The Status of Design in Technology Teacher Education in the United States

With design taking such a prominent role in the Standards, a measure of the current status of such courses in technology teacher education provides a quantitative foundation for further investigation into the nature and role of design toward achieving technological literacy. This research was designed to be the first in a series of studies to determine the nature and scope of the study of design in the undergraduate experience of technology educators. Essentially, this study and its follow-ups are intended to provide reference marks about how the ideals of the practice of design, put forth in the Standards, are played out in the preparation of undergraduate students in technology education. The intent of this specific research effort was to take a measure of the status of the study of design as a part of those undergraduate experiences.