The Impact of Lack of Resources on Declining Students’ Enrolments in Design and Technology in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools - Research Abstract

Oct 15, 2026

Lack of resources contributed to declining enrolments in design and technology in Botswana junior secondary schools, dropping by up to 6% per year over a decade despite government encouragement. Using the PATT (pupils’ attitude towards technology) framework, the study examined how resource constraints shaped students’ attitudes, enjoyment, and performance. Student views from focus group interviews were analysed through a hybrid data-driven inductive approach and a deductive code-template method.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Key words

Introduction

Policy background (RNPE)

Dual nature of the subject

Resource demands and curriculum strain

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The Impact of Lack of Resources on Declining Students’Enrolments in Design and Technology in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools Michael Gaotlhobogwe, University of Botswana, Botswana RESEARCH Abstract Lack of resources has resulted in declining students’enrolment in design and technology in Botswana junior secondary schools by up to 6% per year over 10 years, despite positive encouragement by the government. Based on the PATT (pupils’ attitude towards technology) theoretical framework this study indicated how a lack of resources in Botswana junior secondary schools impacted upon students’ attitudes towards design and technology. Research from most parts of the world indicates that attitudes toward technology is increasingly becoming an important area of research as the impact of technology on society increases. Technological impact on society has resulted in a shift of perceptions about the role of technology education the world over. Views of students expressed during focus group interviews and analysed through a hybrid of a data driven inductive approach and deductive a priori template of codes approach indicated that lack of resources impacted upon students’ enjoyment and performance of Design and Technology. Key words design and technology, technology education, Botswana, attitudes and perceptions, Nvivo Introduction The Revised National Policy on Education (RNPE)(Republic of Botswana, 1994b) recommended that design and technology be made a core subject in Junior Secondary Schools in Botswana by the year 2000. Prior to the RNPE, design and technology had been offered as an optional subject since its introduction in the curriculum in 1990. Although design and technology has evolved from craft subjects such as woodwork and metalwork, it is relatively a new subject in Botswana (Moalosi, 2001), as it is on a world scale (Owen-Jackson, 2002; Ginestiẽ , 2005; Barlex, 2007) . To emphasize the connection between design and technology and the old craft subjects, Gawith et al (2007) wrote that technology education (an equivalent to design and technology in Botswana) in New Zealand was both an old and a new subject. Design and technology education in Botswana, like technology education in New Zealand has this dual nature. As an old subject it is associated with notions of craft and vocational preparation, and as a new subject, a greater emphasis is being placedon technology in a critical social context. The dual nature of design and technology has resulted in diverse views about its place in the curriculum. This dual nature has also placed a tremendous strain on the subject’s resources. Perceptions about the value, and the role, of design and technology education in the 21st century are also divided (Gaotlhobogwe, 2010) . As an old subject, design and technology education is founded on competencies, which only a few people need in order to accomplish given tasks. This position carries with it a stigma, a history that may render the subject out of date in the 21st century curriculum. As an emerging technological literacy subject, design and technology education is founded on technological literacy, which everybody needs to survive in this technology driven world. This position conflicts with roots and history which makes ita distinct subject with a defined role in the school curriculum. As a new subject it is expected to shift, to be better placed to accommodate (embrace, even) the change that is brought about by a range of technological, legal and social developments in the ways that products are designed and made. Historical periods of human society (de Vries, 1996) and the corresponding trends in the development of technology in post-industrial society (Ivanov, 2006; Steeg, 2008) have led to many questions about the mutual co-existence and interaction of education and technology at the present time (Levin and Kojukhov, 2008; Steeg, 2008; Kumar, 2002) . The teaching and learning of design and technology has be

FAQs

How does lack of resources affect students’ enrolments in design and technology in Botswana?

The study reports enrolments decline by up to 6% per year over 10 years in Botswana junior secondary schools where resources are lacking.

Which framework guides the study’s analysis of attitudes toward technology?

The PATT (pupils’ attitude towards technology) theoretical framework guides how resource shortages influence students’ attitudes toward design and technology.

What did the study find about the impact of resource constraints on students’ learning outcomes?

Findings from focus group interviews analysed through inductive and deductive coding show that lack of resources affected both students’ enjoyment and their performance in design and technology.

Oct 15, 2026

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