Engaging object agency: new ways of design learning and being for young people in the museum

This research investigates object intra-actions with young people in the design museum. Agency in relation to learning is under-researched in museum studies, and this is especially lacking in research that focuses on learning during secondary school visits to design museums. Further exploring agency through religious-political dimensions, another under-researched area is Christian and Christian-colonial influences in museology broadly, and in museum learning in particular. These influences are pertinent to learner and object agency due to their historical proscription of certain values and structures to knowledge and experience of the design object and its representations in the museum, and as such they co-constitute the entanglement of this research. The research aims to disrupt the status quo by using a design and new materialist methodological approach to make sense of and, where possible, make visible intra-actions between objects within this entanglement. This paper is intended as a discussion piece which examines the historically imbued nature of design learning for young people in school visits to the museum, sets out the framework-methodology and frames a number of key questions to be explored further through the conference presentation. Agential realism underpins the theoretical-methodological framework which also supports my position as learner-researcher, and this positioning is further enhanced by my professional experience in museums, schools and the university. The research identifies alternative pedagogies for both schools and museums that are co-located between learners and museums as entangled producers of knowledge. This is a radical re-imagining of design pedagogies in museums and classrooms that contributes to the multi-stakeholder dialogue on decolonising methodologies within design education

Using the Mirror as a Working Tool in Handicraft Education

In interaction between students and vocational teachers, technical artefacts constitute an essential part for the development of vocational students’ future professional knowledge. Although vocational learning has been an under-researched area, there has been an increased interest within the vocational education research to examine the teaching and learning processes that take place when vocational students and teachers interact in vocational school settings. The presence of physical objects such as tools, machines and material in the teaching and learning processes within vocational education, which encompass a central aspect of a vocational subjects’ specific characteristics, is a dimension which is often overlooked. In the Handicraft programme (specialization hair- and makeup stylist) at Swedish upper secondary vocational education, a large part of the practical work that students are engaged in is to view their work through the mirror. Therefore, the focus in this study is what learning content is made relevant when teacher and student(s) are interacting in front of the mirror. The data for the study consists of video recorded lessons from the Handicraft Programme, and the study is based on CAVTA (Conversation Analysis and Variation Theory). Based on CAVTA, the process of learning includes what is being learned and how learning is done in interaction between the teacher and student(s) in the authentic and enacted teaching session. At the conference, we will present results from detailed analysis of sequences when the teacher and the students interact in front of the mirror and what vocational knowledge is made possible to learn in these interactions

Masculinities and Femininities in the Design and Technology Classroom

Design and Technology is a secondary school subject that is perceived by students to be masculine and has been documented by the literature as an environment that can be considered off-putting to non-laddish masculinities and femininities. This paper posits that dominant forms of masculinity and femininity, and the characteristics that make up these forms, are highly dependent on the context in which they are being observed. Furthermore, the paper presents the findings of a small, qualitative group interview with four girls at a private secondary school in a deprived area of East Anglia. The participants were asked about their perceptions of whether specific tasks, artefacts (e.g., clock), and projects were masculine, feminine, or neutral to document which parts of the subject are most associated with masculinity. The study found that the participants\u27 perceived confidence in the workshop to be a masculine trait, as well as any tasks or projects related to electronics or robotics. Conversely, working with textiles and creating similar projects were considered feminine. Tasks and projects that focused on problem solving, and using materials other than electronics, robotics and textiles were neutral. The paper also found that general practical tasks and building projects were considered neutral, though the participants perceived that their (masculine) teachers did not believe they were competent

Preliminary study of how 21st-Century Skills are developed during a participatory user-centred curriculum intervention at Key Stage 3 in Design and Technology

Whilst designing ‘for and with’ end-users has been commonplace in the professional design space since the 1970s, there is a lack of research evidence of empathic or human-centred design in primary and secondary education. This paper presents a preliminary study of the ‘Solving Genuine Problems for Authentic Users Project’ conducted to explore the effect that involving end-users throughout the design process has on students and their outcomes as part of their Key Stage 3 D&T education. Sixteen 12-13-year-old students at a secondary school in England worked in teams of four to with a member of the school catering staff to develop a prototype, aimed towards solving a problem that they identified together. The student researchers utilised agency in the research methods they employed to gain a better understanding of the design context. Data included a pre and post questionnaire to measure students’ creative potential which helped to improve an understanding of how empathy, a recognised 21st-Century Skill, was developed over the course of the study. Other data collected included photographs of student work and the students’ field notes. Data was thematically coded to offer a narrative of the findings. This study contributes to the growing understanding of 21st-Century Skill development in a D&T context, as well as the facilitation of face-to-face collaboration with end-users at an early stage of secondary design and technology education

Developing student teachers’ PCK for teaching technology with a sustainability edge in primary school

In Swedish primary schools, technology teaching may appear different depending on what educational setting the pupils meet. Many pupils experience the subject of technology as taking part in practical making-activities without recognizing the technological knowledge involved, and many teachers feel uncertain of what and how to teach technology, especially concerning sustainability. Thus, it is necessary to pinpoint these issues within teacher education. This paper presents the first iteration of a Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) study on a teaching module that provides student teachers with theoretical and practical knowledge in technology education. The purpose of the study is to capture and understand how student teachers transform acquired knowledge and skills into Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) for teaching technology in primary school. Special attention is on how student teachers evolve relations between technology education and sustainable development. The study is designed and implemented in line with DBIR based on principles of collaboration and has strong connections between practice and theory (Fishman & Penuel, 2018). The participating researchers, also the teacher educators, have together with teachers at a municipal technological resource facility jointly identified underlying premises such as policy document statements; topics and content of value for all participants; potential participating schools; and reviews of previous research. The study includes 12 student teachers enrolled in a science and technology course. Data is collected in several steps including student teachers’ written individual reflections, their project assignments, their lesson plans, and focus group interviews. Based on qualitative content analysis, components of PCK are traced to elucidate the transformation of student teachers’ PCK for teaching technology with a sustainability edge. The results contribute to knowledge of what efforts, such as teaching module design features and connections to sustainability, should be made to develop student teachers’ PCK for teaching technology in primary school

Great expectations – A Finnish perspective on international students’ choice of university-level craft courses

University students have different motives and expectations when it comes to going on exchange and taking university courses in another country. Similarly, different motives and requirements impact course choices. Some exchange students who come to Finland choose to participate in craft courses. Craft as a school subject can be a new and foreign experience for many of them. The aim of this study is to investigate international students’ rationales for taking craft courses during their university studies in Finland. It also focuses on what kinds of expectations they have from a craft course and how they are met. This was a qualitative study. Data was collected through questionnaires at the beginning (n=26) and end (n=15) of a craft course in which both international students and Finnish students had enrolled. Only international students’ answers were reported. Students answered open-ended questions about why they chose the course and their expectations from the course. At the end of the course, they were asked how it met their expectations. Themes for motives and expectations were identified using reflexive thematic analysis. Motives for the students’ choices related to their interests in the craft subject, their development, benefits in future work, new opportunities and practical studio work. Expectations related to, among other things, participants’ learning and development, learning from and helping each other, and learning things that would be useful in future work. The findings suggest that the content of craft courses is important and relevant to learn among students with diverse cultural backgrounds, regardless of whether they have similar subjects in their home countries

Teaching Variables and Functions at the Secondary Level in a STEM Context

STEM education is becoming more popular at the primary and secondary levels in many curricula around the world. Effective instructional STEM activities and design methods are required to ensure that students’ and teachers’ needs are being met. One potential method is the Technology Design Process (TDP):  a methodology that stresses the importance of creativity, collaboration and being open to adjustments and compromises. This article reports on a case study that focused on the use of TDP to design and develop teaching-learning materials based on pendulum experiments to introduce variables and functions in mathematical context at the secondary level. The five iterative stages of TDP were integrated into the development of the course materials. Data was collected from 20 high school students who participated in a STEM activity. Both pre- and post-questionnaires were administered to the students. Additionally, a working document was used to assess the students\u27 understanding of abstract concepts and the TDP. The results indicate that TDP-centred activities effectively promote critical thinking, encourage questioning, and facilitate meaningful exploration of abstract concepts

Teaching Values in Technology Education through Co-Design: Teaching values through co-design

Co-design pedagogy appears to be gaining momentum in technology education to counteract the critique of design education for the lack of collaborative initiatives. Hence, co-design pedagogy aligns with technology education in socially constructed values that are inter-subjective and co-constructed. Socially co-constructed values imply that technology education should pave possibilities for students to learn about and practically apply value judgments to foster futuristic change agents. Like co-design, the rationale to include values, especially moral values, in technology education has grown. Incorporating values in technology education would prevent the discipline from becoming mere technical education. The exploration of the context for designing and making is one stage in the technological process to support students’ exploration of value judgements. However, replacing the current orthodox pedagogy by ones in which values relating to technology and technology education are co-constructed rather than imposed requires investigation. This conceptual paper draws on the empirical findings of three co-design principles used to guide co-design pedagogy, which are then superimposed on the theoretical framework of values in technology and technology education.  Hence a two-fold: Firstly, it draws on the findings of three co-design principles emanating from co-design interventions in fashion education, namely: 1) users as core and inspirational source, 2) design with users, and 3) identify user needs for integration. Subsequently, the second purpose draws linkages to technology education and proposes strategies for the teaching of moral values. Thus, the overarching research question is: How can co-design design principles be linked to and inform strategies for teaching moral values in technology education?  The three co-design principles emanated from qualitative design-based research embedded in an interpretive paradigm via social constructivist methods. Following that, the linkages were a result of a superposition of the co-design principles on the theoretical framework of values in technology education. The said superposition could be instrumental in reviving the stagnant framework as a contribution for technology education

Welcome and Editorial

oai:openjournals.ljmu.ac.uk:article/88

Authenticity in integrated STEM education – boon or fantasy? Observing upper secondary technology classroom practice

Engineering design and technological modelling have been argued as valid premises from which to increase authenticity, relevance and create bridges between the STEM disciplines while maintaining subject integrity. Previous research indicates that projects which emulate how engineers work has the potential of both integrating STEM disciplines and being authentic. At the same time, earlier research also cautions that few integrated STEM projects consider students’ interests and their everyday contexts. The aim of this study is to investigate the implementation of an integrated STEM project in the Technology Programme at a Swedish upper secondary school. The studied STEM project involves students’ designs for improving their physical school environment in terms of well-being, feasibility, and sustainability. Data collection consisted of participatory observations, as well as teacher and student interviews. The results are presented in terms of three themes, namely (1) cooperation and real-life application are fundamental for authentic learning; (2) using models and modelling for communicating design ideas are central to authentic technology and engineering; and (3) integration of STEM content and methods do not draw on all four disciplines. It is concluded that there might be easily accessible pathways to promote integrated STEM and authenticity, such as utilizing the school environment as a starting point. However, formally implementing authentic practices remain a challenge even though a majority of teachers are enthusiastic about real-world relevance in design projects. Integrated STEM in the design project mostly included technology and engineering content, and aspects of science and mathematics albeit to a lower degree, which made simultaneous integration of all STEM disciplines a challenging task