Reducing the practice gap between the design and technology curriculum and the needs of the textile design/manufacturing industry.

This paper discusses the potential practice gap between design and technology needs for a progressive creative society and the perceptions of teachers who work within it. The study, based on work carried out in North West England, compares the viewpoints of two sources; textile technology industrialists who are expert in the fields of high performance textiles, medical textiles, geo-textiles and apparel manufacturing, design and technology teachers who have responsibility for the delivery and content of textile technology within schools and sixth form colleges. Previous work in this ongoing study has examined the changing nature of textile technology in modern industrial societies and the perceptions practising teachers have about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) applications within the textile technology field, and how these relate to their own ʻtheories-in-useʼ about design and technology teaching and learning. Constructivist grounded theory has been chosen for the research as a whole because its concurrent data gathering and analysis approach allows outcomes from each phase of the study to define the purpose and direction of subsequent research. Thus, this research has been informed by findings from previous work on the role of textile technology and its relationship to modern industrial and design practices (see Hughes et al. 2010; Hughes et al. 2011). This paper describes the purpose of the work and its relationship to design and technology factors such as the needs of modern industry and STEM issues. Details of the constructivist grounded theory approach are briefly discussed and outcomes considered in terms of data gathering methods. Data from the two groups of respondents i.e. industrialists and textile technology teachers are compared to identify the practice gap that may exist between the needs of a progressive, creative textile technology industrial sector and aspects of the technological curriculum which are delivered at the school level. Findings indicate that there is a shift away from textiles teaching based on technologically oriented applications to one predominantly based on art and design. However, it is argued that STEM aspects should underpin design aspects of the textile curriculum to make it applicable to the needs of an advanced and sustainable textile industrial base

The Legacy of MTL

The aim of the roundtable is to provide a forum that will facilitate and encourage discussion between colleagues from a range of backgrounds to engage in lively debate around the session’s title and focus question; Is teaching still going to become a Masters level profession

The development, implementation and evaluation of an academic research scaffold to support trainee teachers in classroom based research.

This paper presents findings of the second phase of an impact study originating from the authorsʼ need to improve the ability of Professional Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) design and technology teacher trainees to research at postgraduate level. The work emanates from observations that many talented trainee teachers who are excellent classroom practitioners frequently struggle to disseminate research work based on traditional academic formats. The methodological approach adopted throughout the study is grounded theory. This has been selected as it enables the simultaneous gathering of data which, following analysis, allows the findings to inform subsequent phases of research. In the second phase of this work, twelve trainee teachers engaged with the study and the work conducted here set out to explore their perceptions, perspectives and experiences in relation to their adoption and implementation of the ʻscaffoldʼ as a tool to improve their ability to work successfully at post graduate levels of study. Data gathered was designed to elicit further information in relation to their perceptions of the suitability of the scaffold and in the evaluation of its use. The focus for the semi-structured interviews focused on two primary lines of questioning: Did the trainees find the alternative methodological approach ʻhelpfulʼ and if so how? Could they (trainees) identify any areas for improvement? Preliminary findings indicate that through engagement with the research scaffold attainment of trainees is raised. Findings strongly suggest that the scaffold is a useful tool in supporting trainees to structure their Level 7 (L7) work and of the trainee teachers utilising the scaffold in this phase of the study each achieved L7 in the production of their research work. Drawing on this, the paper also discusses issues about the validity and value of the ʻpractitioner basedʼ educational research which could well be of significance to the wider educational community

Underpinning The STEM Agenda Through Technological Textiles? An exploration of design technology teachers’ attitudes.

This paper discusses ongoing research into the role of design and technology education in emerging post industrial economies. Previous work (Hughes et al., 2010) focused on the changing characteristics of textiles technology in modern times and discussed how this could inform a design and technology curriculum related to the needs of a modern textile technology workforce. This current paper reports on the second stage of the grounded theory programme in which theoretically sampled data from the first phase provides the direction and purpose for the work presented here. Within this context, this research explores practising teachers’ perceptions of textile technology associated with the emergent STEM agenda. Data gathered supports the view that technological aspects of design and technology closely linked to the STEM agenda are needed to provide a firm foundation for the design aspects of the subject. Without a STEM focus, the subject may lose its hard won importance in the UK schools and colleges’ curriculum. This is especially the case in an economic climate in which curriculum design stakeholders may be forced to review the content of the national curriculum across all key stages as a whole

Sustaining the Essence of Design and Technology: The Case for Textile Technology

This paper, which reports on preliminary findings from an ongoing study into the significance of design and technology in post-industrial communities, examines the change nature of textile technology and how this may impact on its role within the UK schools' curriculum

Beyond Subject Knowledge: How do trainee teachers in Design and Technology prove that they are `outstanding' in relation to the standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)?

The work presented here is based in the statutory requirements for the award of QTS for trainee teachers in the secondary education sector in England. Initially the resources discussed here have been trialed with Design and Technology trainees on a variety of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses; PGCE, KS2/3 and B.Sc. (Hons.) programmes. Following successful implementation of the resources discussed here the resultant work has now been adopted across all phases and ITE programmes at Edge Hill University. The work presented goes some way will to also illustrate internal (to Edge Hill University) documentation and publications used by staff with trainees, that has been specifically designed to guide and support trainees in the production and collation of high quality evidence against the teaching standards

Design and Technology Practitioner Based Research; An Emergent Study

This work presents the preliminary findings of the third phase of a small scale research study conducted by the authors with a small number of serving secondary school teachers of design and technology based in the North West of England. The work originates from a study designed to improve the ability of Flexible PGCE design and technology trainee teachers to gain a ‘Level 7’ in the submission of their research assignments utilising a classroom evidence based approach (Bell et al. 2011). It was during this study that unanticipated findings emerged, which set a new course of enquiry; to explore the potential to support teachers in the generation of evidence based classroom practitioner research, of which the preliminary ‘pilot’ work is reported here

What do Textiles Teachers Really Think? The Findings of a National Research Pilot Project.

The work presented here serves to document the results of a national survey of in excess of one hundred and forty classroom practitioners and middle leaders about the current situation of textiles technology within their place of work. (School, Academy). Areas such as technological content, where textiles is actually delivered within the curriculum, the level to which it is delivered and the duration throughout the curriculum were all covered within this study. With recent national discussion centred the introduction of the English Baccalaureate (E.Bacc.) and the place of Design and Technology within any ensuing curriculum, textiles technology is facing an uncertain future. The work present here shows that in many secondary education settings textiles is being moved into “Art and Design” and away from “Design and Technology”. The research presented here also illustrates that a majority of textiles teachers are passionate about resisting the move from Design and Technology into Art and Design. Further, it is acknowledged by many that there is a place for textiles within Art and Design, particularly in relation to surface embellishment techniques but there is strong opinion of a need to retain its place within Design and Technology to cover technological textiles including garment construction

Preliminary Observations of an evolutionary Design and Technology curriculum: A Worrying Trend?

This poster presents the preliminary findings of senior lecturers working within two large Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers in North West England. Derived during professional discourse and email conversation, the work presents observations by the authors that relates specifically to the changing nature of design and technology in some secondary schools in the training providers’ geographical location. Initial findings support other research (Hughes et al. (2010), (2011 )) into the evolving nature of design and technology in today’s economic and political climate which has examined aspects of the evolution of textiles technology within the secondary school curriculum