Initial teacher education students’ conceptions of creativity in technology and science education: A large-scale New Zealand study

Abstract

The Australasian Journal of TechnologyEducation is a peer refereed journal, and provides a forum for scholarly discussion on topics relating to technology education. Submissions are welcomed relating to the primary, secondary and higher education sectors, initial teacher education and continuous professional development, and general research about Technology Education. Contributions to the ongoing research debate are encouraged from any country. The expectation is that the Journal will publish articles at the leading edge of development of the subject area. The Journal seeks to publish • reports of research, • articles based on action research by practitioners, • literature reviews, and • book reviews. Abstract Teacher misconceptions about the nature and intent of Technology education (henceforth, Technology) in school sectors is of concern. Research suggests that elementary teachers too often do not have a basic grasp of the central tenets associated with Technology and how it differs from Science. Research by Atkinson (2000) has found that teacher educators too often design Technology lessons with a linear problem solving approach, leaving little opportunity for student creativity and imagination. Using a large sample of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students (N = 830) this study found that early childhood education ITEs were less inclined to agree with the notion that Technology was mostly about creativity, design, and showing others your ideas. In addition, students thought that creativity was more applicable to Technology (as opposed to Science), although older male students thought that creativity was more relevant to both subjects. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.