Material Detail

Recent reports (Premier's Council, 1988, 1990) emphasizing the low level of science and technology literacy among Canadians imply that schools have not responded to the challenges before them. However, pioneering and apparently successful programs in technology education are being offered currently in some secondary schools in the province of Ontario. These programs support learning about technological problems that involves, among other things, inter-disciplinary approaches to curriculum and the active involvement of both students in their learning and community partners who provide real world design experiences for students. These features comprise the core of a recently revised curriculum guideline for secondary school technology education entitled Broad-based Technological Education: Grades 10, 11, and 12 (Ontario Ministry of Education and Training, 1995b). Before 1989 the study of technology in Ontario schools occurred only in grades 9 to 13 through Technological Studies courses. About 75 distinct technology specializations existed. Since 1989, increased dialogue about the need for students to study technology from kindergarten to secondary school graduation has led to the...

Disciplines:

• Science and Technology  / Engineering