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Enhancing Technological Practice: An Assessment Framework for Technology Education in New Zealand

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Abstract

The stated aim of technology education in New Zealand is to develop students' level of technological literacy. This paper introduces the Technology Assessment Framework (TAF) as an organisational tool for the development and delivery of technology programmes that focus on increasing students' technological literacy through the enhancement of their technological practice across technological areas and contexts. The TAF was developed and refined in 1999 and 2000 as part of a two year New Zealand Ministry of Education funded research project, and integrated within a national professional development programme in 2000 designed for preservice and inservice teacher educators in New Zealand.

This paper backgrounds the sociocultural theoretical position of the TAF and explains how it reflects and furthers the aim of technology education in New Zealand. The TAF is then presented and explained with the aid of illustrative examples from classroom practice.

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Compton, V., Harwood, C. Enhancing Technological Practice: An Assessment Framework for Technology Education in New Zealand. International Journal of Technology and Design Education 13, 1–26 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022318118467

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