P008

Designerly thinking in the Foundation Stage: a context for Continuing Professional Development

Professor Clare Benson

Abstract

Young children are excited to explore the world around them and it is vital to ensure that they investigate both the designed and made world as well as the natural world. As young children grow up in a rapidly changing world involving so many different technologies, it is crucial that they engage with relevant activities. Evidence suggests that young children are often denied opportunities to explore the designed and made world in their Foundation Stage (FS) settings through lack of teacher confidence, interest and appropriate knowledge and understanding. Designerly thinking in the Foundation Stage was set up as a project, funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) to support this identified area of need. The project focused on the clarification of nature of design and technology and designing and offered possible strategies to help develop classroom practice relating to the designed and made world. Teachers gave their ideas and perceptions before and after the Continuing Professional Development that they undertook. The cascade model for the CPD was based on a transitional model (Kennedy 2005) and its effectiveness is discussed. Authentic activity and relevant links between theory and practice were two important factors that were considered when the CPD was planned and the data analysis offers key messages foreducators, not only those of the Foundation Stage.

Intended Audience

Educators of children 3-16 years, with a focus on Foundation Stage and primary 3-11 years

Presenter Biography

Professor Clare Benson is Director of the Centre for Research In Primary Technology (CRIPT) at Birmingham City University, England. She taught for many years in primary and secondary schools in this country and overseas, and became an advisory teacher before moving into Teacher Education. She has published widely on primary design and technology, and she has been invited to present at numerous conferences both in this country and overseas. She won the D&T Association Research prize for her paper on a 'A new paradigm for design and technology' and has presented the John Eggleston Memorial lecture at its annual conference. She has been involved in a wide range of projects including Designerly thinking in the Foundation Stage (Department for Education and Skills), Qualification and Curriculum Authority Assessment materials for KS 1, Sustainability in primary design and technology (DfES), Working together: primary/secondary teacher liaison (Teacher development agency), and the evaluation of Butterflies in my tummy (NESTA). At present her work focuses on MA extended courses for primary d&t, her research students and most recently she was a member of the Expert editorial team for d&t for the Rose report – the new primary National Curriculum for England. Her current research interests include primary/secondary teacher liaison and primary children's perception of d&t.