Talking D&T Dr Alison Hardy

This week’s episode is part of the Shaping D&T series, running from April to August 2024, where i interview a variety of people and discuss the current state and future of design and technology (D&T) education. This week it’s just me exploring the current   national curriculum for D&T in England, which has undergone several iterations, with the current version established in 2013-2014, making it the longest-standing iteration. The curriculum’s development involved expert review, led by Tim Oates, with a particular emphasis on aligning it with educational philosophies of figures like ED Hirsch and Daniel Willingham. However, the lack of a clear epistemology for D&T led to debates and criticisms, resulting in a revised curriculum that lacks external consultation. This has caused confusion and dissatisfaction within the D&T community.

The curriculum aims to develop students’ creative, technical, and practical expertise, preparing them for an increasingly technological world. However, concerns arise regarding the integration of cooking and nutrition, which was previously embedded in D&T but now exists as a separate entity, causing confusion and diluting the subject’s integrity. Despite flaws, the curriculum provides a foundation for teaching and learning, with opportunities for evolution rather than dramatic overhaul. Future episodes will explore various perspectives on the curriculum and propose potential changes to address its shortcomings.




Ciaran Ellis posted a thought-provoking question on LinkedIn recently: Do design decisions involve value judgements?What do you think? Join the conversation over on LinkedIn and let us know what you think. 
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Please offer your feedback about the show or ideas for future episodes and topics by connecting with me on Threads @hardy_alison or by emailing me.

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Subscriber-only episode
In this episode of Talking D&T, I delve into the historical context and the reasons behind my decision to start the "Shaping Design and Technology Education" series. I reflect on the conversations and committees formed to discuss the state and future of D&T education in England, drawing parallels to the development of the national curriculum in 1990 and 2013. I express my concerns about the representation and balance of stakeholders in these committees, emphasizing the importance of power, legitimacy, and urgency in shaping the curriculum.

I also discuss my contribution to a Festschrift in honor of Professor Mark De Vries, where I propose a new approach to developing the D&T curriculum. Instead of writing a new curriculum, I suggest a framework for evaluating proposed changes and identifying the appropriate stakeholder group. This framework consists of seven criteria, including the subject's epistemology, aims, inclusivity, values, real-world relevance, and feasibility across educational settings.

Throughout the episode, I emphasize the need to view the development of the D&T curriculum as a design project, with each iteration being a resolution relevant to its time. I also highlight the importance of involving teachers at the micro-level, as they have the greatest power, legitimacy, and urgency in delivering the curriculum.

Mentioned in this episode
Documents from the 1990s government directive on the D&T curriculum
Bob McCormick's paper on designing the D&T curriculum by committee 
The 2013 D&T curriculum - the first version
Abstract of Alison Hardy's book chapter for the Festschrift in honor of Professor Mark De Vries
Information about the "Redesigning D&T" project




Ciaran Ellis posted a thought-provoking question on LinkedIn recently: Do design decisions involve value judgements?What do you think? Join the conversation over on LinkedIn and let us know what you think. 
If you like the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee to say 'thanks!'

Please offer your feedback about the show or ideas for future episodes and topics by connecting with me on Threads @hardy_alison or by emailing me.

If you listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, please take a moment to rate and/or review the show.

If you want to support me by becoming a Patron click here.

If you are not able to support me financially, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing a link to my work on social media. Thank you!

In this introductory episode of the second series of my Talking D&T podcast for 2024, I discuss the focus of the upcoming series on shaping design and technology education in England. The series, running from April to August 2024, will feature international speakers sharing their perspectives on the subject in their respective countries.

I explain the catalysts behind the series, including the decline in the number of pupils studying GCSE design and technology and proposals for transforming the curriculum. I have been attending various national meetings about the subject's current state and future development, hosted by organizations such as the Design Council. My podcast aims to bring these conversations to a wider audience and engage them in the discussion.

I have divided the series into three parts, focusing on design and technology's current status in England, what people think about this, and what is being done to address the issues. I have invited a diverse range of guests, including representatives from exam boards, subject associations, and international voices. I hope that listeners will find the series engaging and encourage them to get involved in the conversation by sharing their ideas and opinions. The first public episode will be released on April 16th, 2024, with a subscription-only episode available on April 11th for teachers and other subscribers to prompt further thinking based on the context of shaping design and technology education.

Mentioned in the episode
Design Council: An independent charity and the government's advisor on design. Matilda Agace will discuss the organisation's role in shaping D&T education.
Design and Technology Association, the only professional association for D&T education in the UK, actively involved in conversations about the subject's future.
Crafts Council: The national charity for craft in the UK. Nikki Dewar will discuss their perspective on D&T education and the role of craft.
Pearson's proposal, put forward by this education company, has served as a catalyst for current conversations and meetings surrounding the future of D&T education in England.
Ciaran Ellis posted a thought-provoking question on LinkedIn recently: Do design decisions involve value judgements?What do you think? Join the conversation over on LinkedIn and let us know what you think. 
Support the show
If you like the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee to say 'thanks!'

Please offer your feedback about the show or ideas for future episodes and topics by connecting with me on Threads @hardy_alison or by emailing me.

If you listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, please take a moment to rate and/or review the show.

If you want to support me by becoming a Patron click here.

If you are not able to support me financially, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing a link to my work on social media. Thank you!

Subscriber-only episode
In this follow-up episode to my conversation with Phil Jones about Remke's paper on intrinsic motivation, I delve deeper into the concepts of motivation and expectancy, drawing from my doctoral research and my chapter in the "Learning to Teach Design and Technology" book. I explore the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, emphasising that intrinsic motivation comes from within the pupils, such as the satisfaction of mastering complex tasks or learning something new, while extrinsic motivation stems from external rewards like passing exams or pursuing a particular career.
I argue that teachers should consider both short-term and long-term relevance when planning lessons, as well as the cost-benefit balance for pupils in terms of stress, effort, and hard work. Using personal examples from my own schooling experience, I illustrate how a teacher's intervention and support can help students overcome challenges and develop their skills within their zone of proximal development.
Throughout the episode, I stress the importance of teachers conducting research in their classrooms to challenge assumptions and understand pupils' motivations better. By being aware of the complexities surrounding intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, teachers can create more engaging and effective learning experiences in design and technology. I invite listeners to share their thoughts on the conversation with Phil, and Remke's paper, and how it may have influenced their understanding of motivation in the classroom.

(Text generated by AI, edited by Alison Hardy)

Mentioned in this episode
Learning to Teach Design and Technology
Klapwijk, R. (2023). Secondary Students Intrinsic Motivation during Multidisciplinary STEAM projects : A quantitative study on the influence of competence, autonomy and relatedness in secondary Dutch classrooms. The 40th International Pupils’ Attitudes Towards Technology Conference Proceedings 2023, 1(October). Retrieved from https://openjournals.ljmu.ac.uk/PATT40/article/view/997


Ciaran Ellis posted a thought-provoking question on LinkedIn recently: Do design decisions involve value judgements?What do you think? Join the conversation over on LinkedIn and let us know what you think. 
If you like the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee to say 'thanks!'

Please offer your feedback about the show or ideas for future episodes and topics by connecting with me on Threads @hardy_alison or by emailing me.

If you listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, please take a moment to rate and/or review the show.

If you want to support me by becoming a Patron click here.

If you are not able to support me financially, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing a link to my work on social media. Thank you!

In this episode of Talking D&T, I interview Phil Jones, a full-time D&T teacher and subject leader at a school in Merseyside, who is also a part-time doctoral student at Liverpool John Moores University. Phil shares his experience as part of the organizing committee for the PATT (Pupils' Attitude Towards Technology) conference and discusses a paper that grabbed his attention during the event.

The paper, authored by Remke Klapwijk from the Netherlands, explores secondary students' intrinsic motivation during multidisciplinary STEAM projects. Phil and I delve into the study's findings, which surprisingly showed no significant effect on motivation despite the initial hypothesis. We also discuss the implications of these results for teaching practice and the importance of challenging assumptions about the impact of multidisciplinary projects on student motivation.

Phil also provides insights into his own doctoral research, which focuses on design thinking at Key Stage 3 D&T and the relationship between skills and knowledge. He explains his data collection methods, including using validated instruments, portfolios, presentations, student field notes, and focus groups. We discuss the value of pursuing postgraduate studies as a D&T teacher and the importance of research in providing an evidence base for the subject's impact. Finally, we reflect on the benefits of presenting at conferences, such as receiving valuable feedback and engaging with the wider D&T community.


(Text generated by AI, edited by Alison Hardy)

Mentioned in the show
Phil on LinkedIn Work Upton SchoolKlapwijk, R. (2023). Secondary Students Intrinsic Motivation during Multidisciplinary STEAM projects : A quantitative study on the influence of competence, autonomy and relatedness in secondary Dutch classrooms. Learning to Teach Design and TechnologyTechnasiumIntrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI)Ciaran Ellis posted a thought-provoking question on LinkedIn recently: Do design decisions involve value judgements?What do you think? Join the conversation over on LinkedIn and let us know what you think. 
Support the show
If you like the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee to say 'thanks!'

Please offer your feedback about the show or ideas for future episodes and topics by connecting with me on Threads @hardy_alison or by emailing me.

If you listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, please take a moment to rate and/or review the show.

If you want to support me by becoming a Patron click here.

If you are not able to support me financially, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing a link to my work on social media. Thank you!

Subscriber-only episode
In this episode of Talking D&T, I delve into the complex topic of teaching children to understand and articulate the agency and values inherent in designed objects. Inspired by my recent conversation with Alice about object agency, I reflect on the challenges and importance of equipping students with the knowledge and language necessary to critically examine the technological world around them.

Throughout the episode, I explore the limitations of simplistic frameworks like Access FM and emphasise the need for teachers to strategically select content that builds students' knowledge base over time. I introduce David Layton's list of values as a potentially powerful tool for structuring lessons around technical, economic, aesthetic, social, environmental, moral and spiritual dimensions of objects. However, I argue that such frameworks are only effective if students have the requisite understanding of materials, processes, and terminology to engage in meaningful analysis.

As I grapple with the complexity of teaching design and technology, I emphasize the importance of spiraling knowledge development and providing opportunities for students to practice applying their understanding to decode the implicit and explicit values embedded in designed objects. 

Ultimately, I position the ability to critically examine object agency and values as a crucial aspect of design and technology education. I challenge teachers to move beyond superficial engagement with frameworks and to instead focus on equipping students with the rich knowledge and language needed to participate successfully in a complex designed world. My insights highlight the thought and care required to effectively support students in navigating an increasingly technological landscape.


(Text generated by AI, edited by Alison Hardy)



Ciaran Ellis posted a thought-provoking question on LinkedIn recently: Do design decisions involve value judgements?What do you think? Join the conversation over on LinkedIn and let us know what you think. 
If you like the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee to say 'thanks!'

Please offer your feedback about the show or ideas for future episodes and topics by connecting with me on Threads @hardy_alison or by emailing me.

If you listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, please take a moment to rate and/or review the show.

If you want to support me by becoming a Patron click here.

If you are not able to support me financially, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing a link to my work on social media. Thank you!