Identifying the Paradigm of Design Faculty in Undergraduate Technology Teacher Education in the United States

Davis, Hawley, McMullan and Spilka, in the book Design as a Catalyst for Learning (1997), repeatedly made reference to the “growing evidence that design is a powerful tool for transforming curriculum and accommodating the variety of ways in which students learn” (p. xiv). This acknowledgement of the importance of design as a means for promoting a diverse learning environment within a dynamic curricular setting has manifested itself through the ideals expressed in the Standards for Technological Literacy (Standards)(ITEA, 2000). This important document has firmly established for the profession of technology education the role of design as a tool for both investigating and developing the technological world.