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Teachers’ teaching practice plays a key role in the learning process of pupils, and for teaching to be successful, teachers must have knowledge in many different fields. This obviously also applies to teaching the subject technology. However, lower secondary school technology education in Sweden has reportedly been described in terms of teaching not following the curriculum along with widespread uncertainty among teachers regarding how to design their teaching practices. To address this national challenge, we need to understand the existing technology teaching practice. The purpose of this study is therefore to explore the considerations experienced technology teachers make. The study is based on interviews with technology teachers who work in lower secondary school (13–15-year-old pupils). The collected data consist of teacher’s statements regarding their own expertise and teaching practice. To visualize the described teaching practice we have analysed collected data through the lens of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The results show both similarities and differences in the teachers’ descriptions. Speaking in terms of PCK, the purpose and teaching focus expressed by the respondents, framed within the category ‘Orientations to teach technology’, vary considerably. However, regarding ‘instructional strategies’, the consensus among those experienced teachers is striking. Experienced technology teachers’ teaching practices are proven to provide valuable information about the subject’s potential, and the findings offer a basis for the future development of the subject of technology as well as future teacher education and professional development courses.

During a relatively short period of time, programming has been implemented in the national curriculum of the compulsory school in Sweden. Since 2018, programming is a new content in the technology subject and the research field has discussed some of the challenges teachers and students, who generally have little experiences of programming, face when programming is introduced in teaching. In this study, we have explored what strategies lower secondary school students (ages 13–15) use when they are programming a robot to follow a curved line in technology education class. Data consists of screen recorded films when students are pair programming a robot. Student talks were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Practical Epistemological Analysis. The analysis revealed three different strategies that the students used when programming the robot: (1) sensor—follow the line, searching for a code that automatically would make the robot to follow the route, (2) sensor—wheels, using codes to create a feedback system between sensor and wheels, and (3) rotations—degrees–wheels, using the position of the robot to stepwise fine tune the movement of the wheels. In line with previous research, the students in our study spent much time discussing, testing, and debugging their code, and our findings contribute by showing how these discussions were aligned with the strategy used. Depending on the strategy, students actively looked for and tested codes affecting different aspects of the sensor-wheel system, such as for example sensor input, power, rotations or turning. Implications for teaching is discussed.

Does practical work develop student learning in technology? (Fundamental)Teaching technology and engineering for children in primary and secondary school in Swedenis by tradition both theoretically and practically oriented and teachers plan their teachingaccordingly. In this study we explore the teachers’ use of practical work methods whenteaching technology.In Sweden technology is a mandatory subject in compulsory school since the mid-1980s. Itsorigins are in metal- and wood-work but have developed into a trans-disciplinary subjectwhich includes crafts as well as engineering science and the history of technology. Thecurrent syllabus, introduced in 2011, divides the subject into three core content areas:technological solutions, working methods for developing technological solutions andtechnology, man, society and the environment. This includes mechanics, materials,electronics, automatic control, the product development process, and technology’s relation toscience, to society at large and to the fine arts.Based on a phenomenographic research approach we explore how practical work and theoryconnect, what teachers want to achieve through pupils hand-on-activities and their attitudetowards practical work.Data collections include interviewed secondary school teachers in the Stockholm area whoteach 13 to15 year old pupils. We are in particular interested in teachers’ design of teaching;how they plan and use practical work (such as design and make activities) in their teaching.The results so far indicate that teachers frequently use practical exercises when teachingtechnology, but have very different ideas about the role of practical work in the subject as awhole. This includes both how theory should be applied and also how much time practicalwork should be given in the classroom. One of the respondents considered practical work asthe most important way for students to experience technology and therefore dedicates mostlessons to that kind of activities. Other respondents consider practical work as a method toimprove understanding and emphasized the importance of interplay between theory andpractice, which meant that practical work was used only when considered necessary.Findings indicate that the variety of teacher’s thoughts about practical work is extensive andwide and therefore have implications for further studies conducted in areas such as: teachersplanning and teachers’ implementation of practical exercises.