From a philosophical viewpoint, technological design is about connecting what is desirable with what is technically possible. Technology itself plays a major role in design processes, not only because technology development is what designing is all about, but also since the existing technology at any given point in time frames what is possible to…

Research into technological problem solving has shown it to exist in a range of forms and draw upon different processes and knowledge types. This paper adds to this understanding by identifying procedural and epistemic differences in relation to task performance for pupils solving a well-defined technological problem. The study is theoretically…

In this study we investigate how 11 Swedish technology teachers perceive model functions in technology education. The main reason for investigating model functions in technology is an identified lack of knowledge about, and research studies into, a conscious use of models when teaching technology, even though models are part of technology…

There is not one single global version of technology education; curricula and standards have different forms and content. This sometimes leads to difficulties in discussing and comparing technology education internationally. Existing philosophical frameworks of technological knowledge have not been used to any great extent in technology education.…

Technology educators often provide activities where pupils design programmed technological solutions (PTS) with various programming materials for developing pupils' technological knowledge related to PTS and digital technology. However, few studies have investigated how pupils experience these activities. To fill this gap in knowledge, this…

Technology education, or design technology as it is known elsewhere, supports learners to develop technological literacy by providing them with the opportunity to, amongst others, develop and apply the preset design process to solve technological problems. This subject requires learners to develop authentic technological solutions. As a result,…

Creativity and problem-solving are 21st-century skills that students must have to respond to the complex world dominated by technology. Teaching activities integrating Design Thinking (DT) have the potential to cultivate individual skills. As future in-service teachers, pre-service teachers need to understand DT so as to be able to use it in their…

This study sought to investigate how non-technology education teachers taking an educational technology course changed the way they thought about technological literacy. Prior to the course, all pre-service teachers (PST) identified only proper use of technology in their definitions for technological literacy. Following the end of the course, all…

Accurate teacher judgements can enhance pupils' learning about science and technology. This study explored primary school teachers' judgements about their pupils' ability to reconstruct an electrical and a mechanical system. The judgement accuracy of most teachers was poor, gender-biased, and underestimation was more common than overestimation.…

The purpose of this study is to explore whether, and if so how, a design activity could encourage students to express and develop knowledge on emerging technology in relation to issues about sustainability. Several researchers have asserted that, in today's technologically dependent society, it is important to be able to control technology and…

In technology education, assessment is challenging and underdeveloped as it is a nascent practice and teachers do not have a well-defined subject tradition to lean on when assessing students. The aim of this study is to explore Swedish secondary technology teachers' cognitive beliefs about assessing students' learning of technological systems, in…

We present a comparative, quantitative assessment, focused on measuring 'stances towards inquiry' among middle-school students who have received design education. Our assessments are based on results of a written survey questionnaire and a statistical analysis using 'The Design Literacy assessment tool'. Our analysis suggest that participating…

In secondary technology education, models of artifacts, systems and processes, visualized and simulated through digital tools (digital models) are a relatively new element. Technology teachers teach digital models to meet syllabus criteria of digital competence, applicable to for instance problem solving and documentation using digital tools.…

A central issue when measuring students' attitudes toward an object is the children's understanding of that object, in this case, technology. Studies have shown that schoolchildren often describe technology narrowly as different kinds of technological objects; more specifically, modern electrical objects. This may mean that we have been measuring…

Since 2000, craft practitioners have increasingly adopted digital fabrication technologies. Simultaneously, the public's engagement in making through various means has escalated, disrupting the makers' ecosystem. This study explores craft practitioners' motivation to acquire new digital skills in the context of informal learning and professional…