We are looking forward to welcoming you to our July research discussion.
Discussion 1: A scoping review of pedagogy and learning in Secondary Design and Technologies education by Jen Palisse, Amanda Peters, Jinny Kim, Anna Wylie, John Cripps Clark
Design & Technologies is a school subject in many secondary school systems in which students design and produce solutions to design challenges, using materials, tools, and technologies within structured design thinking processes. This scoping review examined how pedagogical approaches and student learning outcomes are represented in research on secondary Design & Technologies education. 40 studies published between 2002 and 2025 were identified through systematic database searches and analysed thematically.
We found that the reported classroom pedagogy is commonly organised around explicit design cycles, teacher scaffolding, collaboration, and engagement with materials. Learning outcomes are most frequently framed in terms of creativity, autonomy, engagement, and iterative thinking. Asymmetry was identified between pedagogy and outcomes: while instructional accounts often emphasised technological tools and material processes, reported outcomes disproportionately foregrounded dispositional and process-oriented competencies rather than technological mastery. Autonomy was one of the few outcomes that appeared consistently in both descriptions of teaching and reports of student learning outcomes.
The literature is characterised by descriptive qualitative designs, with limited systematic operationalisation of pedagogy or learning. The review highlights the need for clearer conceptualisation of both pedagogies and learning outcomes and more rigorous study designs to support cumulative knowledge development in Design & Technologies education.
Posted Jun 18, 2026
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