Broadening the Horizons of Technology Education - Using Traditional Cultural Artefacts as Learning Tools in a Swedish Sámi School

Oct 15, 2026

The case study examines technology education within a Swedish Sámi primary school and evaluates how traditional cultural artefacts can widen pupils’ technological literacy. Teacher and pupils from the same school participated, with activities linked to artefacts carried out for year 2 and 3. Participatory observation and qualitative content analysis of field notes, recorded conversations, photographs, and drawings were used. Findings show technology framed through Sámi-relevant artefacts, connecting problem-solving, adaptation, and identity, with myths and storytelling often used for contextualisation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Technological literacy and its dominant knowledge systems

Indigenous knowledge and transmission through culture

Sámi context and Sami school education

Study approach and expected contribution

Broadening the Horizons of Technology Education: Using Traditional Cultural Artefacts as Learning Tools in a Swedish Sámi School Cecilia Axell, Linköping University, Sweden Abstract The aim of this case study was to explore the nature of technology education in a Sámi school setting and to examine how knowledge about traditional cultural artefacts can contribute to broadening the horizons of technological literacy. The participants (teacher and pupils) in the study were all from the same Sámi primary school in Northern Sweden, and the activities connected to the artefacts took place with year 2 and 3 pupils. The method employed was participatory observation, and field notes, recorded conversations, photographs and children’s drawings were analysed using a qualitative content analysis. The findings show that technology education in this school was connected to specific artefacts that are important in Sámi culture. Using these traditional cultural artefacts as a starting point, the pupils were given the opportunity to see that technology is more than modern high-tech; it is an age-old tradition of problem-solving, modification and adaptation to fulfil human needs. Technology education in this school was grounded in a holistic view of knowledge and was largely integrated with other school subjects. Myths and storytelling were frequently used to contextualise the technological content, and the historical aspect of technology was clear since connections between older and newer technological solutions were frequently made. The knowledge system embedded in the technology teaching can be described as collective and related to both artefacts and activities. Technological knowledge, activities and specific artefacts were not only attributed a practical value, they were also given a symbolic value, since a common knowledge base in technology contributes to strengthening the children’s cultural identity. This study confirms that artefacts can play an important role in technology education and that an understanding of the relationship between technology and culture can be regarded as a critical part of technological literacy. A cultural context, in combination with a holistic perspective on learning, gives artefacts meaning and provides a context within which they are used. Including indigenous technological knowledge can thus not only prevent a marginalisation of indigenous knowledge, it can also provide opportunities to broaden pupils’ perspectives of what technology is, how it evolves, and the driving forces behind technological change. Keywords Technology Education, Technological Literacy, Sámi School, Technology, Culture, Indigenous Technology Introduction Technological literacy – essentially the capability to understand and use technology (e.g., ITEA, 2007; Jenkins, 1997)– is an increasingly central goal of technology education worldwide. Definitions of technological literacy vary from comprehensive to vocational, but most definitions rely primarily on Western knowledge systems (Gumbo, 2018; Marshall, 2000; Williams, 2009) . Hence, students in many countries perceive the content of technology education in a narrow sense as being mainly about modern, Western artefacts such as computers, tablets and TVs (Dakers, 2006; de Vries, 2005; Gumbo, 2017, 2018; Svenningsson, Hultén & Hallström, 2018) . However, since technology is a global phenomenon, it is important that knowledge about it includes technology from different cultural contexts and not merely technologies produced and used in limited parts of the world (Edgerton, 2011; Gumbo, 2015; Ihde, 1990) . Narrow conceptions of technological literacy are misleading when it comes to the global magnitude of technological culture, and could potentially marginalise indigenous knowledge systems (e.g. Gumbo, 2012; van Wyk, 2002; Williams, 2009) . Indigenous knowledge can be described as “the complex set of activities, values, beliefs and practices that has evolved cumulatively o

FAQs

What is the primary purpose of the case study?

To explore how technology education operates in a Sámi school context and to examine how knowledge of traditional cultural artefacts can broaden pupils’ technological literacy horizons.

Who participated in the study and which pupils were involved?

The participants were the teacher and pupils from one Sámi primary school in Northern Sweden, with activities involving year 2 and year 3 pupils.

How were data collected and analysed?

The study used participatory observation. Field notes, recorded conversations, photographs, and children’s drawings were analysed through qualitative content analysis.

What do the findings suggest about the role of artefacts in technology education?

Artefacts connected to Sámi culture help show that technology is not only modern high-tech, but also an enduring tradition of problem-solving and adaptation, strengthening cultural identity and shaping a holistic view of technology.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by LangkahRina