Investigating the interface between technological practice and technological education

This paper outlines the rationale and methodology of a project which is researching the relationship between the practice of technology and frameworks for educating about the subject. The three year project started in 1993 and is funded by the University of Reading. Three sets of data are being collected: from "practitioner" case studies on the practice of technology in selected sectors of industry and commerce; from "educational" case studies on technological education in schools and colleges; and from "partnership" case studies on school-industry and education-business initiatives. The data will be analysed for generalised relationships between the practice of technology and frameworks for technological education in England and Wales, and generalised characteristics of school-industry and education-business initiatives. The extent to which the two sets of generalisable qualities are compatible and coherent will be established. An interim report of work undertaken in the first year of the project will be presented.