Developing an effective pedagogy in the classroom : implications for design and technology

The nature of creative problem solving is summarised and used to examine examples of teachers’ practice. Examples are drawn from both the ‘design and make’ approach and the Young Foresight initiative. Characteristics of the teachers’ pedagogy are identified and linked to the nature of the activities and tasks that the students were engaged in. Effective practice resulting in creative problem solving is identified and the influence of task and pedagogy on this practice discussed. Questions are raised about how insights provided by the Young Foresight initiative can be used to enhance problem solving in the curriculum as a whole.