ABSTRACT
Understanding the key issues in contemporary technology teacher education is not possible without an insight into the nature of the changes that take place in technology education as a school subject itself. Most problems that technology teacher educators face are the result of the fact that technology education is a subject that is going through fundamental transitions now. This not only holds for the European situation, but worldwide. In this chapter we will illustrate the issues we describe by European examples, because the publication it is part of, deals with European teacher education specifically. It is, however, not difficult to find examples from other countries that are quite similar to the European situation. In fact, the variety of approaches to technology education that can be found in Europe is so wide, that most approaches outside Europe have equivalents in Europe. All the possible approaches in technology education together form a spectrum that can be described by mentioning some of the most striking ‘wavelengths’ in this spectrum. Most programmes are combinations of ‘wavelengths’. Nevertheless, the wavelengths described here can serve as indications of the kind of programmes that can be found. No programme for example is exactly ‘green’, but several are ‘greenish’. The approaches are (De Vries, 1993a):
a craft-oriented approach, in which teaching how to handle tools and materials by making predesigned workpieces is the main content;
a production-oriented approach, in which preparation for contributing to industrial production is the main aim;
154an applied-science approach, that sets all technology in the context of science learning;
a high-tech approach, that teaches how to deal with advanced technological products;
a technological-concepts approach, that teaches major technological theoretical concepts, e.g. the systems concept, and is rather analytical in nature;
a design approach, in which the process of designing new products forms the heart;
a key competency approach, in which the learning of competencies like co-operation, creativity and innovative thinking are central;
an STS (science, technology, society) approach, that teaches primarily science-technology and technology-society relationships.
