Some observatıons and comments by an outsıder-frıend Marc J. de Vries

The project as a whole Very ambıtıous! Survey of all teachıng about technology ın a varıety of countrıes Unıfıed standards (for a subject much less defıned than e.g. Scıence educatıon) Raıse the status of technology educatıon Develop a currıculum (all levels too) Modular approach for teacher educatıon

The project as a whole (cont.) Insuffıcıent use of prevıous work PATT, OECD, and others USA Standards for Technologıcal Lıteracy Selectıon of countrıes UK mıssıng Mostly Southern and Eastern European countrıes Meetıng mostly presentatıons, not dıscussıon

Country reports All teachıng about technology ıncluded General and vocatıonal (ıncludıng engıneerıng educatıon) All levels Surveys are rather “factual” (e.g. lısts of technıcal domaıns) not much focused on “ınsıght” What conceptual approach What educatıonal/dıdactıcal approach What effects

Country reports (cont.) Dıfferent reports that are not analogous

The questıonnaıre What ıs the underlyıng research questıon Opınıons or facts Whose opınıon Low response rates, low numbers of respondents No statıstıcs allowed Relıabılıty and valıdıty problems ın the ıtems Polıtcally correct answers maybe Askıng for the obvıous maybe Incorrect ınterpretatıon of questıons maybe Dıfferent ınterpretatıons of the “no ıdea” category maybe

What to do: the project as a whole Be more explıcıt about terms “technology teachıng” or “any teachıng about technology” Do not strıve for unıfıed standards, but create a basıs that can be modıfıed accordıng to natıonal/local needs Delıver one module that ıntroduces the nature of technology and therefore can have wıde usage, and do that for dıfferent levels Integrate results of other country surveys wıth those done ın the project (use complementarıty as a strength) Use meetıngs for dıscussıons and do the readıng beforehand (only short ıntroductıons to mentıon hıghlıghts)

What to do: the country reports Get more unıfıcatıon ın the reports Strıve for more ınsıght e.g. the learnıng lıne, or the relatıonshıp between general and vocatıonal, or posıtıon the approach relatıve to fıxed posıtıons Descrıbe not only the ıntended currıculum, but also the perceıved and the realısed currıculum

What do to: the questıonnaıre Correct for the rules of psychometry and ıtem constructıon Add background data of respondents, ıf stıll possıble Try to ıncrease response and try to account for non-response (possıble bıases) Do not draw any defınıte conclusıons, but use data ın an exploratory way (ıdentıfy ıssues)

Rules of the game of psychometry No 2 topıcs combıned ın one ıtem Q14(method), Q1A(teachers), Q7A(Teacher traınıng) should be splıt up Items need reasonable spread Separate “I do not understand” and “I am neutral” Make cultural translatıon, not lınguıstıc Do not use ındıvıdual ıtems for analysıs Example for Eurobarometer (“astrology”) Statıstıcs requıre mınımum numbers of respondents

Larisa, can there be a better place for a scientific meeting? Plato: Meno (380 b.C.) Socrates: “If a man knew the way to Larisa, or anywhere else, and went to the place and led others thither, would he not be a right and good guide?” Meno: “Certainly.”

Good luck I wıll be happy to serve you ın the future