A closer look at how Grade 9 Technology teachers incorporate critical thinking in their teaching of the design process: a case study in KwaSanti cluster.

Abstract

The Technology Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (DBE, 2011, p.11) states that Technology should promote critical thinking skills via the specific aims using the design process. The design process is regarded as the backbone of Technology (Ohemeng-Appiah, 2014; Mabaso, 2015) and should be used to structure all learning in the Technology classroom in order to promote critical thinking, problem solving and creativity (DBE, 2011). The purpose of this interpretivist study was to explore grade 9 Technology teachers’ understanding of the design process and critical thinking and establish how these teachers promote critical thinking during their teaching of the design process with two critical questions to be answered; 1. What are grade 9 Technology teachers’ understanding of the design process and critical thinking; 2. Do grade 9 Technology teachers promote critical thinking during their teaching of the design process? If so how and? If not, why?. The study sampled conveniently and purposively 5 Technology teachers in the area of KwaSanti as participants with questionnaires, focus group discussions, lesson observation, post-observation interview and document analysis were used to generate data from the participants. The findings of the study were that Technology teachers in KwaSanti understand the design process to be iterative and the process being more essential than the end product. Teachers’ understanding of critical thinking was different from that of the literature. However, it was found that the three teachers whose lessons were observed do promote critical thinking in their teaching of the design process. However, it is important for technology teachers to have a deeper understanding of critical thinking and its associated skills. This could enable learners to develop critical thinking skills that could be useful outside the classroom.