Teaching Intermediate Technology Education in Newfoundland and Labrador

• Main Author: Gill, David
• Other Authors: Lock, Jennifer, Friesen, Sharon, Kim, Beaumie
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Graduate Studies 2017
• Subjects: Education > Curriculum and Instruction; Education > Technology; intermediate technology education; curricular marginalization; teacher professionalism; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11023/3934; https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/27985

The purpose of this study was to explore the teaching of intermediate technology education within the Newfoundland and Labrador context. As there were no empirical investigations prior to this study, this investigation was important in creating new knowledge that can be utilized by multiple groups that lay claim on intermediate technology in the province. Further, this study firmly placed Newfoundland and Labrador’s implementation of intermediate technology education within the international scholarly community. As such, it has addressed key points concerning teacher experience and belief, professional development, leadership, and curricular marginalization. The main research question for this study focused on what factors support or hinder the capability and capacity of intermediate technology education teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador. From this question, a qualitative exploratory case study design was developed that used an online teacher questionnaire, semi-structured teacher and administrator interviews, and classroom observations as the main data gathering methods. Thematic analysis was then used to develop a rich thick description of the teaching of intermediate technology education in relation to the research questions. The data supported the concept that teacher professionalism was a critical factor in relation to supporting the teaching of intermediate technology education. In contrast, systemic marginalization was observed as a major factor that was a hindrance to the teaching of intermediate technology education. The data helped to inform the development of a conceptual framework that closely models the complex nature of teaching intermediate technology education in Newfoundland and Labrador.