ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on how the values and beliefs about education and design and technology (D&T) are formed and how they might shape the relationship with the mentee. The terms ‘beliefs’ and ‘values’ are defined, followed by a discussion about the origins of the beliefs and values and how they influence the behaviour. The words ‘value’ and ‘belief’ are common words but difficult concepts to explain. In D&T, values have been primarily used in relation to the subject’s content. Recurring features of the D&T National Curriculum have pupils learning generic skills, characteristics and abilities. These included thinking skills, learning to think creatively, problem solving and communication skills. Pupils using their hands and minds together was seen by some as a feature of D&T learning, the view that learning in D&T combines cognition with psychomotor.
