Creativity in Design and Craft Education First author : Gisli Thorsteinsson (Design and Craft Education Department, University of Iceland, Iceland) Co-author : Tom Page (Electronic Product Design in Department Design and Technology, Loughborough University, United Kingdom) Corresponding Author : Ha, Joong Gyu(Industrial Design in Fine Art Education Department Gyeongsang National University, Korea)
[email protected]
Keyword : Creativity, Design and technology
The paper represents a research project on design creativity in the area of Design and Technology education in Iceland and Scotland. This was carried out over the last year and explores the role of teachers and their understanding of the importance of students´ autonomy in creative design when they are at age 11-14. In addition, the paper considers the congruity between creativity opportunities included in national curriculum and how teachers understand the relation between curriculum and practice.
1. INSTRUCTION Design and technology education offers various creativity opportunities through designing and making activities, which can enhance students’ skillfulness in making their decisions in daily life. Despite the importance of developing creativity skills in young children, few research studies have identified the importance of teachers’ role for guiding children at students´ age. This study examines teachers’ attitudes towards creativity in design and technology education. The two countries were selected of the following reasons : 1) To formulate an initial part of a study in order to compare how cultural differences may affect teachers’ ideas about creativity. 2) Scotland was selected as one as a country where Design and Technology education is well established in the curriculum that has inspired many other countries to establish similar subjects. 3) Iceland is a small island that is influenced by the Scottish Design and Technology version. 4) The results might create a basis for a bigger study including additional European countries.
2. Brief description of design and technology
for (age 5-10) and (age 11-14) and optional for (age 15-16). The Icelandic “Craft” subject was re-established as a new technological subject in 1999, based on a rationale for technological
literacy,
innovation
and
design.
The
infrastructure of the new subject “Design and Craft” was influenced by the national curriculum in New Zealand, Canada and Scotland and a specific Icelandic model for Innovation Education. Design and Craft is compulsory for all grades 1 – 8 (age 6-13), but optional for grades 9 – 10 (14-15).
3. RESEARCH 3-1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The research questions for this study were: 1) What creative opportunities do teachers from Iceland and Scotland give to children when working on design and technology activities? 2) What are the similarities and differences of Sc ottish and Icelandic teachers’ ideas about creativity skills in design and technology education?
education in Scotland and Iceland Design and technology in Iceland was introduced in 1992
3-2. METHODOLOGY
and replaced a craft based subject, it was adopted from
The study was carried out in two phases. The first phase
the Scottish model. The subject is compulsory for children in primary schools age 5-10 for children in lower
included the review of design and technology curriculum in
secondary school, and for the first grade of higher secondary school, age 15 and is optional for second and third grade of higher high school, age 16 to 17. Design and technology in Scotland was introduced in 1990 following development over a number of years, and with an emphasis on designing and making activities. In design and technology classes, pupils are expected to combine practical and technological skills with creative thinking to design and make products and systems to meet human needs. Design and technology in Scotland is compulsory
each country and the second phase, interviews with four teachers in each of the three countries in order shed further light on some areas of practice. The interviews were conducted in Scottish and Icelandic schools. A common schedule was constructed for the interviews based on literature review and observations of documents from the teachers’ classes. The aim was to explore their opinions and working performance. The research conducted through phenomenographic approach because of its appropriateness to the investigation of a phenomenon such as creativity. Phenomenography aims to describe,
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analyse and understand the ways in which experience aspects of the world around them.
Table 2) Objectives from the Icelandic Curriculum
people
Year 7 (12 years old) Be able to work independently through a design process
Year 8 (13 years old) Think about the value of artistic outlook in their design when they make their choices
Year 9 (14 years old)
here, firstly, a comparison of the creative opportunities
Identify needs and problems in their environment before
Define a need and establish a main concept and
Work though a design process based on own
within the design and technology curricula of Scotland and Iceland, secondly the major findings from the interviews
I taking their design decision
develop it by focusing in its functionality and usefulness in the society
specific concept. They should be able to discuss their work with their co-students when making their design decisions
Base their design decision on solving a need and design an artifact to show the outcome
Identify needs and problems in the society though own observation before choosing their solution
Make their own design drawings in order to come to a decisions about possible solutions
Show their chosen solution in a form of an artifact made from solid material
Base their design choices on technical solutions and focus on the artifacts functionality
Make design drawing of his/her solutions when making their choices
3-3. RESEARCH OUTCOMES Two major outcomes emerged from the research presented
with teachers. 3-3-1. Design and Technology in the curricula of Scotland and Iceland For the purposes of the current study the curricula of (age 11-14) in Scotland and grades 7-9 (age 11-14) in Iceland have been compared in terms of creative opportunities provided to students in design and technology. In the Icelandic Curriculum Innovation plays bigger role when students make their own design decisions, than in the Scottish curriculum. Some representative objectives for each level were selected from each country and presented in the following tables in order to indicate the different requirements. Table 1) Objectives from the Scottish Curriculum
Take ergonomic issues in to account when they make their design decisions
Show initiative and be autonomous in their design work. They also have to be able to seek for and apply knowledge by using ICT. Take sustainability in to account in their design decision
Evaluate their design and be able to argue about its quality
3-3-2. Interviews Outcomes
Year 7 (11-12 years old)
Year 8 (12-13 years old)
Year 9 (13-14 years old)
Sharing decisions
Working independently on a task determined by the teacher
Working independently on a chosen task
The interviews were analysed with the phenomenographic approach. Phenomenographic analysis is often described as a process of 'discovery'. The main outcomes of interviews are presented below. Teachers believe that young children (age 11-12) need to
Evaluating strengths and weaknesseshow well does it work?
Find and select information which informs and clarifies hinking about the task
Explained the choices and decisions made in designed and manufactured products
Prioritizing and reconciling decisions on materials, time and production
Discuss, debate, question and challenge information and the nature of the task itself
Select information sources, gathering and sorting data that will help with decisions about, the design
work with very structured tasks in order to gain basic designing skills. This outcome was identified both with teachers from Scotland and Iceland e.g. a teacher said during his interview “In year 7, I normally set tasks that are giving fewer opportunities for creativity because children are inexperienced, and need the teacher to give them very frequent guidance and feedback”. Teachers said that in practice it is difficult to apply those creative
Explore and experiment with and then select appropriate materials and processes
Find out what materials and components are available and use technical information to
Make and justify decisions regarding the choice of materials and manufacturing processes and use
decide on their suitability for the task
them to draw up a manufacturing specification
Justify decisions made in the selection of materials and methods of making
Identify any design weaknesses in the choice of materials and manufacturing processes
opportunities
with
children
due
to
many
limitations. For example an Icelandic teacher mentioned during his interview: “The guidelines of the national curriculum are giving opportunities to teachers to set creative tasks. Despite that in practice time limitations minimize those opportunities”. a Scottish teacher said during
her
interview:
“The
curriculum
does
allow
opportunities for design decisions but these may be limited by resources available or what is practical in a lesson”. Teachers expressed the idea that most children don’t recognize the need to collect various information before they take their design decisions especially during early
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years. Scottish teachers seem to believe that only some children
stop them and give them structured design tasks to follow”.
recognise the need to collect information before taking some important design decisions. Some other sources of
Teachers seem to feel unsure as to whether creativity skills learned within design and technology classes are
information mentioned from Scottish teachers are: internet
transferable to other subjects or other daily activities. For
websites, projects from past year’s students, modeling, product analysis, and their own knowledge, built from
example an Icelandic teacher said: “I am not sure but I believe that this can be the case only for few pupils for
previous projects and skills exercises. The Icelandic teachers
each year. As they grow older maybe children are more
were using the internet as the main source of information, but said there were a lack of teaching material connected
able to transfer their skills to everyday activities”. While a Scottish teacher said: “Not sure, I would hope so, as we
to the new curriculum as a support for them and the
do as we gain more experience, but I don’t think there is
students.
a direct link to skills learnt in class”. Icelandic teacher talked about creative thinking as very positive live skill.
According to teachers from both countries, the majority of books that are in use in design and technology classes do not include many creative opportunities. Scottish teachers express similar opinions, for example a teacher said during her interview: “Many of the books that we use for Design and Technology teaching are extremely focused on delivering information”.
Some of the Icelandic teachers
were using books connected to D&T in Scotland with briefs for the students. Teachers from both countries think that children have many difficulties in setting appropriate criteria in order to evaluate their available options. An Icelandic teacher said during his interview: “I think that students most of the times don’t set certain criteria to evaluate their design decisions”, an Scottish teacher said: “I find that the younger children identify obvious attributes related to the aesthetics, style and function of the product, however as they get older they can also bring in more subtle criteria, i.e. ergonomics. The main area that is affected though is the ability to justify and explain their opinions and reasons for including criteria for evaluation. The younger the student the harder they find it to include the detail and justification required”. The Icelandic teachers also express the idea that students use the internet to help them specify criteria, for example a teacher said: “Many establish their criteria by using the internet and look inside of them self to find want they want to make”. During interviews teachers from all countries identified some difficulties that children face in their effort to make rational design decisions. A Scottish teacher said during his interview: “I believe that the main difficulty is that we ask children to make a decision without giving them any formal instruction”. The lack of motivation during their design decisions was also identified from Scottish teachers. For example one teacher said: “The main problem we have is that pupils do not want to spend time designing their product and researching possible solutions. Most would rather rush straight into making, and we have to
Another teacher was not sure about the transfer of those skills to other areas of life and said during his: “I don't know, this has to be observer by the academic researchers”.
3-4. DISCUSSIONS From the review of the curricula it can be observed that the Scottish and Iceland inclination to the subject and in design decisions is to view it mainly in process terms. Designing and making provide the philosophy of the curriculum, from which knowledge is supported. The subject is usually conceived in terms of major sub-divisions,
such
as
communications,
mechanisms,
electronics, structures, and energy and the design decision have to be taken within a specific domain. Nevertheless the curriculum guidelines set down for both countries support creative opportunities. Icelandic curriculum specifies less design decision requirements and relies more on a general form of a design process with the emphasis on innovation. Teachers from, Scotland and Iceland agreed that their curriculum included creative opportunities, but in practice it is impossible to cover everything that the curriculum requires due to many constraints (e.g. time, resources and children’s activities,
ability). teachers
During children’s early designing from all countries identified the
aesthetics of the product rather than the manufacturing or the construction of the product as possible design decisions. This outcome is acknowledged from all the teachers interviewed (both from, Scotland and Iceland), e g. a teacher from Scotland said during his interview “Mainly they (children) must decide what the item will look like”. As children grow up and gain more experience teachers give them more design creative opportunities. Teachers from all countries believed that some pupils expect everything to be done for them and that they are
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not used to thinking for themselves and therefore find creativity difficult. They use their past experiences from
curricula in Iceland and Scotland include many opportunities for creativity in design and technology
previous years and their textbooks to decide mainly about
classes. Another outcome that might be important for
the appropriate materials.
curriculum developers is that children very rarely search for information, or set appropriate criteria to support their
According to teachers as pupils’ progress, they should be given more creative opportunities to identify their own tasks and activity, and should use their knowledge and skills to make decisions which are more complex, or satisfy more demanding needs. Most of the teachers did not give any formal instruction on creative techniques to students. It seems that children are expected to take design decision without them being given any training to develop this complex skill. A Scottish teacher said during his interview: “I am not giving them any formal instruction, just some general guidelines that they have to follow in order to make effective choices. I always ask them to think and write”. Similar responses were also identified Icelandic teachers. For example an
design
decisions.
Pupils
rely
on
teachers
and
past
experience in order to reach decisions, and explicit requirements to develop creative capabilities could well improve the curricula in both countries. Comparative studies between different countries can offer an excellent framework to develop awareness about the development of children’s creative skills. This study is the first phase of a larger research project that aims to improve
our
understanding
about
children’s
creative
capabilities in design and technology education and researchers from other countries would be welcome to join our efforts in this important and complex area.
Icelandic teacher said: “At a younger age I tend to advise
References
students on the best course of action whereas with older students I tend to make suggestions but allow them to
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discover the results of their design decisions”. The majority of children rarely search for information outside the class before taking their design decisions. The main source of information for and Scottish children is their teacher and this is more obvious at younger ages (year 7) than later on (year 9). According to teachers from Iceland, their students use the internet as the main source of information for their design decisions. Other sources of information
that
children
might
use
includes,
peer
influence, existing designs from previous students and technical books. Some difficulties that children face during creativity include their inability to set appropriate evaluation criteria for their design decisions. This difficulty identified from previous research as well with slightly older students (age 18). Another difficulty identified from the research is the lack of motivation that children might have during creativity. Children do not acknowledge the importance of spending time on designing their project and they like to move to the making part. It would seem likely that explicit teaching of creative skills by teachers would enable children to develop their ability to handle complex design decisions earlier, although the challenge remains as to how such designing can be developed to provide the same motivation as making.
4. CONCLUSIONS From the results of the study it can be concluded that
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