Advance HE

Using Twitter to develop our profiles as academics, to create genuine communities of practice and meaningful connections with the wider world. Within this presentation we explore through the use of twitter we can develop our academic profiles, create genuine communities of practice and meaningful connections.

On 15th December 2017, the Department for Education (DfE) launched a consultation on strengthening Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and improving career progression for teachers, which set out a range of proposals: * ensuring teachers have the right support in place at the beginning of their careers, raising the baseline of support for all teachers * improving access to high-quality professional development, * improving progression opportunities for all teachers throughout their careers. Around 2,000 responses received and strong sector engagement at several large consultation events held throughout the country. Reception to the proposals set out in the consultation was largely positive and on 4th May 2018 the government{\textquoteright}s response was published which took on board the feedback and recommendations from the sector. As part of the response published by the government, they committed to introduce: {\textquotedblleft}{\textellipsis}an Early Career Framework (ECF) for the induction period. The ECF will ensure new teachers have more support in this crucial phase of their career and schools have more guidance about what they should be offering their new teachers{\textquotedblright}.(DfE, 2018) In recognising the amount of work which is necessary to ensure the success of this initiative the DfE believe that it is necessary to undertake intensive work with the profession to determine what should be included within the framework, and how this should be delivered through enhancing professional development opportunities for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs). This commitment to seeking the view of the wider profession led to representatives from the DfE approaching the University of Sunderland to host a consultation event, in mid-October 2018, with strategic partners to seek their opinions and feedback around key areas in relation to the ECF.  This report covers the discussion and outcomes from the consultation event held at the University of Sunderland attended by a range of strategic partners from across the education sector.

In the continuing context of curriculum change within English education, this paper explores the cultural and historical roots of design and technology, as an educational construct, distinct from design or engineering, which exist as career paths outside of the school curriculum. It is a position piece, drawing on literature from a wide range of sources from writing and outside of the discipline. The authors revisit the original intention of design and technology as a national curriculum subject and within the contemporary challenges, highlight the historical and social importance of technology, including designing and making, as an essentially human and humanising activity. The aim being to contribute to the theorisation and philosophy of the subject, where typically practitioners tend to focus on practical and potentially mundane concerns. This paper asserts that technological human activity is rooted in technological innovation and determinism. The aim is to add to the literature and debate around the place and value of design and technology. The argument for retention of the subject, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum, is presented from a socio-technological perspective; recognising the value of the subject as cultural rather than a merely technical or as an economic imperative.

Long standing debate surrounds the position Design and Technology holds in the English and Welsh national curriculum. Some commentators espouse alignment with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as its natural home, whilst others argue that this stifles creativity and takes no account of the ?designerly? nature they consider to be a central tenet of the subject. Against this backdrop, the subject has undergone changes in both prescribed subject knowledge content and examination and assessment arrangements by which pupil progress and attainment are measured. Set against this background, the work presented here summarises a Delphi study which sought to canvass the opinion of established and experienced Design and Technology teachers about how they perceive the attributes, values and unique features of the subject. The results are analysed to give a view of the subject from within the classroom. Analysis reveals that participants in the study consider the ?uniqueness? of the subject to prevail over the values and attributes they collectively define it by. The study moves on to discuss the findings in relation to the values and direction which underpin policy documentation that drives and shapes the subject from a national perspective. Finally, the work concludes by highlighting several important areas worthy of further research which have emerged and could be seen as contributory to understanding the nature and essence of Design and Technology.

Working with contexts is a key component to design and technology activity and education. The most recent iteration of the national curriculum programme of study for design and technology, in England, sets out that children between the ages of 5 and 7 ?should work in a range of relevant contexts? (DfE, 2013: 193); suggested contexts including ?home and school, gardens and playgrounds, the local community, industry and the wider environment?. Whilst these are real world and familiar contexts, fictional contexts also provide opportunities for developing ?creative spaces? in which to speculate and discuss. This intrinsic case study explores the work of two primary teachers? development of a design and technology activity, where traditional tales provide the context. Children explore design problems and opportunities through the eyes of the Billy Goats Gruff, as they seek assistance to cross the river. Data was gathered through semistructured interviews and document analysis of children?s design work. The case study reveals how multidisciplinary and imaginative approaches to teaching and learning in the primary classroom simulate and nurture design thinking, dialogue and critique.

Teachers? knowledge of STEM education, their understanding, and pedagogical application of that knowledge is intrinsically linked to the subsequent effectiveness of STEM delivery within their own practice; where a teacher?s knowledge and understanding is deficient, the potential for pupil learning is ineffective and limited. Set within the context of secondary age phase education in England and Wales (11?16 years old), this paper explores how teachers working within the field of design and technology education acquire new knowledge in STEM; how understanding is developed and subsequently embedded within their practice to support the creation of a diverse STEM-literate society. The purpose being to determine mechanisms by which knowledge acquisition occurs, to reconnoitre potential implications for education and learning at work, including consideration of the role which new technologies play in the development of STEM knowledge within and across contributory STEM subject disciplines. Underpinned by an interpretivist ontology, work presented here builds upon the premise that design and technology is an interdisciplinary educational construct and not viewed as being of equal status to other STEM disciplines including maths and science. Drawing upon the philosophical field of symbolic interactionism and constructivist grounded theory, work embraces an abductive methodology where participants are encouraged to relate design and technology within the context of STEM education. Emergent findings are discussed in relation to their potential to support teachers? educational development for the advancement of STEM literacy, and help secure design and technology?s place as a subject of value within a twenty-first Century curriculum.

The hierarchal status of academic disciplines, what defines valuable or legitimate knowledge and what should we teach our children is a topic of much debate. Amidst concerns of an academic decline, tackling the culture of low expectation and anti-intellectualism, the need to address social justice, and its byproduct of cultural reproduction, is the focus of current education policy. Set within the UK, this paper presents a critical review of the literature relating to disciplinary knowledge and teaching and learning regimes, specifically seeking to explore the subcultures which exist between design and technology and its associated curricula counterparts Q5 that combine to produce STEM. The purpose being to proffer an explanation that is supportive in developing an understanding as to why design and technology is perceived by many to be of less value than its STEM counterparts. Situation within a functionalist approach to STEM education policy, findings are discussed in relation to design and technology, which as a subject is caught between the identities of academic and vocational exponents, and it is from this perspective that complex nature and perceived value of design and technology is explored.

Design and technology is recognised in many countries as a valuable subject in developing children?s knowledge and skills about materials, as well as decision making through creative design processes. As such it makes a unique contribution to a child?s general education and provides a foundation for future work with all forms of technology across professional and personal lives. However in England and Wales, the countries where the subject was first conceived, following educational policy change and the subject?s exclusion from the English Baccalaureate, design and technology is persistently required to justify its place within the curriculum (DATA 2011). Amid concerns that primary teachers are insufficiently trained to teach design and technology (DATA 2015) and set within the context of primary education and building upon findings from earlier research (Bell et al. 2016), which sought to establish the range of design and technology work currently being undertaken in primary schools, this paper presents next phase research findings. Constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz 2006) is the adopted method, and drawing upon empirically grounded data, this paper explores the attitudes and perceptions of primary school teachers. Participants were encouraged to reflect upon their own experience, to establish if they believe they received sufficient subject specific training. Work then explores their perceptions, to determine if they perceive that their personal subject knowledge has a direct impact upon the breadth and quality of work undertaken. Emergent findings are discussed in relation to the value placed upon of design and technology, and findings suggest that curriculum delivery is compromised where teacher confidence is low. Future work will seek to investigate teacher perceptions further, aiming to explore the correlation between teacher?s personal subject knowledge and the quality and creativity of work undertaken in design and technology, with a particular focus upon how knowledge is constructed and understanding developed.

Full teacher support to accompany the Cambridge IGCSE Design and Technology Student Book for syllabus 0445. These resources will enable teachers to use a structured approach to delivering the course, but will also allow them enough flexibility to teach in their own way, in the best way possible for their classroom context. *Comprehensive coverage for syllabus 0445 *Fully supports the approach of the Student Book, using scenarios and skills-building to link together the theory and practical parts of the syllabus *Lesson plans and activities that are suitable for a range of international classroom environments, along with activity sheets for every topic in the Student Book * Includes answers to every activity and question in the Student Book *Guidance on setting up and running practical project work in the classroom *Support in how to prepare the students and guide them through their work on the final project* Accompanied by additional material for students and teachers online at Collins Connect, including the full Student Book online, interactive quizzes and activity sheets *Written by highly experienced teachers of Design and Technology from around the world *Guidance on how this resource can be used to teach 7048 O Level CDT: Design and Communication, and 6043 O Level Design and Technology

Design and technology makes a unique contribution to a child's education, yet in England and Wales, the countries where the subject was first conceived, the subject faces a constant challenge to maintain itself as a subject of worth within both the primary and secondary age phase curriculum. Compounding issues surrounding its place within the curriculum, particularly in primary schools there are concerns that teachers are insufficiently trained to teach design and technology (D\&TA 2015), and opportunities for teachers to undertake professional development are limited and unsupported. Whilst those in teacher education and the wider subject community have raised concerns, there is little empirical evidence available that makes clear primary teachers beliefs and perceptions in relation to the subject, and subsequently the nature of activities that are undertaken with pupils. Set within the context of education within England and Wales, this paper presents the preliminary findings from the first phase of a research project designed to establish the range of design and technology work currently undertaken in primary age phase settings. Constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz 2006) is the research approach, with qualitative and quantitative data being collected using a combination of online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews from both serving and trainee teachers from institutions across England and Wales. Findings are discussed in relation to design and technology?s purpose and value within the primary curriculum, and preliminary analysis of the data suggests there are pockets of excellent practice, but in the majority of instances reported by participants engaged in this study data suggest a restricted design and technology curriculum is in operation. Second phase work will seek to explore teacher perceptions to establish if they perceive that their personal subject knowledge has a direct impact upon the depth, breadth and quality of work undertaken in design and technology.

Globally the supply of highly qualified STEM personnel is perceived as being vital in securing a countries' economic prosperity (Li 2014, Marginson et al 2013), but research suggests there are insufficient numbers studying STEM disciplines to meet demand (Stevenson 2014, Heitin 2014) fuelling concerns of an international STEM labour shortage (Mitchell 2015, Ritz and Fan 2014; Kennedy and Odell 2014). Women in particular remain an untapped resource for science and innovation (OECD, 2006:18), and set within the United Kingdom (UK), situated within the wider social and economic context against a background of policy reform and educational change, this paper builds upon previous research (Bell et al, 2015). This phase seeks specifically to understand how to best STEM subjects should be taught within compulsory education, in order to motivate all students irrespective of their gender or socio-economic background to undertaken STEM study beyond compulsory schooling, and ultimately embark upon a STEM career. Utilising the perceptions of participants currently working in industrially based STEM careers preliminary research sought to provide a basis for educators to help understanding of how to best STEM subjects in school should be taught. In this second phase, work sought to explore unconscious classroom bias, with the specific intention of exploring perceptions around social justice, inclusion and gender. Work set out to uncover participants beliefs in relation to equality of access to a high quality STEM experience, and then to explore the range in variation of classroom pedagogy. Constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz 2006), underpinned by an interpretivist ontology is the approach adopted for this study, and empirically grounded data is used to elicit stakeholder viewpoints. Emergent findings are discussed in relation to STEM education, current curriculum and its potential to help ensure the emergence of a socially just STEM-literate society. Outcomes from this study suggest that participants believe that in order to actively support the development of socially just STEM literate society, from which an increased number of STEM graduates may emerge, access for all to engage with stimulating STEM activity is essential in order to foster an appetite for future study within children.

The work presented here looks at the commonalities in applying a globally available commercial Augmented Reality (AR) software package in the pursuit of truly differentiated learning. Working within the UK educational system context work has been undertaken in both the primary and secondary phases of education. Within the USA educational system context; work has been undertaken within the K12 phase of education. Discussion and presentation of work and findings considers how different identified groups of learners can benefit from such technologies. Vignettes from expert classroom practitioners will highlight some of the issues and limitations which an end user needs to consider in seeking to apply the same approach in their own context. As this applies to the process, skills and methodology of technological application it is clear that the age phases to which this work is applicable are limitless. The poster will conclude with practical next steps for those seeking to implement such technology to enhance learning in their own work. This is presented in such a way as to be applicable to education professionals in all phases of education including primary, secondary, K12, undergraduate and even post graduate contexts.

Within the English and Welsh National Curriculum, Design and Technology has fought a relentless battle to justify its worth and existence. Policy changes and directional shift by policy makers have only added further doubt and confusion. Within the subject itself, heated debate often surrounds elements of its core being including; its place in STEM, is vocational nature, its academic worth and its part in creativity. This study elicits expert opinion from those working within the subject in pursuit of a definition of core principals and elements that can be judged to underlie all strands encompassed within the subject. A three round Delphi survey was used as a methodological approach to draw consensus from classroom based practitioners judged to be ?outstanding? in their respective areas of expertise. The research sample was formed from twenty expert practitioners from a range of Design and Technology subjects, each with a proven record of excellence. Using this methodological approach, each expert had the opportunity to critically reflect on their own opinion and modify, or consolidate, their thoughts and responses based on the end of round results achieved from the cohort as a collective. This paper presents the results from this research study, analysis is undertaken in light of the findings and they are contextualised against current policy, highlighting alignment and variance where applicable. To conclude, the paper considers how its findings can be used in a wider perspective, including applicable outside of England and Wales.

Set within the context of secondary age phase education in England and Wales, this paper presents preliminary findings from the early stages of a larger research project. The work builds upon the premise that as an educational construct, Design and Technology (D\&T) is not fully understood by those working outside of compulsory education, and as a result it struggles to achieve the recognition and status held by its counterpart STEM subject disciplines. Following a brief outline STEM education from a United Kingdom (UK) perspective, this paper moves to discuss the origins of D\&T, and subsequently its value both within the English and Welsh school curriculum when positioned within the STEM agenda. Exploring the attitudes of practising D\&T teachers, this work investigates how knowledge and understanding of STEM education is developed; how new knowledge is gained, and through collaboration how it evolves and is subsequently shared. Participants are encouraged to relate the positioning of D\&T within the area of STEM education, and situate D\&T learning within the wider social and economic context, and in doing so support participants, working within the structure of functionalist educational policy to become agents of change. Constructivist grounded theory is the adopted research method, and empirically grounded data is used to elicit stakeholder viewpoints, and emergent findings are discussed in relation to D\&T?s purpose, value and place both within the curriculum, and also in terms of its potential contribution to the advancement of a STEM-literate society.

STEM disciplines are considered fundamental or countries' competitiveness, this study seeks to understand how to best teach STEM in school, in order to motivate and attract students to choose and persist in STEM careers. As female participation in Higher Education exceeds that of men in several parts of the world, women remain an untapped resource for science and innovation (OECD, 2006:18). A great deal of what should be taught in school in relation to STEM has been the focus of many debates, but little research has been done in this regard. This study aims to investigate the role of education in engaging students (with a comparison between male and female students) in STEM subjects in the classroom. What is the role of education, how can we motivate students to embark and remain in a scientific career field?

The curriculum for Design and Technology in secondary schools in England and Wales has been under review. With policy makers questioning not only the position the subject occupies within the curriculum, but also the value Design and Technology holds. As a result, Design and technology's future, as a subject, is uncertain. Set against a background of policy and curriculum change, this paper presents the findings of a research study designed to elicit the perceptions of, and gain an insight into the way Key Stage 3 pupils (11 - 14 years) view Design and Technology. Utilising the concept of the original PATT Tool (Raat & de Vries, 1986), and building upon the work of previous studies undertaken nationally or globally (de Vries, 1988; de Klerk Wolters, 1989; Bame & Dugger, 1993; Volk & Yip 1999; Van Rensburg, Ankiewicz & Myburgh, 1999; Ankiewicz & Van Rensburg 2001; Becker & Maunsaiyat 2002; Chikasanda, Williams, Otrel-Cass & Jones, 2011; Gaotlhobogwe, 2010; Ardies, De Maeyer & Gijbels, 2012, 2013), the fundamental aim of the research at inception was to investigate the perceptions of pupils with respect to their understanding of what is technology education. Although simplistic in origin, the findings presented illustrate that this is far from the case. Framed epistemologically within a social practice lens (Suchman, Blomberg, Orr & Trigg, 1999), the research tool used was a questionnaire comprising of a series of open and closed questions. Administered by teachers who recorded both electronically and in hard copy, the sample was drawn randomly via those choosing to respond. Responses were gathered from 173 schools throughout England and Wales with data being collected over an eight month period commencing in July 2012. Analysis of the data elicited a number of key findings which are presented here. Although exclusively based on the perspective of school pupils in England and Wales, it is anticipated that the findings will provide both stimulus and a starting point for researchers working under similar curriculum constraints or revisions. Given the nature of the curriculum changes which have occurred, the research team intend to develop the tool further and expand it to include pupils in the post compulsory age bracket (16 - 18 years) and the primary education age bracket.