Strategies of teaching design process in grade 9 technology subject.

Abstract

This qualitative case study explored teaching strategies for the design process in Grade 9 technology subjects. Conducted in rural areas of Richmond, the study focused on five selected schools, interviewing two teachers from each through reflective activities, semi-structured interviews, and observations. Its goal was to provide valuable insights for both participants and the broader educational community. Past literature highlights a common issue of outdated teaching methods in technology education, hindering learner’s engagement and critical skill development. Research is needed to identify and promote effective strategies in Grade 9 Technology classes. Studies indicate that teachers are influenced by three types of experiences rationale, societal, and professional when shaping their teaching strategies. This study situated within an interpretive paradigm emphasizes understanding and interpreting the subjective meanings and perspectives of participants. In this approach, the researcher acknowledges that reality is complex and subjective, and aims to explore the multiple layers of meaning that individuals attribute to their experiences. The interpretive paradigm values context, culture, and the social construction of reality. Therefore participants (technology teachers) were convenience and purposively selected and interview in their comfortable setting. The findings shedding light on the prevalent use of traditional, non-digital teaching strategies by teachers highlight a crucial concern that impedes the advancement of teaching methods and also restricts our learners from fully developing their potential. Thus study present types of strategies, horizontal (collaboration and skill), vertical (mastery and progression) and pragmatic strategies (real-world applicability), in order to bridge the gap between theory and practice. The study's goal is to identify diverse teaching strategies that holds a potential to enrich the learning experience for our learners.