Understanding the reasoning in the design process is essential to comprehend design practice and promote students' learning. Followingly, to effectively support students through the design process, it is crucial to pay attention to their reasoning. Therefore, in this study, we have built a model for students' reasoning in the design process in…

With the single descriptive case study reported on here we aimed to explore incorporating indigenous knowledge (IK) into the teaching of graphic design (GD) as a part of Grade 9 Technology lessons. Incorporating IK into GD could make the topic more meaningful -- especially for indigenous learners. The "Curriculum and Assessment Policy…

Design as a construct has multiple meanings depending on context, function, and agenda. This paper proposes to set out functions of design as it manifests in the context of technological activity for the purposes of technology education. The importance of context and by association intention in technological and designerly activity is presented…

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…

General intelligence is a fundamental human capacity with significant educational implications. However, it is often not considered in educational research despite substantial evidence illustrating its association with positive life outcomes and student's capacity to learn. There are a number of potential reasons for this including the…

This article presents an investigation into the value-based affordances of volition as an integral philosophical component of technology education, specifically in relation to design methodology. As the central aspect of technology education, design has a prominent position in curricula all over the world, not just in subjects named Design and…

Industrial systems can be complex and not intuitive to perceive. Therefore, students in technology and engineering programs can benefit from developing mental models of industrial systems during their journey in college. However, more often than not, these students do not have access to industrial facilities; thus, developing mental models for…

Classroom conversation between students is complex and used for multiple reasons every day. Student dialogue also allows teachers insight into student's learning. This article presents findings from a qualitative study that used dialogism, a branch of sociocultural theory, to investigate in depth student to student (inter-student) questioning…

Research relating to the nature and purpose of 'design' activity across education sectors has accelerated in recent years as governments and policy makers throughout the world highlight the importance of skills such as creative problem-solving and innovation. Within secondary schools, responsibility for teaching and learning through design is…

In this study, we aim to investigate activities using models in a design project in three technology classrooms. Activities that use models are important for students' development of knowledge and skills connected to the design process. Nevertheless, few empirical studies have thus far examined how models and modelling are used in a classroom…

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,…

The intention of this article is to provide Technology and Engineering Educators (T&EEs) with a more thorough understanding of the product realization process (PRP) being implemented during machine design. Machines can be defined as the combination of simple machines and mechanisms for the purpose of doing work (Hughes & Merrill, 2021b).…

The paradigm of design must drastically change to promote sustainable social development that considers not only economic growth but also human well-being and environmental sustainability. Some scholars argue that the central paradigm of design should focus more on the societal perspective. This article refers to such a socially oriented design…

This article discusses one part of the data from a larger research project that sought to identify factors that secondary school teachers of design and technology (D&T) in England felt may have contributed to the decline in entries at GCSE level within the subject. This study was designed to ensure the teacher's voice could be heard. Research…

The use of design assignments for teaching, learning, and assessment is considered a signature of technology education. However, there are difficulties in the valid and reliable assessment of features of quality within designerly outputs. In light of recent educational reforms in Ireland, which see the introduction of classroom-based assessments…