ABSTRACT
Design and technology (DT) is a subject which embodies constructive learning in that its explicit Programme of Study statements are aimed to draw directly on children's experiences and ideas in the 'design and make' process. It is, however, an area which has been poorly understood and underdeveloped in many classrooms, and OFSTED have reported problems in terms of teachers' knowledge and achieving coverage of the National Curriculum (OFSTED 1995). In the light of this, the aims of this chapter will be:
to define what actually constitutes DT;
to illustrate this through examples of children engaged in DT tasks, including realistic strategies for DT work in a primary setting;
to show how these activities nest within the parameters of the constructivist theory of learning which forms the rationale for this book.
