Technology teacher education requirements

Abstract

What is the role of teacher education in preparing and supporting teachers of technology education? Before student teachers can even consider teaching technology education, they need an overarching, holistic view of the purpose of technology education in the curriculum, as well as what technology is and how it impacts and influences our world, people, and environment. They also need to understand the role content, pedagogical, and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) play in developing quality technology education teachers.

Teacher education occurs at two levels, one in initial teacher education (ITE) programs where students are taught the fundamentals of teaching technology at early childhood, primary, or secondary school level. The second is in-service teacher education, targeted at practicing teachers, aimed at keeping them abreast with changes and contemporary understandings of teaching and learning. This entry’s main focus is the ITE and is based on the premise that student teachers come to technology classes in ITE programs with wide-ranging understandings of technology and little knowledge about pedagogical practices.

In their development of the Pre-service Technology Teacher Education Resource (PTTER) framework, Forret et al. (2013) identified four cornerstones for quality technology teacher education. These are that to teach technology successfully, teachers need to understand the philosophy of technology, have a strong rationale for teaching technology, understand the underpinning ideas of the technology curriculum, and plan and implement it using sound pedagogical practices. This entry is structured around these four cornerstones.

Throughout this entry, technology education refers to the school curriculum learning area of design and technology. Teachers teach technology either in early childhood centers, primary schools, or as specialist teachers of technology in intermediate or secondary schools, including junior and senior levels.