Language in the technology subject at the Danish Higher Technical Examination Programme:Pragmatic constructivism in practice

Working with problem-based learning (PBL) in the technology subject differentiates The Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX) from other secondary school programs in Denmark. Challenges include interpretation of different elements which vary from teacher to teacher as the teachers have very different professional backgrounds. This has consequences for students and indicates that a solid disciplinary tradition has yet to be developed. It could possibly be argued that teachers’ communications on the subject, are only abstractions and not concepts. To solve these problems, it seems pertinent to apply the conceptualising method (Nørreklit 1973), to create useful and precise concepts free from possible ambiguities as a contribution to a coordinated language. In conclusion, it has been possible to use Pragmatic Constructivism (PC) to unfold the language games of the technology subject and enable the teachers to discuss their subject with each other thereby creating change in the subject and organisation

Language in the technology subject at the Danish Higher Technical Examination Programme: Pragmatic constructivism in practice

Working with problem-based learning (PBL) in the technology subject differentiates The Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX) from other secondary school programs in Denmark. Challenges include interpretation of different elements which vary from teacher to teacher as the teachers have very different professional backgrounds. This has consequences for students and indicates that a solid disciplinary tradition has yet to be developed. It could possibly be argued that teachers’ communications on the subject, are only abstractions and not concepts. To solve these problems, it seems pertinent to apply the conceptualising method (Nørreklit 1973), to create useful and precise concepts free from possible ambiguities as a contribution to a coordinated language. In conclusion, it has been possible to use Pragmatic Constructivism (PC) to unfold the language games of the technology subject and enable the teachers to discuss their subject with each other thereby creating change in the subject and organisation

Technology in the HTX technology subject: The Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX), the Technology subject, and the Concept of Technology

The Danish higher technical examination programme (HTX) is the only high school program in Denmark that specialises in technology and engineering. Central to the HTX curriculum are the profile subjects; technology and technical science. In this article, we take a closer look at these subjects, or more precisely, we examine the concept of technology embedded within them. The ministerial order regarding the subjects places the concept of technology within the ‘technology model’. We will examine the background for the model, its potential and limitations and the model's place in teaching through empirical findings from fieldwork in order to examine whether the technology model lives up to its described purpose. Overall, it can be argued that the model works but it can also be argued that the teachers should be aware of the model’s shortcomings and discuss these with students, so they obtain a more dynamic and dialectical understanding of technology.Teknisk Gymnasium (HTX) er den eneste gymnasiale uddannelse i Danmark, der har et stort fokus på teknologi og ingeniørvidenskab. Centralt i pensum på HTX er profilfagene: Teknologi-og Teknikfag. I denne artikel ser vi nærmere på profilfagene og undersøger begrebet teknologi, og begrebet der indlejret i dem. I bekendtgørelsen vedrø-rende teknologi- og teknikfaget placeres teknologibegrebet i rammen af ’Teknologimodellen.’ Vi vil i artiklen undersøge baggrunden for tek-nologimodellen, dens potentiale og begrænsninger, samt modellens plads i undervisningen gennem empiriske fund for at blive klogere på, om teknologimodellen lever op til dens beskreve formål - at hjælpe ele-verne med at opfylde læringsmålene. Samlet set kan der argumenteres for, at modellen fungerer, men også at lærerne skal være opmærksom på modellens mangler og diskutere disse med eleverne, så de opnår en mere dynamisk og dialektisk forståelse af teknologi