Why universities should take notice to what’s happening at GCSE level in schools: the fly, the spider and the bird

Universities have a key role to play in the secondary school curriculum; with recent announcements about the Ebacc, schools feeling the financial pinch and difficulties in teacher training recruitment I think its essential that they engage with what is happening in schools at subject level. These are my views about the perfect storm that design and technology is findings itself in and what the consequences of this might be at HE level. 

Applying to any course students must have some prior experience or qualification. It’s rather like the old lady who swallowed a menagerie to catch a fly:

• To apply to a design related degree they (usually) must be studying a design-related A level, such as D&T, and have a portfolio to bring to interview (the bird);
• To study A level D&T they (usually) must have studied GCSE D&T an achieved a C grade or above (the spider);
• To study GCSE D&T year 9 pupils must have achieved a certain mark/ behaved in a particular way/ shown a clear aptitude for D&T (the fly).

Although in this situation nothing is being swallowed, but a lack of nourishment could lead to extinction or at least being placed on an endangered list.

The fly

The GCSE D&T ‘fly’ is caught in a perfect storm.

• As was reported in the summer, there has been a dramatic and steady decline in the number of pupils studying D&T at GCSE since 2004. At the time I didn't think the changes to league table measures and the introduction of the Ebacc were a reason for this. but after Nicky Morgan set the target that 90% of pupils will be studying the Ebacc I've changed my mind.
• D&T is not part of the Ebacc (a measure of success for schools and pupils), along with other creative subjects including art and design, music and drama.
• School budgets are being cut and D&T is expensive.
• The national data on pupils’ achievement in D&T, as reported by Diana Choulerton in the summer, reveals that pupils’ achievement in D&T is below of that made in other subjects.
• Recruitment of trainee D&T teachers has been dire this year.

So with no teachers to teach it, no money to teach it, low achievement rates and it’s not part of the new ‘measuring system’ the situation for the fly is looking rather dire.

The spider

With the potential of less pupils studying D&T at GCSE, there will be fewer pupils who are qualified to study A level D&T.

I’m already picking up from D&T teachers that schools are cutting A level D&T from their curriculum, even though the results from these departments is outstanding. 

Not all applicants will study A levels, some will have BTECs, usually studied at further education (FE) colleges. Recent news items about FE’s funding crisis could impact on this route into HE design and creative courses.

The bird

In 2012/13 8.9% of undergraduates were enrolled on a Creative Arts and Design degree. Within this broad category are courses such as product design, fashion, architecture and computer gaming design, many of which  that do require either A level D&T and/or a portfolio to be brought along to interview.

With no A level D&T or portfolio from the coursework this bird could develop some characteristics akin to a dodo. But then these are the creative subjects and they should have a creative solution.

I think it’s time that universities began to look more closely at the potentially far reaching impact of the Ebacc focus in schools, even though these pupils are more than four years away from entering university.

Possible next steps:

• Lobby government via a number of campaigns ‘Bacc for the future’ and ‘Designed and Made in Britain...?’ :

• Get involved in schools, link u with D&T departments;

• Advise on D&T curriculum developments;

• Encourage your undergraduates to Get into Teaching.

D&T in schools: its value to children today and tomorrow

Yesterday’s Ebacc announcement from Nicky Morgan could be seen as another nail in the coffin for design and technology (D&T); on top of the reducing budgets, teacher recruitment crisis and changing exam specifications this means that D&T teachers are having to defend their subject to parents, pupils, head teachers and MPs.

So why is D&T an essential part of a broad and balanced curriculum?

This seems a simple opening question to ask new trainee teachers, but it is less straightforward to answer. Even in official documents and within the D&T community there is disagreement and contention. I’ve come to the conclusion that these different perspectives about the value of D&T are part of the subject’s vibrancy, but we need to harness them into a cohesive structure that defines the value of D&T.

Defending D&T

Over the past two years I’ve interviewed people about why they think D&T is a valuable school subject. In my initial study I talked with D&T teacher trainers (people like me) and trainee D&T teachers, and from these two groups I was able to integrate their values into a list of 22 different values of D&T (in the table below).

The two groups agreed that D&T is a subject that can be of value to an individual child whilst in school and studying D&T, and when they leave school. But they also said that D&T is of value to society.

In the table I’ve split the values into two types and compared which values each group had. The two types are:

·       the value to children whilst they are at school

·       the value to children and society outside (and after) school.

I’m not claiming these values are the definitive values of D&T but they do show the variety of values people have of D&T. It also shows the different values just two groups have of D&T.

	Values	D&T teacher educators	Trainees
The value of D&T for children whilst they are at school
1	Activity of designing	✓
2	Alternative to academic subjects		✓
3	Designing for future needs and opportunities	✓	✓
4	Examination and questioning of the made world		✓
5	Freedom to take risks and experiment	✓	✓
6	Helps the understanding of human beings' position & existence	✓	✓
7	Identifying problems to be solved	✓
8	It is fun and enjoyable		✓
9	Learn from evaluating personal success and failure	✓	✓
10	Learning happens through using brains and hands together	✓	✓
11	Meaningful activity of solving real problems with real solutions	✓	✓
12	Personal ownership of decisions and actions	✓	✓
13	Provides a practical purpose for other school subjects		✓
14	Using raw materials to make a product	✓	✓
The value of D&T to children (and society) outside school and when they have left school
15	Become aware of the economic impact of technological developments	✓	✓
16	Considers the ethics of technological development	✓	✓
17	Contributes to the nation's industrial and economic competitiveness		✓
18	Develops the skill of creativity	✓	✓
19	Develops the skills of autonomy and collaboration		✓
20	Empowers society to act to improve the world	✓	✓
21	Learn practical life skills		✓
22	Learning of vocational skills and techniques that open doors to careers	✓	✓

Table 1: Comparing values of D&T teacher educators and trainee teachers by type

Using these values to defend D&T

Steve Keirl (2007) reminds us that ‘D&T teachers periodically find themselves offering some sort of defence of the subject’ (p.550) - my research could help D&T teachers, and its many advocates, celebrate D&T’s strength and defend its contribution to a school’s curriculum.

As D&T implements changes to the curriculum, GCSE and A level, I think it is important that we have continue to debate the value of D&T. This series of values could form part of that discussion and provide a framework for that debate.

In D&T departments each teacher could rate these values in order of importance and compare. Departments could discuss their agreements and disagreements. Further conversations could ask ‘How do pupils know why we think is important?’ ‘How do we show our values of D&T in our lessons? School senior leaders could also join in the discussion, comparing their values with the D&T teachers.

By understanding the values held about D&T by different groups of people, such as parents and senior leaders, we may come to a collective understanding about the many reasons why D&T should be taught in schools.

This series of values does have a limitation; currently it only represents the values of the two groups discussed here. The next version will include the opinions of others including pupils, D&T teachers, school senior leaders and parents.

References

Keirl, S., 2007. The politics of technology curriculum. In: D.Barlex, ed., Design and technology for the next generation. Whitchurch, England: Cliffeco Communications, pp. 60-73

This blog post is a shortened version of an article in Design and Technology Education: An International Journal –

Hardy, A. 2015. What’s D&T For? Gathering and Comparing the Values of Design and Technology Academics and Trainee Teachers. Vol. 20, No. 2