| Education about and through technology.: In Search of More Appropriate Pedagogical Approaches to Technology Education | ||
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As is evident from the above literature review, technology can be defined and understood in many ways. The relationship between science and technology can also be understood from various perspectives. This inconsistent situation is illustrated also by Hansen & Froelich (1994, p. 179): “Philosophers, antrophologists, sociologists, historians, and teachers educators continue to study the subject, yet a widely accepted definition remains obscure.”
However, the following interpretations of technology are distilled from the considerations above.
Technology is inherently a part of human culture. Essentially, technology is a human-made environment built on the basis of our needs, wants and purposes. In order to do technology people need to be active and willing. Idealistically, human volition, or will, can be regarded as a driving force in the process of seeking solutions to either individual or collective needs, wants and purposes. Thus, volition can be both individual and collective. Importantly, technology does not belong more to western than to eastern culture. Rather, technology is essentially a global phenomenon existing in various forms in different parts of the world.
If technology had been only about the copying of workpieces and producing artifacts, then purposeful development would not have been possible. Thus, innovation and creativity have been, and still are very essential features in technology. Technology consists of skills (techne), but also of intellectual activity and knowledge (logos). In this regard technology includes both techniques, modes and procedures, but also represents a human capability to know and think abstractly. Design and designing are essential features of technological problem solving, as they enable us to make imagination in to reality.
Technology is not represented only through the realm of the engineering sciences. They are only one, albeit a very influential and well-known, facet of technology. Technology cannot be limited to the use of certain materials, methods, techniques, modes or the like. Neither should technology be only about computers or other high technologies. All these are just small pieces in the whole field of technology. In this regard, handicraft is also submitted under the umbrella concept of ‘technology’, meaning that it can be regarded only as one representation of the human’s activity to meet practical needs and purposes. Consequently, handicraft education cannot be translated to mean simply technology education.
Although technology is closely connected with science and mathematics, it cannot be regarded as an applied science. Essentially, technology answers the question “how to“, while science tries to seek answers to “why“ or “what is”. Moreover, while science is driven by the inquiry seeking to answer the truth, the “answers“ in technology are more diverse. In technology, a single starting point can produce various alternative and divergent solutions. In technology “the truth” is relative to useful and functional solutions on the basis of our needs, wants and purposes to provide sustenance and comfort. Much of everyday technology can be accomplished through problem solving which does not require scientific thinking or knowledge.