Willem Johannes Rauscher

Knowledge-generating activities on which technology education students draw when they design and make artefacts

Abstract Technology1 is often perceived simplistically as applied science, and therefore regarded as inferior to science. Scholars of technology, however, reject the view that technology is applied science and insist that technology is a cognitive system consisting of a separate body of technological knowledge. Although science is acknowledged as an important source of knowledge for technology, Vincenti (1990) identified six other knowledge-generating activities that contribute to the knowledge base in technology. These seven knowledge-generating activities were derived from an analysis of aeronautical history cases and give some insight into how engineers know what they know. However, before one can draw on Vincentis framework of knowledge-generating activities to provide insight into how technology education students know what they know, one needs to engage with such a framework to determine its usefulness in an educational context. The purpose of this study is therefore to investigate the usefulness of Vincentis framework, which was derived chiefly from engineering, to be able to describe how technology education students know what they know. Quantitative research was used to provide insight into the knowledge-generating activities drawn upon by education students when they design and make artefacts at the University of Pretoria. The research employed an analysis of a questionnaire administered to the students after they had finalised two different capability tasks. Findings suggest that Vincentis framework of knowledge-generating activities is useful in technology education. The study recommends that researchers and educators deepen their understanding of how technology education students come to their technological knowledge by considering the knowledge-generating activities presented in the conceptual framework.

How project-based learning manifests itself in technology education textbooks

Abstract Project-based learning (PBL) is the recommended approach for teaching technology in South Africa. The implementation of this approach, however, is problematic since the vast majority of technology teachers are not formally trained in technology education. Consequently, many of these teachers rely on technology textbooks for guidance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how PBL is represented in technology textbooks. A set of criteria, identified by Thomas, capturing the uniqueness of PBL, formed the conceptual framework of this study and was used to conduct the content analysis of twelve of the most commonly used textbooks. The study engaged a combination of quantitative and qualitative research to provide insight into how project-based learning is presented, if at all, in these textbooks. It was found that PBL is poorly represented in the sampled textbooks; the criteria that require projects to be central to the curriculum and to involve learners in a constructive investigation seem to be most problematic. The study recommends that teachers involved in teaching technology deepen their understanding of PBL by studying the theory of this approach, since a proper understanding of PBL in schools is crucial to ensure that we do justice to technology education.

LESSON OBJECTIVES IN TERMS OF KNOWLEDGE AND COGNITION

A clearly stated lesson objective is considered an essential component of a well-planned lesson. Many teachers of Technology, a relatively new subject in South African schools, teach Technology with rather limited training both in content and methodological approaches. This study sought to investigate and classify lesson objectives framed or implied by teachers in their lesson plans, according to knowledge and cognitive process dimensions. The two-dimensional Taxonomy Table introduced by Krathwohl was adapted for Technology and formed the framework for this study. A mixed modal study was used to investigate sampled lesson objectives described by Technology teachers. Explicitly stated or inferred objectives were classified according to Krathwohl’s Taxonomy Table, after which the objectives in each cell were counted to establish the frequency of occurrence of objectives in each cell in the quantitative phase. In the qualitative phase, specific cases of explicit or inferred objectives were selected in order to examine and discuss lesson objectives in terms of knowledge and cognitive dimensions. It was found that most of the objectives lie on the lower level of the knowledge dimension and address mainly Factual and Conceptual knowledge. Lesson objectives were also positioned low in terms of cognitive levels, with Remember and Understand occurring most frequently in the cognitive process dimension. The paucity of lesson objectives that required complex knowledge and higher-order thinking is disappointing: teaching limited to less complex knowledge types and lower cognitive levels fails to develop learners’ higher-order thinking skills required for further study or independent practice in work environments. A recommendation flowing from the study is that, during pre-service training and in-service teacher support programmes, the importance of clear lesson objectives should be emphasised and assessments planned for such lessons should closely match the lesson objectives. Further research is also needed regarding the reasons for which low cognitive demands are made in the teaching of Technology.

A Philosophical Framework for Enhancing the Understanding of Artefacts in the Technology Classroom

Technology teachers should have a sound understanding and knowledge of artefacts in order to assist learners in the designing, making and evaluating of artefacts. Unfortunately, technology teachers in South African schools seem to have a poor grasp of the complexity of this important part of knowledge that is specific to technology. As a result, many technology teachers are unable to support learners in designing and making artefacts that are functional, aesthetically pleasing and have utility value outside the classroom. This deficiency in their knowledge can, among other things, be attributed to the fact that most technology teachers have not received formal training in technology education. Also, the limited research base and the paucity of subject-based philosophical frameworks in technology education, which could inform classroom pedagogy, exacerbate this situation. Therefore, the purpose of this theoretical essay is to draw on, inter alia, literature from the philosophy of technology to provide an overview of the nature of technical artefacts with a view to creating a framework that will help teachers to understand technical artefacts and be able to teach about them effectively. The framework may be a useful tool for teachers to support learners in designing and making technical artefacts that work properly, are fit-for-purpose, and are well finished. The framework, which provides a structure for designing and developing technical artefacts, may also serve as an instrument to help learners in evaluating existing artefacts, which, in turn, may enhance their understanding of the knowledge that is embedded in artefacts.