The knowledge and cognitive process dimensions of technology teachers’ lesson objectives

Abstract

The knowledge and cognitive process dimensions of Technology teachers’ lesson objectives This study employs both quantitative and qualitative enquiry, which seeks to establish the nature and quality of the lesson objectives intended by Technology teachers. Technology teachers are frequently faced with the need to use technological knowledge and its methodological approaches in their development of lesson plans and in their teaching. The methodological aspect and technological knowledge of these teachers should be reflected in the framing of lesson plans containing explicit statements of lesson objectives or learning outcomes. The cognitive levels to which the objectives lead are important because of the demands placed on learners by the subject of technology. Technology inherently requires mastery of some scientific knowledge, and procedures of the technological process from needs establishment to design and fabrication of artefacts. This requires learners to achieve at the upper levels of Bloom‟s taxonomy. This is the important goal of education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge and cognitive process dimensions of the lesson objectives in lesson plans of Technology teachers. These dimensions of Technology teachers‟ lesson objectives were mapped using the Taxonomy Table adapted from the Revised Bloom‟s Taxonomy. This study used a primarily qualitative research approach, with some quantitative analysis of data. A survey research design with limited scope was used to obtain lesson plans from Technology teachers in order to establish the nature and qualities of their lesson objectives. Lesson plans were collected from 19 teachers in three districts of Mpumalanga. These lesson plans were analysed, interpreted and discussed with sampled teachers in a focus group. With regard to the knowledge and cognitive domains of the Technology teachers‟ lesson objectives, findings from this study suggest that teachers tend to focus more on factual knowledge and less towards metacognitive knowledge, and operate at low-order level in the cognitive domain. In other words, technology learners are being taught factual knowledge at the low-order level of thinking. Technology teachers tend to have lesson objectives that are known only to them. This might imply that teaching in technology occurs without proper specific objectives. Measures need to be put in place to intensify support to Technology teachers so that they realise the importance of the formulation of lesson objectives that cover all the levels in the knowledge and cognitive domains. Furthermore, Technology teachers should be encouraged to state their lesson objectives explicitly.