Australasian Journal of Technology Education, 2016

The Australasian Journal of TechnologyEducation is a peer refereed journal, and provides a forum for scholarly discussion on topics relating to technology education. Submissions are welcomed relating to the primary, secondary and higher education sectors, initial teacher education and continuous professional development, and general research about Technology Education. Contributions to the ongoing research debate are encouraged from any country. The expectation is that the Journal will publish articles at the leading edge of development of the subject area.

International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2003

The stated aim of technology education in New Zealand is to develop students' level of technological literacy. This paper introduces the Technology Assessment Framework (TAF) as an organisational tool for the development and delivery of technology programmes that focus on increasing students' technological literacy through the enhancement of their technological practice across technological areas and contexts. The TAF was developed and refined in 1999 and 2000 as part of a two year New Zealand Ministry of Education funded research project, and integrated within a national professional development programme in 2000 designed for preservice and inservice teacher educators in New Zealand. This paper backgrounds the sociocultural theoretical position of the TAF and explains how it reflects and furthers the aim of technology education in New Zealand. The TAF is then presented and explained with the aid of illustrative examples from classroom practice.

2000

Educational reforms often resemble revolution rather than evolution. Examples for primary teachers such as the 'whole language' and for secondary teachers NCEA assessment procedures are still causing confusion amongst teachers caught up in their delivery. Rarely do these reforms make the claimed progress promised particularly when they are not tempered by the wisdom of practice. This paper will highlight concerns

International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2009

This study, embedded within the Researching School Change in Technology Education (RSCTE) project in Queensland, Australia, aimed to gain insights into the intrinsic and extrinsic challenges experienced by teachers during the implementation of technology education within primary school settings. The official publication and launch of the Technology years 1–10 syllabus and associated curriculum materials by the Queensland Studies Authority during 2003 saw the first formal Technology curriculum for primary schools in Queensland. The Queensland Government announced that all Queensland schools were to aim for full implementation of this new Key Learning Area (KLA) by 2007. This presented a challenge for Queensland teachers as they began to understand this new KLA and subsequently, were required to implement technology education for the first time. Education Queensland released a number of different strategies that were designed to assist this implementation, including research partnerships with universities. Thus, the RSCTE project, a partnership project between Education Queensland and Griffith University included implementation research within schools. Through the identification of insights into intrinsic and extrinsic challenges, this study, while recognising the limitations of transferability beyond the case studies presented, provides suggestions to assist the implementation of technology education.

International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2004

This paper describes the results of a national study to investigate teachers' experiences in the implementation of the technology curriculum in New Zealand schools from years 1–13. This investigation of the implementation of the technology curriculum is part of a larger study being undertaken nationally in all curriculum areas (National Schools Sampling Study) to explore how effective the curriculum is in practice and how the results can inform future developments. National focus groups, questionnaires and case studies are used to explore how the curriculum is being implemented. The questionnaires were distributed to over 10% of New Zealand schools. The key findings indicate that most primary school teachers are aiming for curriculum coverage, have moderate levels of confidence but are concerned about curriculum overcrowding. Years 7 and 8 teachers are mainly concerned about assessment, whereas secondary school teachers are constrained by existing structures in schools.

School of Tourism and Hospitality Management …, 2000

This paper consolidates a brief history of Western, particularly NSW 2 , technology education. The paper asserts the case for a creative leap from convention in technology education paradigms apparent in much of Australian schooling and tertiary teacher courses. Technical education transfer issues in the Indigenous Australian context are presented that highlight serious theoretical flaws to resolve before one can assert the inclusion of technology subjects as core to educational (as opposed to vocational) development. There is a need to develop not only the pedagogical but also the epistemological basis to technology studies in schooling. Without this depth of understanding the field of technology education has little hope of meeting its potential as an equal in its standing to that of the traditional subjects such as Mathematics, English or Science.

During 2003, a Years 1-10 Technology Syllabus and associated curriculum materials developed by the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) were provided to schools. Subsequent expectation is that Education Queensland schools should have Technology curriculum programs for full implementation by the start of the 2007 school year. A component of the Education Queensland strategy is a partnership approach involving research being undertaken by Universities of the implementation processes being developed by Innovator Schools during 2004. Innovator Schools are perceived as being sites for 'harvesting corporate knowledge' to inform Education Queensland's collective understanding of implementation issues relating to this new Technology Key Learning Area in Queensland schools. This paper reports the findings gained through this initiative through case studies of teachers from three Gold Coast schools working in a research partnership with Griffith University. Reported successes, difficulties and suggestions to inform Technology implementation are provided.

With the release of the Technology Years 1 to 10 Syllabus and associated curriculum materials by the Queensland Studies Authority in 2003, Education Queensland announced that all Queensland government schools were to aim for full implementation by 2007. This paper reports the findings of an investigation into the intrinsic and extrinsic challenges experienced by teachers during the implementation of Technology Education. Student and teacher interviews, observations, artefact collection using digital photographs, and the administration of the Technology Syllabus Implementation Questionnaire (TSIQ) were undertaken to develop case studies. The major findings of this study included the identification of intrinsic challenges being professional knowledge and understanding, teacher confidence in the teaching of technology, attitudes and values of the Technology key learning area, and approaches to teaching. Extrinsic challenges included a lack of resources and time, varying methods of student assessment, the practicality of the implementation of a new curriculum area, and the quality of professional development programs. From the challenges identified, suggestions are made to inform the future implementation of Technology Education.

International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2019

The Māori Whakatauki (significant saying) for Technology Education: Kaua e rangiruatia te hāpai o te hoe; E kore to tātou waka e u ki uta. Don't paddle out of unison; Our canoe will never reach the shore. Quality initial teacher education (ITE) builds on student prior knowledge. Students bring a wealth of life and career knowledge and skills to inform the planning of our Technology Education programmes, as an essential starting point. This paper seeks to establish a clear benchmark for planning programme origins through identifying and incorporating the real nature of our student entry understandings. We outline a large-scale New Zealand study that explores student entry understandings of technology and Technology Education. The scope of the study involves 906 ITE student teachers across early childhood, primary and secondary sectors. A questionnaire, held on the first day of each programme, initiated the research by investigating the influence of demographic and other factors on student attitudes and understandings of technology and Technology Education. Results revealed that participants viewed technology positively, and understood the role and importance of key aspects of technology and therefore the place of Technology Education, this however varied between age and sectors. Findings have informed current programme planning, by providing an appropriately targeted approach to initial ITE Technology Education delivery. The resulting programme delivery will go some way to ensuring an informed common message will reticulate to communities and schools about the real benefits of learning the technology way. These findings also provide a solid basis for a national longitudinal study.