Developments in Technology Education The Netherlands as a Case

1
Developments in Technology EducationThe
Netherlands as a Case

• Marc J. de Vries

2
Larisa, can there be a better place for a
scientific meeting?

• Plato Meno (380 b.C.)
• Socrates . . . if I am not mistaken, they (the
  Thessalians, MJdV) are equally famous for their
  wisdom (as for their riches, MJdV), especially at
  Larisa . . .
• Socrates If a man knew the way to Larisa, or
  anywhere else, and went to the place and led
  others thither, would he not be a right and good
  guide? Meno Certainly.

3
Dutch Educational System

• 8 years of primary education
• Pupils of ages 4-12 years
• Division general education and vocational
  education
• Depending on school type 4-6 years
• After general education middle or higher
  vocational education, or university

4
History in brief

• 1970s introduction of General Techniques in
  vocational schools
• No national curriculum model available
  craft-oriented
• 1990/1991 start of retraining of teachers
• Various subject teachers, 2-year part-time course
• 1993 revision of lower secondary curriculum,
  including Technology as a new subject
• National curriculum syllabus
• 1997/1998 revision of syllabus
• Based on best practice (!)
• 2002/2003 government decision to allow schools
  to integrate science and technology

5
Current situation

• Still compulsory in lower secondary education
• Scattered initiatives for primary education
• Technology/design part of higher secondary
  science education
• Technical specialisations in vocational schools
  and colleges/universities

6
Actors Aligned

• Policy makers
• Technology education as an element in an overall
  curriculum revision (social and economic motives)
• Provision of financial means for schools
• Teacher educators/curriculum developers
• Development of content
• Publishers and authors
• Development of course material

7
Un-aligned actors

• Industry
• Lack of interest for general education
• Parents
• Bad image of technology education
• Universities
• Not interested in doing educational research in
  technology education (no teacher education at
  that level)

8
Example of a textbook
9
Structure of the course

• Introduction what is technology?
• Basic concepts
• Materials
• Levers (input-output)
• Transmissions (input-process-output)
• Energy (formation, transformation, storage)
• Systems (system hierarchy, feedback)
• Application areas
• Transportation
• Production
• Constructions
• communication

10
Structure of a textbook chapter

• Introduction
• Explanation of concepts
• Social aspects
• Case study (professions)
• Summary

11
Structure of an activity guide chapter

• Questions on theory
• Exploration of concepts by experiments
• Smaller practical assignments for practicing
• Larger project design and make, while using
  concepts

12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
Towards an Integration with Science Education

• Majority of vocational schools will integrate
• Majority of general schools will not integrate,
  keep both science and technology, but implement
  some interdisciplinary projects
• Very large range in practice from very innovative
  and succesful to very traditional and low-status

23
The Survival of Technology Education in the
Netherlands

• Image of science as a difficult and
  un-interesting subject (in particular in
  vocational education)
• Take technological challenges as the core of the
  subject and bring in science where relevant
• Who will teach the combined subject?!
• Will technology teachers be able to raise the
  status of the subject?

24
New modular course

• First module introduction
• Second module Materials
• Third module Production
• Fourth-fifteenth module various themes
• Musical instruments
• Designing with light

25
Concept map
26
The survival of technology education worldwide

• PATT-15 conference survey of 20 years of
  Technology Education worldwide
• Progress in countries where actors are aligned
• Moving in circles in some countries
• Stagnation in others

27
Need for Good Conceptual Basis

• Input from academic disciplines
• History of technology
• Philosophy of technology
• Design methodology

28
History of technology

• Different relations between science and
  technology
• Science as primary source
• Science as enabler
• Science as hindsight wisdom

29
Philosophy of technology

• Artefacts
• Physical and functional nature
• Proper and accidental function
• Knowledge
• Normative dimension
• Collective dimension
• Volition
• Individual experience of reality
• Political influence on technology

30
Design methodology

• Different domains require different design
  processes
• No analysis without conjecture
• No fixed order in phases
• Take into account external factors and their
  changes

31
Desirable continuous learning line

• Primary level orientation
• There is technology all around us
• Lower secondary level conceptualisation
• Common concepts in technology
• Higher secondary education differentation
• Differences between technological domains
• Tertiary level specialisation
• In-depth and very focused

32
Support by educational research contents

• What and why
• Role of design
• Values
• To whom and by whom
• Attitudes and mental concepts of Pupils/students
  and teachers
• How
• Design practice
• Task-skills relations
• Reasoning and concept learning
• Assessment

33
Dissemination of outcomes

• Academic journals
• International Journal of Technology Design
  Education (Springer)
• URL www.springerlink.com
• Teacher journals
• The Technology Teacher (ITEA)
• Teacher associations (conferences)
• International Technology Education Association
  (USA-based)
• URL www.iteaconnect.org

34
International contacts

• PATT conferences (Pupils Attitudes Towards
  Technology)
• URL www.iteaconnect.org/D4c.html
• Hemisphere (ITEA listserve)
• URL www.iteaconnect.org
• European Union projects

35
Thank you for your attention

• Questions? Discussions?