The arts in education are currently the subject of considerable controversy. Some people argue that fostering creativity in schools is important; that the arts can provide a substantial contribution to the development of the capacity for creative thought and action; and that therefore the arts should be well represented at all levels of the school curriculum. Some argue that the education system, in fact, leaves pupils incomplete, stultified and uncreative. Others argue that it is the processes of teaching and learning in the arts which are at fault because they are too passive. This book surveys the different sides of the debate and goes on to report on original research which examines just how the arts are taught in schools. It thereby makes a considerable contribution to the debate which has hitherto been incomplete due to a lack of evidence.

Even the youngest children in primary schools are now required not only to make art, but also to study it, developing an understanding of the huge variety of art and craft from different times and places. But how do teachers actually tackle this, when most have not studied art themselves?
This collection brings together case studies to show how a variety of teachers have used one particular art collection as a focus for practical art. Throughout, the voices of the children involved show us how they react to their encounters with art objects. This wealth of first hand evidence and practical experience will benefit all teachers.

Design and Technology in Primary School Classrooms presents a comprehensive account of the development and nature of design and technology in the primary classroom from the modest beginnings in the 1980s to detailed implementation within the National Curriculum.It shows how the design/problem solving process and the knowledge, skills and understanding associated with design and technology can be developed by teachers who were previously unfamiliar with such activities. Case studies demonstrate the teaching strategies employed and illustrate in detail how children respond to design and technology in complex ways.The book combines original classroom research data wuth extensive illustrations, resource information and summaries of what design and technology in the National Curriculum involves.

Contents:
Acknowledgements 1. Design and Technology in Primary Schools Les Tickle 2. Developing Design and Technology Teaching Through Research Les Tickle 3. Combining Design Technology and Science? Martin Bayliss 4. Effective Completion of Technological Tasks Sue Cooke 5. Mixed ability Children and the Single Open-ended Task Helen Deacon 6. Views and Values Sarah Humphreys 7. Copying Rosemary Jackson 8. Change From Rigid Teaching Sue Lusted 9. Mental Images and Design Drawing Andrew McCandlish 10. Working Together Annette McMylor 11. Early Years Children, Designers and Partner Choice Kevin O' Grady 12. Technology Teaching at Dove First School Gillian Oliver 13. Children's Choices Candida Rogers 14. Measuring Success John Seaward 15. Food and Design Technology - where do we start? Val Simpson 16. 'Seeing the Light' Nancy Wright 17. Positive Discrimination: is there a case? Dene Zarins

Teaching design and technology to young children has set new challenges for primary school managers, teachers, pupils and parents. Through the use of frank and detailed case studies, this book reveals the teaching aims and methods adopted by teachers, the issues they face in making their work effective, and the experiences of their pupils in learning design and technology. Extensive first hand evidence of classroon experience is provided by the teachers. The collection describes how action research can be done. It then provides practical examples of teachers introducing changes in the curriculum, in their teaching and in their use of evidence in monitoring teaching, as a result of this kind of research. Student teachers, teachers, parents and curriculum managers will all benefit from the insights offered by this wealth of practical accounts.

This book presents a comprehensive account of the development and nature of DT in primary school classrooms, from modest beginnings in the early 1980s to detailed implementation within the National Curriculum. It shows how the design/problem-solving process and the knowledge, skills and understanding associated with DT can be developed by teachers who were previously unfamiliar with such activities. Case studies by teachers of problem-solving activities within their classrooms discuss the teaching strategies employed and illustrate how pupils respond to DT in complex ways.

The arts in education are currently the subject of considerable controversy. Some people argue that fostering creativity in schools is important; that the arts can provide a substantial contribution to the development of the capacity for creative thought and action; and that therefore the arts should be well represented at all levels of the school curriculum. Some argue that the education system, in fact, leaves pupils incomplete, stultified and uncreative. Others argue that it is the processes of teaching and learning in the arts which are at fault because they are too passive. This book surveys the different sides of the debate and goes on to report on original research which examines just how the arts are taught in schools. It thereby makes a considerable contribution to the debate which has hitherto been incomplete due to a lack of evidence.

Even the youngest children in primary schools are now required not only to make art, but also to study it, developing an understanding of the huge variety of art and craft from different times and places. But how do teachers actually tackle this, when most have not studied art themselves? This collection brings together case studies to show how a variety of teachers have used one particular art collection as a focus for practical art. Throughout, the voices of the children involved show us how they react to their encounters with art objects. This wealth of first hand evidence and practical experience will benefit all teachers.