Design, Creativity and Technology in Victorian schools: a process “missing in action”?

The interdisciplinary strand, Design Creativity and Technology, of the AusVELs curriculum has just been officially released in its current form in Victorian schools. Unlike DCT curriculum elsewhere in the world, and even in Australia, AusVELS technology is advocated as a ‘process’ approach, where in DCT is meant to be applied across the other curriculum domains of literacy, mathematics, humanities, the arts and science. This paper will report on a research project which investigated the status of DCT in Victorian primary schools. The data consists of responses of a survey of approximately 260 Deakin B Ed 4th year students who undertake practicum in schools, collecting their observations and perceptions of DCT across the multiple practicum experiences they have. Currently, little research exists on the use of technology education in schools in Victoria, although the value of Design Technology in schools has been clearly identified (Sidawi, 2009; Campbell & Jane, 2010a; Walmsley, 2003).