of a technology education unit of work by a beginning primary school teacher. The researchers monitored the teacher's implementation of the unit across a 6 week period using an interpretivist research approach. A variety of data sources were drawn upon including teacher and student interviews, video and audio recordings of small group and whole class interactions, and student- developed artefact's. Providing appropriate learning activities to assist students to develop understanding about patterns and shapes incorporated into buildings and other structures to enhance strength and stability was a challenge faced by the beginning teacher. However, she drew support from a teaching resource, which provided guidance and structure for the teaching of technology concepts and processes related to strength and stability of structures and materials. The resource helped her to develop learning activities that were appropriate to the topic and to the needs of the students in her class. Implications of the study relate to the needs of teachers grappling with teaching design and technology for the first time and the support that they can gain from predetermined planning and teaching models and well-developed teaching resources.
Link
Citation
Research in Science & Technological Education, 21(2), p. 141-158
ISSN
1470-1138
0263-5143
Start page
141
End page
158

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