Abstract

This paper sets out to explain the author’s belief that transferable skills to be found in designing and making activities can provide the ‘good’ learning for pupils studying Technology Education. Firstly using references from relevant literature, the importance of, and difficulties inherent in design activity will be considered. Certain aspects of a teacher’s understanding of and thereby pupils’ understanding and ability to successfully carry out the activity will be discussed. The difference between physical skills and conceptual tools required whilst designing will be reflected upon. This will lead to a discussion regarding the differences between subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and personal subject constructs and the timeframe available to train teachers of TE that enables or hinders the ‘good’ learning from taking place. The author’s own research which has informed her thinking over the years on these matters will be used to support the points of view she has put forward throughout this paper.