Is the acquisition of technological capability uniform in rural and suburban contexts?

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Atkinson, K., 1999. Is the acquisition of technological capability uniform in rural and suburban contexts? EdD, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

This Investigation is the culmination of over three years work as part of a 'taught' Doctorate in Education. Tine principle aims of the work were to explore and define 'technological capability', and to subsequently ascertain whether context (rural or suburban) affects such a concept. Following a detailed literature review, I chose to explore my emergent conceptualisation of Technological Capability' in both rural and suburban comprehensive schools, using 'A' Level Design and Technology as a focus. The views of students and staff were sought, and, after triangulation and analysis, formed a substantive part of my findings, which are acknowledged as being 'developmental' in flavour, lacking any claim to generalizability.

Educational Action Research was the methodology selected, and during the project two research cycles were completed, with suggestions in the conclusive comments about how I might move the project forward in the future. Eclecticism is my chosen way to describe the deployment of a range of research methods used to obtain evidence, an approach that continued into the analysis chapter using a variety of 'clustering' techniques to draw meaning from the questionnaires and taped interviews.

Conclusions and findings from the work include a succinct personal definition of 'technological capability' as it pertains to the subject of 'Design and Technology' in schools in England and Wales, developed from an understanding of various international perspectives on design and technological education. I also found a degree of commonality in the understanding of what constitutes design and technological activity amongst colleagues and pupils that was both refreshing and heartening. The other observation I noted was the importance that context specificity played in the process of learning, it being more important than I had originally thought when writing my 'Research Investigation Proposal (RIP).

The work draws upon the taught elements of the Doctorate in Education, making numerous references to 'taught modules' and making the reader aware that the Investigation must be seen as one part of a three year learning process. To help the reader in trying to comprehend the whole 'journey', a substantive volume of appendices makes reference to summative course reports and other supporting material.

The Investigation has opened up many new avenues of educational issues to explore in the future, and has reinvigorated in me the desire to constantly question and 'do'. It is intended that my notion of defining subject uniqueness in terms of 'unique combinations of command verbs' will lead to a substantive piece of educational research in the future. I have been challenged both by this Investigation and the three year doctoral journey, and feel to have grown as a teacher-researcher, having risen to the challenge that both offered.

Item Type:

Thesis

Creators:

Atkinson, K.

Date:

1999

ISBN:

9781369313222

Identifiers: