Perceptions of products and applications

Products and Applications is a significant new area of the Design and Technology National Curriculum. It is both significant in the space it takes within the new Order and in its appearance in the documentation, and debate, only since the revision of the Order. Unlike other areas of the Design and Technology curriculum it does not have a clear history nor has its place within the entitlement curriculum been extensively debated. Despite this, national commentators give the impression that it is quite a natural and familiar area for teachers of Design and Technology. Several questions emerge: What is it then that teachers have been doing in this area? What approaches do teachers plan to use in the future? How are teachers' approaches affected by guidance materials? This paper will illustrate some proven approaches to teaching and learning in this area, opinions towards its inclusion in the curriculum and planned stategies to meet the requirements of the revised Order. The paper draws on information from questionnaires and interviews with teachers, advisers, inspectors and organisers of national bodies and initiatives.