Developing the research infrastructure for design and technology education in England (and beyond)

This paper summarises initiatives taken by a partnership of Loughborough University and the Design and Technology Association in order to support action research by teachers in England. The theoretical and international contexts surrounding these initiatives as well as the initiatives themselves are described. These included an open access online journal, conference, archive and hub (www.dater.org.uk), specialist publications, a poster and conferences/workshops for tutors in Initial Teacher Education. Data is presented from Google Analytics monitoring of the online resources from July 2008 to July 2009, from a pilot questionnaire (N=33) and follow-up interviews. Research into this infrastructure continues, but the initial findings reported suggest the need for improved marketing and internet linking and the redesign of the IDATER Online home page. The online journal in particular has found much international use, having been accessed from 112 countries during the year. The on-going research will consider the quality of the resources themselves, as well as the infrastructure and its further development, of which they are part.