ABSTRACT
There has long been a gender divide in the subject areas that make up design and technology (D&T). Historically, boys would invariably follow a workshop-based curriculum based on metal and wood manufacturing skills, while girls would follow a curriculum preparing them for domestic life through subjects such as cookery and needlework. In the UK, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 made such gender divisions illegal and these subjects were opened up to pupil choice and pupils still chose along gender lines. The introduction of design and technology, in 1990, also introduced the requirement for girls and boys to study all areas of D&T in lower secondary school, giving them a broader curriculum than previously. In upper secondary school, however, pupils chose one area to study to examination level and the gender divide remained, with the majority of boys choosing resistant materials or electronics and the majority of girls choosing food technology or textiles. Why is this, and what – if anything – should we do about it?
