Re-imagining the future of design and technology education: An opportunity for curriculum innovation.

In England as an educational discipline Design and Technology is in disarray. Deliberations about the subject’s value and purpose within the core curriculum have taken place since its inception. However, these debates have not been formalised by the subject’s community to create a solid research base. Hence there is no firm foundation from which to defend the subject as being of one of vital importance to a child’s educational development, and hence crucial to the curriculum.

As the subject declines, so does the community of colleagues working within the field, and hence the potential to develop robust evidence in support of the subject is further diminished. Without a strong research foundation from which to draw, nor a significant body of colleagues to instigate meaningful academic debate which could serve to influence those in a position of power to instigate educational change, the difficulties faced look to be insurmountable.

Therefore, if there is to be any hope of halting, let alone reversing the subject’s deterioration, swift and significant action needs to be taken. Hence, the principal aim of this research is to investigate not what has gone wrong, but what should the subject of Design and Technology, operating within our schools ‘look like’.

Underpinned by an approach informed by constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2014) this work presents the first phase of an ongoing research study which seeks to explore key stakeholders’ visions for the subject.

Presented in the form of a 'conversation' piece, drawn directly from participant perspectives, preliminary findings indicate a diverse range of opinion relating to the subject’s future. Following first phase analysis, initial outcomes are discussed, with the intention that these findings will help to shape and inform future research as we move toward a re-imagined subject.