Analysing Cases in Technology and Design Education - How could designing and making technological products be a vehicle for enhancing understanding of natural science principles?

Oct 15, 2026

Knowledge Promotion is Norway’s curriculum initiative for the 10-year compulsory school, where Technology and Design (ToD) becomes a new main subject area within Natural Science. ToD is intended to run across Natural Science, Art and Crafts, and Mathematics so pupils can plan, develop, and make useful products. Case-study analyses from three schools indicate the ToD project successfully strengthens pupils’ designing and making skills and supports deeper understanding of relevant natural science principles.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background, Aims and Frameworks

Knowledge Promotion and subject time

Competence aims in ToD and related subjects

Definitions of natural science and technology

Research context and article details

Analysing Cases in Technology and Design Education: How could designing and making technological products be a vehicle for enhancing understanding of natural science principles? Dr Pål J. Kirkeby Hansen, Professor, Faculty of Education and International Studies, Oslo University College Abstract Knowledge Promotion is the recent curriculum for the Norwegian 10-year compulsory school. Technology and Design (ToD) is a new main subject area in Natural Science. ToD should be taught across the curriculum between Natural Science, Art and Crafts, and Mathematics. The main goal is that pupils should be able to plan, develop and make useful products. The interaction between natural science and technology is a key part of this main subject area. Natural science principles constitute the basis for understanding technological activities. The present analyses of ToD education is based on case studies in three schools. The main outcome is that the actual ToD-project seems successful in developing pupils’ skills in designing and making products, and has great potential to be a vehicle for enhancing understanding of adequate natural science principles. If carefully planned, this conclusion might be generalized to other ToD-projects. Key words Technology, design, natural science principles, project work, learning Background, Aims and Frameworks Before the Knowledge Promotion (KP06, Utdanningsdirektoratet [Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training], 2006a) was implemented in 2006, Norway used less time for science and technology in compulsory education than all other countries in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, [St.meld. nr. 30](St.meld. nr. 30) (2003-2004), 2004:45). The situation is almost the same now. Natural Science is still a minor subject in compulsory education (7.8% of total time) . ToD is one of six main subject areas in Natural Science because “natural science principles constitute the basis for understanding technological activities”(Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2006b:3) . All main subject areas have competence aims to be reached after years 2, 4, 7 and 10. The number of competence aims in ToD, altogether 11 of a total of 105 in Natural Science in years 1-10, indicates that science-time used for ToD is limited. However, ToD “covers several subjects, including natural science, mathematics and art and crafts” (ibid.:3) . Crosscurricular ToD-projects may allocate more than the limited science-time. Art and Crafts (Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2006c:2) have two main subject areas, Design and Architecture, which have many competence aims relevant for ToD-projects.“Mathematics shows its usefulness as a tool when we work with technology and design”(Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2006d:1), but have no specific competence aims for ToD. The present analysis consider only one, but a quite typical, ToD-project, designed to meet two competence aims in Natural Science after year 10 (end of compulsory education): The pupil shall be able to • develop products based on specifications that use electronics, evaluate the design process and assess product functionality and user friendliness • test and describe characteristics of materials used in a production process (Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2006b:9) The relevant aims in Art and Crafts are: The pupil shall be able to • design products based on a technical specification of form and function • describe different solution for the design of a product using sketches and digital software (Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2006c:5) Mathematics could easily be a relevant ‘tool’ in the project by using elements from aims in the main subject areas Numbers and Algebra, Geometry, Measuring (Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2006d:6) . The Natural Science Subject Curriculum claims that “the interaction between natural science and technology is a key part of this [ToD] main subject area”(Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2006b:3), and defines natural science: Natural science is the re

FAQs

What is the role of Technology and Design (ToD) in Norway’s Knowledge Promotion curriculum?

ToD is positioned as a main subject area in Natural Science and should be taught across the curriculum between Natural Science, Art and Crafts, and Mathematics. The focus is on enabling pupils to plan, develop, and make useful products.

How does the document connect natural science principles with technological activities?

It states that natural science principles provide the basis for understanding technological activities. The interaction between natural science and technology is treated as a key part of the ToD main subject area.

What do the case studies report about the ToD project’s outcomes?

Analyses based on cases in three schools suggest the ToD-project is successful in developing pupils’ skills in designing and making products. It also has strong potential to enhance understanding of adequate natural science principles.

Oct 15, 2026

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