Abstract:

The broad knowledge types that must be learned in technology education include technological knowledge (TK) and knowledge about technology (KaT). TK is acquired and utilized along with the practical and experiential learning activities characteristic of technology education. KaT is knowledge of the technology itself, including its relationship with society and the environment and its history, and has features that are relevant to the correct evaluation and selection of technology. Both TK and KaT have been included in the curricula and educational standards of the UK, US, and Japan. However, the organized linkage of knowledge on both sides has not been made clear; that is, the back-and-forth strategy from KaT to TK and vice versa. This study proposes a teaching strategy for technology education in which TK and KaT have effective continuity. The developed strategies include learning activity such as how these technologies were selected and how TK was used to create new technologies. By using the theme of bicycle lights, we verified this teaching strategy through classroom practice. In the class, students learned how rim and hub dynamo power generation works, its advantages and disadvantages, the development of the hub dynamo and its relation to social needs, and the relationship between the spread of the hub dynamo and social factors. The results of the class evaluation showed that many students were able to understand the relationship between “technological development” and “social demand”, indicating the effectiveness of the proposed teaching strategy.

Keywords:

Teaching strategy, knowledge about technology, technological knowledge, technology education class.