Essential Concepts of Engineering Design Curriculum in Secondary Technology Education

Technology education is a field of study that seeks to promote technological literacy for all students. Wright and Lauda defined technology education as a program designed to help students "develop an understanding and competence in designing, producing, and using technological products and systems, and in assessing the appropriateness of technological actions." In recent years there has been a growing emphasis in the literature of technology education not only on the process of problem solving but also, more recently, on the integration of subject matter from various disciplines within those activities. Engineering design is not simply a frequent topic in the literature of technology education; it has already begun to be included in the curriculum in some areas. Conceptually, there are close ties between engineering and the field of public education known as technology education since "both engineering and technology treat solving practical problems as their philosophical nucleus." The purpose of this study was to address the question: What are the essential aspects and related academic concepts of an engineering design process in secondary technology education curriculum for the purpose of developing technological literacy? (Contains 4 tables.)