Teaching modern technological concepts in terms of the cultural environment: the case of Botswana

The significant role played by culture in the overall learning process cannot be overemphasised. The learning of technological concepts by an individual child depends by and large on the cultural environment. Despite having a rich cultural educational storehouse in Botswana to facilitate the learning of concepts in technology, Western-style expensive teaching aids (such as Meccano, Lego and many more built from a Western cultural bias) are still imported to our schools at an alarming rate. The school children in Botswana have to learn concepts and procedures using teaching aids originating in an unfamiliar and complex culture. It is with these problems in mind that the author has here attempted to demonstrate that the cultural environment of technology in Botswana remains a rich resource for facilitating the teaching and learning of design and technology concepts. Examples are cited and developed to illustrate cultural translation of teaching basic concepts from expatriate models to local indigenous models.