Ey4106 unit2 week3

EY4106SUBJECT PEDAGOGICS 1:TECHNOLOGY WOODUnit 2 – Week 3:Educational Paradigms & Technology Education in Ireland

Department of Design & Manufacturing TechnologyLecturer/Teacher: Mr. Joseph Lyster Teaching Assistant 1: Mr. Jonathan SpillaneTeaching Assistant 2: Mr. James O’HalloranAcademic Year 2011: Spring SemesterTechnical Support: Mr. Joe Murray

Notes prepared by: Mr. Joseph Lyster

‘The Square Peg Round Hole View on Education’

Department of Design & Manufacturing Technology

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Introduction: Educational Paradigms and Technology Education in Ireland


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A paradigm is understood to be an idea or theory Paradigms change when the ruling paradigm loses its capacity to solve

problems and generate a positive vision of the future Kuhn described it in the context of scientific revolution where an existing

paradigm can no longer support a progression in scientific understanding and therefore a shift in the approach of the ruling theory of science is created (Kuhn, 1962).

Reigeluth (2006) identified that paradigm shifts are always associated with the dominant ideologies of a given time, for example Kuhn’s scientific paradigm shift reflected technological advancements of that time such as computers.

As paradigm shifts occur they can impact society on many levels, including education which is a focus of this lecture.

Major Paradigm Shifts

There have been four major paradigm shifts throughout the evolution of the human race, namely:

1. Agricultural Age2. Industrial Age3. Information Age4. Conceptual Age

The evolution of general public and technology education in Ireland will be outlined in each of these shifts

Firstly we must state the nature of current public education


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Changing paradigms of public education:Noted from a public lecture given by Sir Ken Robinson

At present, education is primarily designed to address economic and cultural aspects within a model of globalization.1. Economic

• Designed to prepare students for the 21st century economy• What will economy look like in one week???

2. Cultural• Cultural Identity• Identify with their own genes in a model of globalization

• However, the education system has not changed…it is doing what it did in the past! – So many talented students are lost as a result.

• Traditional approach was that if you worked hard, excelled in school then you would get a job.

• Today, a degree cannot guarantee you a job…most students are aware of this


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Here is the problem:• The current system of education was designed, conceived and structured for a

different age and the economic circumstances of that time – This was the period of Enlightenment i.e. the Industrial Revolution.

• The Forster Act of 1874 was the initiation of public education• It was a revolutionary concept for three reasons:

• Paid for by taxation• Compulsory to everyone• Free at the point of delivery

• However, the social structure of education was based on an intellectual model of the mind for example – deductive reasoning and a knowledge of the classics.

• This created the concept of academic ability, which categorizes people into two groups, namely:• Academic• Non Academic


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What has been the result of this?

• This has produced two pillars, namely economic and intellectual, that define current public education systems.

• This has left so many talented students lost because their intellectual ability does not conform with standardized education based on intellectual ability/academic achievement.

• This is the most intensely stimulating period in the history of the earth and yet we inadvertently restrict students in so many ways for example:• We penalize students for being distracted by the vast amount of information and

technology available to them. We are not accommodating their interests.• We confine and control their actions within the learning environment

• A primary victim of this model of education is the Arts.• The Arts requires students to address their aesthetic experience• This enables students to reach the peak of their senses and thus achieving fulfilment of

interest with the task at hand.


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How has this shaped our current system of education:

• Schools, as institutions of learning, are modelled on the interests and image of industrialism, for example:• Bells• Uniforms• Production Line Mentality….1st to 6th year….do x y and z• Separate subjects• Batch students by age rather than interests. • Subject to standardization

• An essential capacity of learning is divergent thinking, which is the ability to develop multiple answers to a problem rather than just one answer.

• Divergent thinking is an essential capacity for creativity.• Schools educate pupils out of their creative ability.

• A Longitudinal paper clip study proves (4-6; 8-10; & 13-15)


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So how can this be addressed:

• Learning must happen in groups – It’s a fundamental of human nature

• The culture of our educational institutions must change

• The old model, which is now invalid, must be replaced• It cannot be reformed….it must be transformed.

Paradigm Shifts:


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Four Main Paradigm Shifts1. Agricultural Age2. Industrial Age3. Information Age4. And …… The Conceptual Age


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Figure 1 Toffler's wave theory (reproduced from: Kressley, 1997)

• Three major paradigm shifts can be verified by Toffler’s (1980) wave theory (fig.1), which identified three great waves, namely: the age of agriculture; the industrial age; and the information age (Toffler, 1980).

• In addition to the three paradigm shifts outlined by Toffler’s (1980) wave theory, Pink (2005) proposes a new paradigm shift called the conceptual age.

Four Main Paradigm Shifts


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Agricultural Age Farming communities Specialized crafts people – Early Technologists • The majority of learning took place within families, communities and places of work where

people would learn the basic skills needed for existence, and practised a number of them as needed in the context of family life, sometimes with a measure of specialization (Thomas, 1981).

• Crafts people provided an invaluable service to agricultural society by self-sustaining rural communities ensuring that they could cater for all their needs from constructing buildings to the manufacturing and maintenance of farming equipment (Clark, 2002).

Master and apprentice system – Guild Formal Education – Primary

Directed by religious orders Classical linguistic programme of learning Rote learning and memorizing

University teaching standard poor Establishment of dissenting academies of education i.e. Engineering


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Agricultural Age


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• Informal education through ‘Hedge Schools’ came about from the introduction of the penal laws passed between 1702 and 1719. The penal laws, implemented under British rule, outlawed the teaching of Catholicism, Irish culture and language (Walsh, 2009).

• The hedge schools were taught by priests, nuns, local storytellers, passing scholars and skilled crafts people providing students with basic reading, writing & arithmetic skills (3R’s) (Dowling, 1968).

• Ireland, in the middle ages, was known as the ‘island of saints and scholars’ as a result of monastic learning’s that created the relationship between religion and education (Lennon & White, 1997).

Industrial Age Mechanisation – Industrial Revolution Large scale urbanization – increased population Public school systems developed Curriculum design to meet needs of industrial trainers Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic (3R’s) Teacher focus on developing students for a working life within

an industrial society


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Industrial Age


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• The industrial age is recorded to have begun around the 1760’s (Ashton, 1997).

• The invention of steam power created an age of industrial development, which resulted in the mechanising of many processes that were formerly attributed to skilled crafts people.

• Mantoux (2006) described the industrial revolution as a growing division of labour, a widening of markets, and the adoption of new devices by ordinary people.

• On a social level, the revolution created larger urban centres that attracted people in from the countryside to work in large factories (Feinstein, 1998).

• Larger urban centres and the demands of industrial trainers generated the need for mass education (Williams, 1961).

• In Ireland, initial teacher training colleges were created, such as the Church of Ireland College of Education (CICE), as a result of the establishment of the National schools in the 1830’s (Coolahan, 2004).

Industrial Age


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• As a result of the shift Mokyr (1985) identified the 3R’s (Reading, wRiting, & aRithmetic) as the primary focus of formal education in Britain during the industrial age.

• Field (1979) stated that education in industrial age Britain was aimed at establishing certain moral attitudes that were regarded as important to the labour force.

• Teacher training during the period of industrial revolution was heavily focused on the developing habits of regularity, self-discipline, obedience, and trained effort within students (Williams, 1961: Field, 1979).

• However, the evolution of curriculum, as a result of industrial processes and structured mass education, began to identify the need for specialized education in technical and scientific subjects (Gillard, 2007).

• Technical instruction and vocational education programmes of learning began to develop as the industrial age intensified.

• In the Irish context, Coolahan (1981) identified three significant developments in education during the industrial revolution, namely the establishment of: • the Department for Agriculture and Technical Instruction (DATI) in 1899;• formal teacher education for second level teachers through a part-time one year higher

diploma (H-Dip.) in Education in 1912; • and the Vocational Education Act (VEA) of 1930.

Industrial Age


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• Vocational education was not added to existing boards of education at the time so it was developed under its own initiative to provide technical education and continuing education, which was extremely forward thinking at the time (Coolahan, 1981).

• Inclusive in this period of significant developments, as outlined, was the establishment of the chairs in education in universities (TCD 1905; UCD 1909; UCC 1910; UCG 1915; & QUB 1914).

• They were responsible for the H-Dip programme but also secondary teacher training from 1922-1966 creating an education society.

• However, up until the late 1950’s (latter industrial age) teacher training for vocational teachers was conducted in short part-time courses under the aegis of the Department of Education, many of which were located in Colaiste Carman in Wexford (Coolahan, 2004).

• Educational developments as a result of the industrial age, particularly the latter stages, played a massive role in the technical and social progress of the 20th century, inparticular the social aspect of teaching and learning (Broadfoot, 2009).

Information Age Scientific Revolution Deeper understanding of teaching and learning Importance of curriculum Education for economic growth Development of logical and analytical skills in an age of

information and communication technology (ICT) Wider variety of subjects and careers opportunities However, teaching methods failing to keep pace with change


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Information Age


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• The information age began in the 1960’s as identified by Kuhn (1962) and Toffler (1982).

• It was a result of a paradigm shift in scientific theory that revolutionized ICT and the rate at which it developed (Kuhn, 1962).

• The scientific shift in the information age and the development of ICT has greatly influenced the processes involved in teaching and learning.

• The shift to theoretical understanding, outlined by Kuhn’s scientific paradigm, became evident in Irish ‘teacher education’, formerly ‘teacher training’, in 1963 with elective courses in the history of education, sociology of education and comparative education that aimed to give more theoretical underpinning to the students’ studies.

Information Age


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• Cheng (2001) indicates that worldwide educational reforms have experienced three waves of change since the 1970’s (table 1), namely: • Internal effectiveness; • interface effectiveness; • and future effectiveness.

• Reigeluth and Duffy (2008) also identified three similar shifts to that of Cheng.• Cheng commented that:

“The three waves of reforms are mainly based on different paradigms and theories of education effectiveness, and they result in the employment of different strategies and approaches to changing schools and education”

(Cheng, 2001)


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• In Ireland, the establishment of the Bachelor in Education Degree gave prominence to education as a central subject encouraging deeper study in the area.

• The establishment of concurrent teacher education courses for specialist (vocational) subject areas, such as woodwork and Construction, in Thomond College of Education (TCE) now the University of Limerick (UL) in the 1970’s created a new system of teacher education.

• Gleeson (2004) laments the dissolving of dedicated colleges of education to the academy such as TCE with their strong ‘craft’ orientation (Practicum), as valued throughout the previous ages, was done so on grounds of academic respectability (Gleeson, 2004).

• Goodson and Hargreaves (1996) refer to this as the ‘devils bargain’ suggesting that a very high price was paid for academic respectability.

• Nonetheless, the resulting developments in initial teacher education accompanied with the theoretical underpinnings outlined in Cheng’s (2001) first wave of change generated the need for in-service education, now referred to as continued professional development (CPD) (Egan, 2004).

Information Age


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• Pink (2005) emphasizes that the rising conceptual age will be dependent on the ability to use technology effectively, as outlined in the knowledge based economy.

• Donnelly and O’Rourke (2006) identified the need and importance of information and communication technology (ICT) in education.

• Zemsky and Massy (2004) summarize that despite development of technology in education the teaching practices remain largely unchanged.

• In the context of teaching and learning Hameed et al (2006) identified that considering the diversity in learning styles there is a need for a better system of delivering education and training.

• In third level engineering education Bernold (2001) highlighted that teaching and learning needed to reform.

Information Age


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• The majority of creative students were not sufficiently engaged in traditional lecturing, which he identified to be the dominant pedagogical strategy used by eighty-seven percent of university engineering professors (Bernold, 2001).

• Broadfoot (2009) presented a similar context on educational practice to that of Zemsky and Massy (2004) and Hameed et al (2006) by commenting that:

“Although a number of the contributions recognise that schools themselves will need to become learning organisations, in which teachers, as much as students, are prepared to be reflective, self-critical and collaborative in responding to change, there is almost nothing about pedagogy per se. Yet it seems certain that much of the current pedagogic repertoire will become increasingly ineffective in an age of ‘digital natives’; that teachers, more or less willingly, will have to engage with the new ways of encouraging, supporting and guiding learning that new technologies provide.”

(Broadfoot, 2009)• The development teaching and learning pedagogy, and the rate at which technology is

developing in contrast to it, (Donnelly & O’Rourke, 2006: Broadfoot, 2009) is seemingly shaping the context of teaching and learning for a conceptual age.

Information Age

Conceptual Age Development of values based approaches to teaching and learning Emphasis on developing understanding through active learning,

problem solving and group work Emphasis on levels of reading, mathematic and scientific literacy Growing influence of the need for Sustainable Development –

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Encouraging lifelong learning through creativity based on

divergent thinking The development of moral values within pedagogy The age of the learner centred paradigm within the conceptual

age is emerging.Department of Design & Manufacturing Technology

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• Societal changes for teaching and learning at all levels in the conceptual age will involve interdisciplinary collaboration, shared leadership, accountability, diversity and holism, which are becoming more identifiable (Reigeluth, 2006: Broadfoot, 2009: Pink, 2005: Goodson, 2004: Huitt, 2007).

• Pink (2005) proposes that a new paradigm shift is occurring where the information age is being replaced by the conceptual age having strong implications for desired knowledge, attitudes, and skills (Huitt, 2007).

Conceptual Age


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• The conceptual age is defined by two distinctions, namely: the information age was forged using the left hemisphere of the human brain and the conceptual age which will be forged using the right hemisphere of the human brain.

• The left hemisphere defined the information age with linear, logical and analytical talents that are evident in current technology and society.

• However, the shift to the conceptual age using the right hemisphere of the human brain will focus on abilities such as artistry, empathy and emotion (Pink, 2005).

• In consideration of the paradigm shifts over the last century Pink (2005) commented that: “If the Industrial Age was built on people's backs, and the Information Age on people's left hemispheres, the Conceptual Age is being built on people's right hemispheres”

(Pink, 2005)

• The proposal of such change is no surprise. Kurzweil (1999) stated that there will be as much change in the first quarter of this century as there was in the entirety of the last century.

• Education in the conceptual age emphasises the search for meaning through artistry, empathy and emotion (Pink, 2005).

• Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs also identified the search for meaning to be important regarding human motivation, though research hotly debates Maslow’s theory.

Conceptual Age


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• Auberdene (2005) implies that the conceptual age is due to a rise in human consciousness where there is an increased interest in spiritual development.

• Increased conscious levels will impact on society in three ways, namely: the values-driven consumer; spirituality in business; and socially responsible investing.

• The rise in consciousness is already evident within primary factors of society such as sustainable development, which is recognised as a sensitive issue and one of global importance (Vlek & Steg, 2007).

Conceptual Age


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Junior cycle Senior cycleMaterials technology wood (MTW)

(Construction studies formally Building construction)

Metalwork Engineering technology (formally Engineering)Technology TechnologyTechnical graphics Design and communication graphics (Technical

drawing).

• The Irish system of second level technology education was derived from the United Kingdom and Finnish technology education systems. • Second level technology education is addressed in both junior and senior cycle

curricula through eight specific subjects • Both junior and senior cycle technology education subjects are available in two

levels for assessment purposes; higher level (HL) and ordinary level (OL), and some at foundation level (FL). • Technology Education Subjects• The subjects emerged from developments in vocational education, particularly

in the 1980’s.

Technology Education:


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• The vocational education act (VEA) of 1930 was not added to existing boards of education at the time so it was developed under its own initiative to provide technical education and continuing education, which was extremely forward thinking at the time (Coolahan, 1981). • However, up until the late 1950’s (latter industrial age) teacher training for

vocational teachers was conducted in short part-time courses under the aegis of the Department of Education, many of which were located in Colaiste Carman in Wexford (Coolahan, 2004). • The establishment of concurrent teacher education courses for specialist

(vocational) subject areas, such as the outlined technology subjects, in Thomond College of Education (TCE) now the University of Limerick (UL) in the 1970’s created a new system of teacher education.



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• Gleeson (2004) laments the dissolving of dedicated colleges of education to the academy such as TCE with their strong ‘craft’ orientation (Practicum), as valued throughout the previous ages, was done so on grounds of academic respectability (Gleeson, 2004). • Goodson and Hargreaves (1996) refer to this as the ‘devils bargain’ suggesting that a

very high price was paid for academic respectability. • It is argued that the dominance of practical activity in Irish technology education is

due to many reasons; one being that teachers believe students were not cognitively exposed to sufficient “theoretical reflection about the nature and the influences of technological activity” (Black, 2005) and also the difficulty in expressing and communicating inner thoughts in a non-verbal subject area (Vygotsky and Cole, 1978). • These subjects have a low level of uptake (figure 1.6.1a) because they are

traditionally viewed as ‘craft’ subjects that do not engage with ‘cutting edge’ technological developments (ICSTI, 1999).



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Where to now?• The current model of public education does not entirely support • Despite this, there are seeds that can flourish given that the necessary

conditions for growth are provided. • It is reasonable to suggest that second level technology education has the

potential to encourage positive change • Students engage in various forms of active learning involving problem solving,

critical reflection, moral reasoning, group work and divergent thinking to name but a few.

• The conceptual basis that technology education offers can engender a learning environment to support the aesthetic experience.

• Technology education has the potential to help students envision, transform, design and construct a more sustainably built world, one which is, understood more in a ‘‘relational totality” rather than as a collection of isolated components (Elshof, 2005).

Ey4106 unit2 week3

Education

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