Design and technology in the primary school

Primary design and technology is a relatively new subject that has been introduced into the primary curricula in many countries around the world. The nature of the subject varies worldwide with some countries, such as Germany, focusing more on the science aspect, whilst others, such as the USA, focus more on making, and some, including New Zealand, England and Wales, taking a holistic view of designing, making and evaluating. The subject has faced some difficulties, with little support at a national level for its implementation and teachers looking for support locally from, for example, advisory teachers, advisors and independent consultants. Over the years this has led to some mixed messages as different understandings of requirements and of the subject have been communicated. The purpose of this chapter has been to give an overview of design and technology in the primary school (5-11 years). This will be important for those intending to teach in a primary school as it will help to clarify the nature of the subject, how it might be planned and organised on the primary school curriculum and how it might be taught and assessed. It will also be important for those intending to teach in a secondary school as you will need to have an understanding of the previous design and technology experiences of the pupils and to consider how you can successfully build on this to develop progression in pupils' learning. © 2015 G. Owen-Jackson. All rights reserved.