Jul 2026· Australasian Journal of Technology Education· 0 citations
TL;DR
This article explores how key philosophical and pedagogical frameworks, including Constructionism, Social Constructivism and values-led approaches foregrounding ethics, sustainability, and critical thinking, inform hands-on teaching that supports creativity, problem-solving, and meaningful engagement with technology.
Abstract
Bridging theory and practice in Technology education remains a challenge for many educators in primary and secondary contexts. While theoretical models offer valuable insights, classroom application requires careful consideration. This article explores how key philosophical and pedagogical frameworks, including Constructionism, Social Constructivism and values-led approaches foregrounding ethics, sustainability, and critical thinking, inform hands-on teaching that supports creativity, problem-solving, and meaningful engagement with technology.
Focusing on project- and inquiry-based learning, we synthesise literature showing how these approaches promote authentic, student-centred engagement. We also consider the contribution of Indigenous technological knowledge systems, illustrating how culturally grounded perspectives sustain community-driven design and enrich ethical practice.
These perspectives have important implications for teachers and students. In contemporary Technology education, educators must move beyond ‘telling’ to facilitating Design thinking, problem-solving, and critical inquiry, guiding students to engage in hands-on, iterative learning. Students take on a more active role, constructing knowledge through experimentation, collaboration, and reflective practice. By shifting from passive recipients to innovators and ethical decision-makers, students develop skills in technology use, critical thinking, creativity and adaptability.
Technology education therefore equips students with both technical knowledge and the agency to situate it within broader ethical and cultural contexts, preparing them to shape sustainable technological futures.
Contemporary science education requires teachers to facilitate learning that addresses complex, real-world problems beyond disciplinary boundaries. Yet, many in-service science teachers lack professional development that supports transdisciplinary problem-solving and innovative pedagogy. This qualitative study used a grounded theory (GT) approach to examine teachers’ experiences in a transdisciplinary, design-based training program and to develop a framework for effective professional learning. Participants engaged in sustained training grounded in design thinking and authentic problem contexts. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, reflective journals, training artifacts, and observations, and analyzed using constant comparative methods. Findings indicated shifts in teachers’ conceptions of problem-solving, enhanced capacity to integrate disciplinary and non-disciplinary perspectives, and changes in instructional planning and classroom practice. Design thinking functioned as a mediating process that helped teachers navigate ambiguity, collaboration, and iterative reflection. The resulting transdisciplinary design-based in-service science teacher training framework highlights key principles: authentic problem contexts, structured yet flexible design processes, collaborative inquiry, and iterative reflection. The study offers an empirically grounded framework with implications for teacher professional development, curriculum design, and policy.
J. Honra, Ma. Kristina B. B. Dela Cruz, Jermae B. Dizon-Yi et al.· International Journal of Eva...· 0 citations
Immersive learning has emerged as one of the most transformative innovations in 21st-century education. This conceptual review paper critically examines the comparative impact of immersive technologies—Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR)—on secondary education. Drawing on current empirical and theoretical literature (2020–2025), it explores how immersive environments enhance student engagement, cognitive development, and academic performance. The paper integrates theoretical foundations such as constructivism, experiential learning, and cognitive load theory to provide a conceptual framework for understanding immersive learning. Findings from contemporary studies reveal that immersive technologies foster deeper learning, improve motivation, and support collaboration and creativity in learners, particularly in STEM and experiential subjects. However, challenges including accessibility, teacher readiness, cost, and infrastructure persist, especially in developing contexts such as Nigeria. The paper concludes with implications for curriculum integration, teacher training, and policy, and offers recommendations for equitable and sustainable adoption of immersive technologies in secondary education.
Unknown authors· International Journal of Adv...· 0 citations
This study explored the pedagogical strategies and challenges experienced by Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) teachers in fostering 21st-century competencies among learners. Anchored on Constructivist Learning Theory, the study examined how teachers design and implement instructional activities, assessment practices, and learning experiences that promote critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and digital literacy. A qualitative descriptive research design was employed, involving seven TVL teachers from selected public secondary schools. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis framework. The findings revealed that teachers employ a variety of learner-centered and industry-aligned pedagogical strategies, including experiential learning, scaffolded industry simulation, project-based activities, collaborative learning, and technology-supported instruction. These approaches enable students to engage in authentic workplace-related experiences while developing both technical and transferable competencies. The study further found that teachers implement differentiated instruction and competency-based assessment practices to accommodate diverse learner needs and evaluate both technical performance and workplace readiness skills. Despite these positive practices, teachers encountered several challenges, including limited instructional resources, insufficient laboratory equipment, varied levels of student readiness, technological skill disparities, administrative workload, and time constraints in balancing technical competencies with 21st-century skill development. Teachers nevertheless demonstrated adaptability and resilience in addressing these challenges through collaborative and contextualized instructional approaches. The study concluded that fostering 21st-century competencies in TVL education requires a holistic approach that integrates technical mastery, soft skills development, authentic learning experiences, and continuous teacher innovation. Strengthening institutional support, industry partnerships, resource provision, and professional development opportunities is essential to enhance the effective implementation of competency-based and learner-centered vocational education.
Julie Ann Bag-ao, Zenyam Baldesoto, Quedelyn Balo et al.· The International Review of...· 0 citations
Creative problem-solving and innovative thinking are essential in occupational therapy education. Human-Centered Design (HCD), grounded in constructivist theory and design thinking principles, offers a participatory approach that emphasizes empathy, iteration, and collaboration. This instructional insights article describes a 150-minute experiential HCD workshop integrated into a first-semester Fieldwork Seminar graduate occupational therapy course to enhance creativity and design thinking skills. The workshop was designed using the 5E Instructional model, which emphasizes experiential learning before the introduction of concepts and incorporates reflection to connect new and prior knowledge. The workshop included three key phases: introduction to HCD concepts, paired design challenges, and group prototyping activities using low-fidelity materials. Facilitators guided students through the empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and feedback phases, incorporating structured reflection to connect learning to practice. Quantitative outcomes showed gains in creative self‑efficacy, psychological empowerment, and design‑thinking skills. Qualitative reflections revealed stronger creative confidence, appreciation for collaboration, and intentions to use HCD in future practice. Findings suggest that brief, immersive learning meaningfully enhances engagement and skill development, supporting the value of integrating HCD into occupational therapy education. Educators should prioritize hands-on, collaborative activities and reflective practice, while future research should explore long-term impacts and broader curricular integration.
Jeana M. Holt, A. Talsma, M. Taani et al.· Occupational Therapy in Heal...· 0 citations
In this study, I explore how integrating problem-based learning with community-based service learning fosters 21st-century skills—specifically communication, collaboration, and critical thinking—among Bangladeshi elementary students. Drawing on a multi-stakeholder, participatory learning design process involving teachers, students, parents, teacher trainers, and education policymakers, I investigate the impact of a community engagement learning model developed and implemented across rural and urban public schools in Bangladesh. Using case study methodology, I analyzed data from classroom observations, student-led community projects, interviews, focus groups, and over 288 self-assessment survey responses. Findings demonstrate that embedding experiential, socially relevant learning activities into science curriculum enhanced students’ ability to articulate ideas, work collaboratively, and critically engage with socioscientific issues. The study provides empirical evidence of how localized service learning grounded in students’ lived experiences can challenge epistemic injustice and support educational transformation in Global South contexts. Implications are discussed for curricular innovation, teacher development, and educational policy in resource-constrained environments.
Sabiha Sultana· International Journal for Re...· 0 citations
The study responded to concerns about low enthusiasm for science and technology and the limitations of approaches centered on memorization and decontextualized content. Grounded in Constructivist Theory, Inquiry-Based Learning, and the Socio-Scientific Issues framework, the investigation used survey responses and semi-structured interviews, with the final thematic analysis reported after data saturation was reached at 10 participants. From these findings, the study proposed a cyclical SCITES-Inspired Engagement Model composed of contextualization, interactive inquiry, reflective construction, and an evaluation loop. The findings support the use of culturally relevant, inquiry-oriented, and socially grounded pedagogy in Philippine higher education and teacher preparation, while emphasizing the need for scaffolding, balanced facilitation, localized examples, and sustained professional development for educators.
Unknown authors· International Journal of Sci...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
