Neoliberal reforms increasingly frame early childhood education and care (ECEC) as an investment in human capital, with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education prioritised from the earliest years of learning. This policy orientation draws attention to teachers’ content knowledge, as scientific concepts require explicit guidance beyond experiential exploration. Traditionally, however, ECEC has emphasised holistic development and learning, deliberately eschewing narrow, subject-based approaches. Within this context, research has raised questions about teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence in teaching STEM. Such concerns tend to reflect conventional definitions of professional knowledge and are reinforced by gendered assumptions about STEM expertise. Focusing on computational thinking (CT) as pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), this study reports on a pilot STEM professional learning program informed by survey data and focus group discussions. It argues for a dynamic understanding of PCK in ECEC, recognising teachers’ expertise as relational, context-dependent and continually evolving.
Bin Wu, Melanie Nash, T. Mason· The Australian Educational R...· 0 citations
Bridging theory and practice in Technology education remains a challenge for many educators in primary and secondary contexts. While theoretical models offer valuable insights, classroom application requires careful consideration. This article explores how key philosophical and pedagogical frameworks, including Constructionism, Social Constructivism and values-led approaches foregrounding ethics, sustainability, and critical thinking, inform hands-on teaching that supports creativity, problem-solving, and meaningful engagement with technology.
Focusing on project- and inquiry-based learning, we synthesise literature showing how these approaches promote authentic, student-centred engagement. We also consider the contribution of Indigenous technological knowledge systems, illustrating how culturally grounded perspectives sustain community-driven design and enrich ethical practice.
These perspectives have important implications for teachers and students. In contemporary Technology education, educators must move beyond ‘telling’ to facilitating Design thinking, problem-solving, and critical inquiry, guiding students to engage in hands-on, iterative learning. Students take on a more active role, constructing knowledge through experimentation, collaboration, and reflective practice. By shifting from passive recipients to innovators and ethical decision-makers, students develop skills in technology use, critical thinking, creativity and adaptability.
Technology education therefore equips students with both technical knowledge and the agency to situate it within broader ethical and cultural contexts, preparing them to shape sustainable technological futures.
T. Mason, Belinda von Mengersen, Lincoln Gill et al.· Australasian Journal of Tech...· 0 citations