Design Education And The Teaching Of Woodwork At Secondary School Level In Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of problem solving and design approaches in the teaching of Woodwork at Secondary School level. A case study of one secondary school was conducted in 1988, involving over 200 pupils in Forms one and three, and five teachers in the Woodwork department. Questionnaires were the main means of collecting data. Informal methods, which included: interviews, document analysis and observations were also used. It was found that pupils had limited autonomy in practical work. For instance, teachers played the major role in deciding the articles made. Also, pupils could not proceed to a new stage without consulting their teachers. Generally, pupils felt, they were not encouraged to come up with their own ideas although the teachers did not agree to this. The results indicated that teaching was still mainly based on craft approaches. Some characteristics of problem solving and design were also identified in the teaching but they were minimal.