Keeping up to date with your subject knowledge

Tom Corker is currently Head of Technology at Felixstowe School and Lead Technology Teacher for Unity Schools Partnership. Tom has experience leading and supporting schools in design & technology education in the East of England and has previously carried out consultancy work for the Design & Technology Association and BBC Bitesize.

Design & technology is the most important subject in the National Curriculum. Some reading this post might disagree, but this viewpoint has been a consistent thread from my discussions with those who teach, lead departments or are involved in teacher training.

Why do they make this claim?

Well, D&T is a subject that is modern, exciting, putting learning from other subjects into practice, whilst driving our society and economy forward. This passion encourages me that many students will receive an excellent quality education within their school contexts. 

However, amid this positivity there is a challenge for D&T teachers and a challenge that will continue throughout the teaching of the subject: the need to stay up to date with subject knowledge and skills. This is a challenge that other subject specialists are less likely to encounter (although it would be foolish to suggest not at all) when compared to the fast-paced change of the technological world around us. 

Subject knowledge challenges are further magnified in a D&T context when we consider the changes to the subject(s) and curriculum over the years:

• 2017 (finally) brought a single title Design & Technology GCSE replacing the legacy material specific qualifications. 

• 2013 brought a re-energised and relevant curriculum for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 that showed design & technology in a modern light whilst allowing flexibility for school contexts and ensuring progression from Year 1 to Year 9. 

Its great that D&T is now under one umbrella but with it we have:

• Teachers who have specialisms within certain materials, crafts and professions but lack expertise in many others 

• Departments where rooms are set up for specific materials or historical specifications

• Mentors and trainers who have learnt through historical specifications and themselves will be limited in the knowledge and skills that they impart to early careers teachers

A culture of CPD (continuous professional development) is important in teaching but it is essential for those who teach D&T. In a typical week it is feasible for a teacher to be delivering different lessons that involve:

• Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacture

• 3D drawing skills

• Using a sewing machine

• Scaled modelling using corrugated card and hot glue guns

• Writing a flow chart programme for electronic circuits

• Discussions on the circular economy

• Plastic production techniques in industry

• Levers and linkages

• Healthy living and preparation techniques for dishes using fruit and vegetables

For those who first enter teaching, this can appear scary. And I would not disagree as I remember similar feelings when I first started teaching in 2006. So how can we support those who enter the D&T teaching profession? I feel this can be achieved through four crucial routes:

1. Teaching training

2. Mentoring and supporting

3. Departmental leaders

4. Culture of CPD

Initially those involved directly in teacher training will have the most influence through contact time with trainee teachers and will know their trainees the best. People will enter through a wide range of backgrounds and will have great strengths in some areas but weaknesses in many. The opportunity to run subject knowledge booster courses or specific CPD workshops will have high impact. The opportunity to then put this learning into practice and reflect on it is greatly welcomed

Mentoring in school will provide opportunities for a close rapport between mentor and mentee that will identify weaknesses in subject knowledge. Auditing the curriculum or GCSE specification using a RAG (red amber green) system will quickly highlight areas to address. These areas can be addressed through dedicated weekly CPD time with a departmental technician and through team teaching subject areas.

Heads of department will have a great oversight of the team and machines and strategically will understand the priorities required. One of the greatest strengths within a team are the staff themselves. Some of the best CPD I have seen has been in-department CPD. I have seen sessions with sewing machines delivered by textile specialists to engineering teachers or a bespoke electronics session delivered by a subject lead to non-specialists. The Head of Department will also have a record of the machine training that staff will have undertaken formally and will ensure that sessions are coordinated every five years to maintain confidence.

Most importantly in the long term there a proactive approach needs to be taken by teachers to ensure they feel confident in the delivery of the subject. There is a wealth of opportunities to access in this respect:

• Podcasts (‘Designed for Life’ from the Design & Technology Association one such example)

• Blogs (such as dandtfordandt)

• The latest news from websites i.e. BBC

• Online CPD (the Design & Technology Association have recently launched excellent low-cost modules relevant to needs)

• Network meetings (often led by regional or trust leads)

Design and technology excites us as practitioners and this excitement is shared by students. We must lead by example and continue to challenge ourselves and learn. With this the skills and knowledge of design & technology teachers continues to grow and so too does the quality of education that is delivered.