This study builds on previous work (Barlex and
Rutland, 2004) exploring the effectiveness of a
deliberate curriculum intervention strategy aimed
at enhancing the design ability and design teaching
skills of trainee teachers on a one year PGCE
Design & Technology course. In this new study the
focus is on the design ability and design teaching
skills of food technology trainees. A parallel study
was carried out at another institution and this will
be reported in a future publication.
The trainee's initial design ability in food
technology was gauged in two ways; using an audit
tool and evidence provided by the design portfolio
produced during the first food technology design
activity for all trainees on the course. The
development of food technology design ability was
then gauged using evidence from the design
portfolios produced during two additional food
design activities. The study includes two sets of
interviews with a sample of food technology
trainees following the food design activities and a
final interview at the end of the research project.
The ability to teach designing with food and its
development across the one year course was
gauged using data collected through classroom
observation; trainee’s teaching practice file and
analysis of interviews with the sample of food
technology trainees at the end of each teaching
experience.
The study will report preliminary findings from
data collected September 2004 – December 2004
concerning the development of design ability
within food technology and the development of
the ability to teach designing with food technology
for trainees at a single institution
