Teachers' attitudes towards design and technology in secondary schools

Abstract

The introduction of Design and Technology (D&T) in Maltese secondary schools has brought about a change in the way the subject is being viewed. Nearly ten years after its introduction in the National Minimum Curriculum (1999), the need has been felt to discover what teachers have to say regarding several issues involving this subject. Through questionnaires and structured open-ended interviews, this research attempts to discover the attitudes of Design and Technology teachers as well as of other subject teachers. A number of issues have been discussed, including the SEC exam, which has been introduced this year. The attitudes of both D&T and non-D&T teachers have been compared to each other to find out any differences. The results that have emerged show that there are quite a number of positive attitudes, and that teachers enjoy teaching this subject. Teachers from different curricular areas also share some common attitudes towards certain issues. However, there are things that need to be addressed in order to improve the quality of Design and Technology in our schools. Many teachers think that the public still has a wrong perception of the subject, and that this subject should be given more promotion on the media and in schools. A very positive step has been taken with the introduction of the SEC exam, as teachers think that it will boost the image of the subject. Most teachers said that the syllabus needs to be revised as it is heavily loaded. And finally, teachers think that Design and Technology should become compulsory in the first two Forms of secondary schools.