A Case Study of Design and Technology in the Early Years of Schooling

Abstract

Design, make and appraise (DMA) activities form a major component of the relatively new primary curriculum area of technology education. This case study is a descriptive and interpretative account of one teacher's attempt at implementing a DMA program in a class of children in their first year of formal schooling. The study seeks to discover and explore some of the factors and structural and organisational issues that arise during the implementation of a DMA program. The research aims to expand the knowledge base of the DMA strand of technology education as the teacher attempted to grapple with the problem of translating the theoretical technology education curriculum statements into practical realities in the classroom. This study highlights the importance of the teacher, her organisation and planning and selection of appropriate teaching strategies.Group work, continuous assessment and the provision of adequate and appropriate resources were also found to be important contributing factors. Three further issues were found to emerge from the study. Firstly there was a weak link between the children's designing stage and their making and appraising stages. Secondly, DMA has the potential to assist schools to work towards a more gender-neutral curriculum in which both girls and boys have equal access. Special education children were found to be assisted by involvement in DMA activities. And thirdly, the setting of DMA tasks was seen to be an issue that could cause difficulties. Finally, a number of implications for teachers arose out of these findings and they have the potential to improve DMA teaching and learning.