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Learning specific content in technology education: learning study as a collaborative method in Swedish preschool class using hands-on material

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Abstract

This article describes the process of a learning study conducted in technology education in a Swedish preschool class. The learning study method used in this study is a collaborative method, where researchers and teachers work together as a team concerning teaching and learning about a specific learning object. The object of learning in this study concerns strong constructions and framed structures. This article describes how this learning study was conducted and discusses reflections made during the process. Furthermore, we discuss how the learning study method could be implemented in technology education using hands-on material. Some of the results point to problems of delimiting an object of learning in technology education using hands-on material and the complexity in the relation between content and context in learning. The results also show benefits from the collaborative method where researchers and teachers work together with regards to specific learning content in the technology classroom.

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Notes

  1. We used a Swedish version of this folk tale printed in a book by Adolfsson and Friberger (2008).

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Correspondence to Nina Kilbrink.

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Bjurulf is now employed by The Swedish National Agency for Education, Stockholm, but was at the time of data collection employed by Karlstad University.

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Kilbrink, N., Bjurulf, V., Blomberg, I. et al. Learning specific content in technology education: learning study as a collaborative method in Swedish preschool class using hands-on material. Int J Technol Des Educ 24, 241–259 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-013-9258-4

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