Examining how technology is presented and understood in technology education: a pilot study in a preschool class

Abstract

The aim of the research is to examine how technology is communicated in technology education in relation to humans, society and nature in preschool class. According to the Swedish curriculum for preschool class, pupils should be given the opportunity to explore, ask questions and discuss technology and how the choices of people affect sustainable development. Teachers make different choices about, for example, content and what they do and do not say. These choices have an impact on how pupils perceive technology as part of the world and are called companion meanings. In terms of data, sound recordings and field notes from four technology lessons in a preschool class were used. The data was analysed, with focus on what types of companion meanings emerge in conversations between teachers and pupils. The analysis of companion meanings was based on two themes: Subject Language and Subject Focus. The results of this study demonstrate that pupils learn companion meanings of various types: for example, technology is something positive and unproblematic. Other types of companion meanings gave the pupils opportunities to reflect on how the technical choices of humans affect nature. Different kinds of companion meanings offer different ways for pupils to relate to the surrounding environment.

You Don’t Have to Re-invent the Wheel to Implement Technology Activities in Early Childhood Education

“…While some studies suggest play-oriented activities (Thorshag & Holmqvist, 2019;Yliverronen et al, 2018), others stress that a clear structure and organisation of activities is of significance for enabling subject-focused communication on technology (e.g., Johansson 2020;Kilbrink et al, 2014;Looijenga et al, 2015;Simoncini & Lasen, 2018). One example of the latter is an intervention study in the Netherlands by Looijenga et al, (2015), which examined both teacher-led activities and more free activities.…”

“…Some recent studies from Sweden (Sundqvist, 2020(Sundqvist, , 2021Thorshag & Holmqvist, 2019) emphasise that in play-based collaborative learning activities, the teacher's role is crucial, since how technological knowledge is mediated by teachers in such activities is imperative for the kind of technological knowledge that is made available for the children to develop. On the same note, the findings of an observational study by Johansson (2020) involving a Swedish preschool class indicate the importance of directing the children's focus to the companion meanings (described as value judgements on what knowledge is and what kind of knowledge is worth knowing) as means for teachers to organise technology education. In this way, the children can critically reflect on technology and develop an understanding of the wider relation between technology and humans, society, and nature.…”

A systematic literature review of empirical research on technology education in early childhood education

“…Technology education, in terms of DiGironimo's (2011) five dimensions emerging from the reviewed studies Note that in some of the studies, several dimensions emerged in one same study Dimensions of technology education (1) Technology as an artefact (2) Technology as a creation process (3) Technology as a human activity (4) Technology in relation to the history of the subject (5) Technology in relation to its current role in society Studies 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,12,14,15,18,19,21,22 2,3,4,5,8,9,10,13,14,18,19,21,22,23 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,…”