Considering the Relationship between Research and Practice in Technology Education - A Perspective on Future Research Endeavours

Oct 15, 2026

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Technology education research remains a fast-evolving field, shaped by short yet significant histories and by changing educational research agendas. This paper provides an overview of how evolving research programmes emerged in response to the nature of practice, drawing on the Technology Education Research Unit (TERU) and the Technology Education Research Group (TERG). It traces their research activities chronologically to highlight perspectives, paradigms, and foundations, using both groups to stimulate reflection on past, present, and future research activity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Technology subjects’ status and educational reforms

Conceptual ambiguity and implications for research

Motivations for new research agendas

Research groups and evolving agendas

Considering the relationship between research and practice in technology education: A perspective on future research endeavours Niall Seery, Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland Richard Kimbell, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK Jeffrey Buckley, Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland & KTH, Stockholm Sweden Joseph Phelan, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA Abstract Technology subjects are a relatively recent addition to the discipline offerings at postprimary level, and have a short but interesting history in terms of associated educational research. In this paper, an overview of the evolving research agendas that emerged in response to the nature of practice, from the perspectives of the Technology Education Research Unit (TERU) and the Technology Education Research Group (TERG) is presented. A chronological account of their research activities is provided, demonstrating the perspectives, paradigms and foundations of their research endeavours. The purpose of this paper is to provoke reflection on the past, present and future of technology education research and practice, using both TERG and TERU for narrative purposes. Therefore, this paper concludes by sharing the evolution of research in TERU and TERG, so as to help consider and shape the future of relevant, contemporary, and progressive research activity. Keywords technology education research, Design and Technology education research, TERU, TERG Introduction Of the many different perspectives taken within technology education research, the majority share the same agenda of enhancing teaching and learning practices within the field. Despite the volume of effort being invested into this endeavour, there are substantial differences in the status achieved by the subject(s) internationally (Wright et al., 2018) . For example, in some countries such as Ireland and Sweden, educational reforms are seeing an elevated status being granted to technology subjects through the development of new syllabi or through additional time allocation, while in other countries, such as the UK and South Africa, current reforms are indicative of a decline in the status of technology subjects as they are being integrated or dissolved into the natural sciences. The fact that technology education is suffering a reduction of status in some countries is an outcome of the problem that, as a subject area, it is not clearly conceptualised and its utility is not coherently evidenced, which has resulted in a variety of interpretations of its efficacy within general education. Technology education research needs to respond to the discourse within this currently divisive climate but in order to do this effectively, it is paramount that new agendas can empathise this climate. Therefore, this article uses ‘Technology’ as a universal international description, that is respectful of the individual cultures, conditions, and curricula that define the specific contexts for individual subjects, and ‘Design and Technology’(D&T) on occasion when making specific reference to the UK curriculum. To understand why so many interpretations currently exist regarding the utility of technology education, and to contextualise future research endeavours, it is necessary to consider how it is positioned as a subject area in national curricula at the moment. To understand this, it is useful to consider how it has changed over time. Technology curricula in most countries have strong vocational origins and traditionally focussed on training explicit remits of craft skills. While the nature of the craft in terms of core materials, knowledge and skills could vary, expertise was visible and clearly demonstrable. Contemporary technology education has evolved to now espouse a more comprehensive view of craft and making such that aspirations of the subject now also include the development of more ambiguous competences such as technological capability (Gibson, 2008), technological literacy (Williams, 2009), a

FAQs

What is the paper’s main focus regarding technology education research?

It examines the relationship between research and practice in technology education and frames future research endeavours through the work of TERU and TERG.

How does the paper describe the status of technology subjects across countries?

It notes that some countries have elevated status through reforms, while others show declining status due to integration or dissolution into natural sciences.

Why does the paper argue that technology education is difficult to assess and generalize?

Because the subject lacks a clear conceptualization and epistemological boundary, practice varies, and goals are ambiguous, making evidence transfer from research to practice challenging.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by nayy☆