International perspectives on technology education
Frank Banks, John Williams
Abstract
Although ‘design and technology’ as a named school subject is specific to England, a practical area of the school curriculum concerned with pupils designing and making products that solve real problems within a variety of contexts is common in different countries. However, as in England, they also draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing, and art. The most common name internationally for this subject is ‘technology’, and while avoiding the sometimes narrow interpretation as ‘using computers’, this chapter considers debates over the technology curriculum in a range of different country contexts. Drawing on the experiences of the authors’ network of colleagues across the world, this chapter considers the recent developments, the present classroom experiences and the likely future of school technology. The contrasting cases of Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, China, Israel, Malawi, Taiwan, and the US are explored.