SUMMARY CHAPTER 1: TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THE NETHERLANDS

 

This part summarizes the state of the art of technical education as a subject in primary schools in the Netherlands.

Although there are many as well as excellent initiatives, things are still in their infancy. Recent initiatives and materials exist, but tend to focus on older children (age 7/8-12). There is not much material which can be used with younger children and hardly anything for younger girls. Therefore this chapter focusses on a description of the current state of technical education for older boys and girls (7/8- 12).

 

In the first paragraph the Dutch education system is explained and attention is paid to development-orientated education of younger and older children.

Some principles: 

-       children and adults together play a major role in the development process;

-       adults are the ones who elicit the developments;

-       both (childen and adults) meet in critical situations, in activities and with materials. Teachers mediate between the children and the situation. 

 

Frea Jansen-Vos had the opportunity to develop her ideas about development-orientated education, and these ideas were disseminated throughout the country. Nowadays development-orientated education for older children is supported by the Protestant Free University of Amsterdam. It is especially these ideas that are explained in our Dutch contribution.  

 

Haagse Hoge School has embraced the ideas of development-orientated education for older children

and is reforming the curriculum in accordance with these principles. It is the 3^rd way, a way between method-orientated education and education that starts with the child’s current possibilities. Education follows the child’s doings.

  

The 3rd way integrates both opinions about education and is not a method but an educational construct or concept. For teachers it is a curriculum strategy, which gives them a lot of instruments for developing the capabilities of children. Development–orientated education starts with the playing activities of children, which slowly change into (meaningful) learning activities. 

 

Within development–orientated education, three levels can be distinguished: basic characteristics, a broad development, and specific knowledge and skills.

By “basic characteristics” we mean: being emotionally free, curious, and self-confident. “Broad” development means: being active, taking initiatives, communication and language, self-expression, the understanding of symbols, etc. And finally, “specific knowledge and skills”: motor skills, conceptualising, the use of instruments and technology, etc.

 

The development of children is a coherent totality. Parts of the general development don’t develop separately, but in coherence with other parts. This means that main activities have to be started which are meaningful; i.e., activities must come from daily life. These activities are based upon five basic activities, namely: playing, constructing, interacting, reading, writing and mathematics.        

 

This description is at the same time the starting point for “technical education” in the year 2003.

 

It is only since the early 1990s that systematical attention has been paid to the area of technical education and its role in the development of children in a structured way. It was not before 1998 that core aims for technical education were first developed.

 

After presenting descriptions and definitions of the core aims, we now can state that there are two domains. The first domain is the making of technology: designing, making and using. The second one is research: designing and using (as a pair), designing and making (as a pair), and finally making and using.   

 

Within these areas we can identify four areas of technical education: constructing, transporting, communicating and producing; knowledge and the understanding of technical principles are important in all of these areas.

 

For each age category there are separate approaches to learning:

 

For younger children, playing with entities is an important approach. Children must ask questions at their level or are told a story to help them develop technology. Somewhat older children (age 6-10) can be confronted with construction problems. Research on all kinds of technical toys can support them in inventing. The oldest children in primary education can execute tasks on their own, they can reflect on what they are doing, they can comment on earlier solutions and preset solutions, and from there on look at new constructions. Designing, making and using can be fully used.

 

In the Netherlands several organisations have recently developed materials, for example: Stichting Ontdekplek, De Ontdekhoek, NEMO, the museum of technology in Delft, De Spelerij – De uitvinderij and last but not least the Advies project van de Bedrijfstak Metaal – en Electrotechnische Bedrijven BTA  (advice project of the metal and electonics industry).

 

Publishers have discovered this area as well. Important resources published are: “Zo doe je techniek” (This is how I do technology) and LEGO-Dacta (as resources). Beside this commercial activity there is the Ministry of Education, which is active in this area. On their website: “Kennisnet” they provide a series of important links to other sites on technical education where schools can find information and suggestions. Earlier the Ministry already took the initiative to establish the so-called AXIS platform to support local initiatives. On this platform education organisations, industries and the Ministry are represented.   

Activities of the platform are: research, starting projects and the gathering of examples of “good practice”. An important activity started by AXIS is the “expansion of technology in primary education” project (VTB). VTB is regionally organised. The aim of the project is to develop a positive attitude towards technical education in primary schools. In total some 130 schools and 11 teacher-training colleges are involved. One of the important aims of the project is integrate technical education into the curriculum as part of other subjects. Furthermore VTB wants to have clearer core aims and sub aims, and give advice on how to work with technical education.

 

Results of the project in 2001-2002:

1. 10 regional projects were established.
2. The national test organisation started to develop tests for technical education.
3. Networks exchanged experiences.
4. National organisations got in touch with the Inspection.

 

Their programme in 2003-2004:

1. strengthening the networks;
2. clearer description of the core aims, it is considered too fuzzy.
3. project management teams must not only concentrate on the content, but also on the dissemination of the activities and ideas.

 

Pursued results for 2004:

-       technology must be integrated into the curriculum of the 110 schools and 11 teacher training colleges,

-       schools and teacher training colleges must have developed networks to extend technical education,

-       projects must result in the development of materials and methodologies for the integration of ETE into the curricula.

 

 

Teacher training college of Haagse Hogeschool:

 

In their first year students are tested on their  “8+” level (knowledge about technology at primary school level). Furthermore basic concepts of technical education are presented to the students. They work with stories and images. Finally the students make kinetic boxes. They learn a technical principle and they learn to combine a creative surrounding with a fantasy product that works.

In the second year they plan lessons along the principle of the circle of technology (designing, making, using). Beside that they learn the basic principles of electricity. They learn to make a circle from easy to difficult. Seniors from the metal and electricity industry support them. 

In their third year students get to the stage of “designing”. They design and produce fantasy persons out of cardboard. They go through all stages of the designing process. Their product must be used in a musical for children, which means that they have to integrate a functioning technical device into the musical. Finally third year students attend a training module on technical education in primary education which includes a series of lessons and tasks.   

Fourth year students can opt to write their final paper on technical education in primary education.

 

  

Literature on “Technical education in primary education (Dutch)

(from: Praktische Didactiek voor Natuuronderwijs, Vaan, E. de en J. Marell, Bussum 1999)

 

• Allen, R.E. en S.D. Allen (1996) Winnie-de-Pooh en het Oplossen van Problemen.  Sirius en Siderius, Den Haag
• Bleijerveld, C. e.a. (1995) Techniek in de Basisschool; Basisdocument Leerlijn. SLO, Enschede
• Bleijerveld, K. e.a. (I995) Een goede (na)scholing, ook voor techniek!  SLO, Enschede
• Bleijerveld, K. e.a. (1995) Geen modulen maar bronnenboeken.  SLO, Enschede
• Bleijerveld, K. (red.) (I997) Handboek PABO techniek; voorlopige versie.  SLO, Enschede
• Both, K. (1989) Oriënt techniek.  LPC-jenaplan/CPS, Hoevelaken
• Boogaert, L. (1998) Kids-paspoort techniek.  Schoolsupport, Vijfhuizen
• Bouwmeester, T. en P. Hugen (I995) Techniek in het primair onderwijs, zoals het kan.  SLO, Enschede
• Bouwmeester, T. (red.) (I997) Maak 't maar!.  Meidenhoff Educatief, Amsterdam
• Bouwmeester, T. (red.) (1998) Handboek Nascholing techniek.  SLO, Enschede
• Dinther, E. van en M. Kemps-Vermeulen (1996) Techniekwerk; een handreiking voor het invoeren van techniek in het basisonderwijs.  Technika 10 Eindhoven, Eindhoven
• Doornekamp, B.G. en F.M. Stevens (1989) Techniekonderwijs in de basisschool.  Universiteit Twente, Enschede
• Doornekamp, G. (red.) (1997) Zo doe je techniek in de basisschool.  SLO, Enschede
• Doomekamp, G. (1998) Techniek en informatie- en communicatietechnologie; primair onderwijs.  SLO, Enschede
• Duyvejonck, G. (1998) School- en klaspraktijk, aflevering 156; thematisch nummer Technologische Opvoeding in het basisonderwijs.  Van In, Lier (B)
• Hagenaar, F. (1995) Spelen met hout en beweging.  Technika 10, Rotterdam
• Hagenaar, F. (1997) De eerste Wiegende Ketel; techniekpakket metaal voor het basisonderwijs.  Technika 10, Rotterdam
• Huijs, H. (1996) Ontwerpen en probleemoplossen in techniek; basisvorming. SLO, Enschede
• Inno Techniek Oosterhout (1996) Hoezo veilig?  Veilig werken aan techniekopdrachten in het basisonderwijs en het speciaal onderwijs.  Stuurgroep Techniek Primair Onderwijs, 's-Hertogenbosch
• Klerk Wolters, F. de (1988) Groep zeven en acht van de basisschool over techniek.  Technische Universiteit, Eindhoven
• Klinkhamer, S. (1997) Ontdek het ABC...        Techniek (boek + cd-rom). Schoolsupport, Utrecht
• Klinkhamer, S. (1998) Ontdek techniek... natte voeten, droge voeten (boek + liedjes-cd).  Schoolsupport, Vijfhuizen
• Laan, J. van der (1988) Kind en Techniek.  Van Loghum Slaterus, Deventer
• Leisink, J. e.a. (1997) Met een automaat ben je slim; techniek in het primair onderwijs, bovenbouw 11-12jaar.  SLO, Enschede
• Macaulay, D. (1988) Over de werking van de kurkentrekker en andere machines.  Van Holkema & Warendorf, Houten
• Makiya, H. & M. Rogers (1992) Design and Technology in the Primary School; Case Studiesfor Teachers.  Routledge, London Marell, 1. (1996) Voor de zon uit je dak; handleiding voor het onderwijs bij de solarset van Fischertechnik.  Heutink, Rijssen
• Marell, J. (1996) TacTic, het educatieve constructiemateriaal.  Heutink, Rijssen
• Marell, J. (1998) Verdraaid handig in beweging.  Lego dacta / Heutink, Rijssen
• Marell, J. (1999) Lego junior Techniek; Uit de startblokken.  Lego dacta, Heutink, Rijssen
• Marell, J. (1999) Vormgeven aan bouwwerken.  Lego dacta / Heutink, Rijssen
• Marell, J. e.a. (1997) Met je toren in de wolken; techniek in het primair onderwijs, onderbouw 5-7jaar.  SLO, Enschede
• Marell, J. e.a. (1997) Een speelmachine voor jantine; techniek in het primair onderwijs, middenbouw 8-lojaar.  SLO, Enschede
• Natuur aan de basis (1992) Themanummer Techniek, nummer 3. Bosch & Keuning, Baarn
• Natuur aan de basis (1995) Themanummer Huis-tuin-en-keuken-techniek, nummer 3. Bosch & Keuning, Baam
• Peijen, J. (1998) Lessuggesties Techniek lezen, kijken, doen.  Prov.  Bibl. Centr.  Nrd.-Brabant, Tilburg
• Ploegmakers, B. e.a. (1994) Techniek in de basisvorming.  Coutinho, Bussum
• Ploegmakers, B. e.a. (1996) Techniek in het basisonderwijs; mogelijkheden voor aansluiting in de praktijk; techniek 4-12 en 12-15jaar.  SLO, Enschede
• Projectgroep WO-jenaplan o.I.v. T. Bouwmeester (1995) Wereldoriëntatie in het jenaplanondenvijs; mappen ervaringsgebieden 'Maken en gebruiken in 'Techniek'.  SLO, Enschede
• Raat, J. en M.E. Siegers (1990) Techniek op de basisschool.  Bastec, Leeuwarden
• Raat, J. e.a. (1993) Techniek als schoolvak; Techniekonderwijs in België, Denemarken, Duitsland, Engeland en Frankrijk.  Stichting Technon, Delft
• Revet, J. (1997) Basisboek Didactiek.  Landelijk Steunpunt Technika 10, Utrecht
• Richards, R. (1990) An Early Start to technology.  Simon & Schuster, London
• Rovers, S. (1998) Boekje open; deel 3 over Techniek in Kinderboeken.  De Inktvis, Dordrecht
• Stuurgroep Techniek Primair Onderwijs (1998) Vademecum Techniek 1998.  Infodesk Techniek Primair Onderwijs, 's-Hertogenbosch
• Talens, G. (1992) 'Na-apen en afkijken, zwemvliezen, vleugels en flaporen'.  In: Natuur aan de basis, nummer 4. Bosch & Keuning, Baarn
• Vinke, D. e.a. (1997) Techniek in de Pabo's.  Stuurgroep Techniek Primair Onderwijs, Den Bosch
• Watts, M. (1991) The Science of Problem-solving.  Cassell Education Ltd., London
• Zagers, M. e.a. (1998) Musical Een wereld vol techniek.  Pabo Groenewoud, Nijmegen

   

 

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