Developing an instrument for assessing students’ concepts of the nature of technology

Abstract

Background: The nature of technology has been rarely discussed despite the fact that technology plays an essential role in modern society. It is important to discuss students' concepts of the nature of technology, and further to advance their technological literacy and adaptation to modern society. There is a need to assess high school students' concepts of the nature of technology.Purpose: This study aims to engage in discourse on students' concepts of the nature of technology based on a proposed theoretical framework. Moreover, another goal is to develop an instrument for measuring students' concepts of the nature of technology. Sample: Four hundred and fifty-five high school students' perceptions of technology were qualitatively analyzed. Furthermore, 530 students' responses to a newly developed questionnaire were quantitatively analyzed in the final test. Design and method: First, content analysis was utilized to discuss and categorize students' statements regarding technology and its related issues. The Student Concepts of the Nature of Technology Questionnaire was developed based on the proposed theoretical framework and was supported by the students' qualitative data. Finally, exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were applied to determine the structure of the items and the internal consistency of each scale. Results: Through a process of instrument development, the Student Concepts of the Nature of Technology Questionnaire was shown to be a valid and reliable tool for measuring students' concepts of the nature of technology. This newly developed questionnaire is composed of 29 items in six scales, namely 'technology as artifacts,' 'technology as an innovation change,' 'the current role of technology in society,' 'technology as a double-edged sword,' 'technology as a science-based form,' and 'history of technology.' Conclusions: The Student Concepts of the Nature of Technology Questionnaire has been confirmed as a reasonably valid and reliable instrument. This study provides a useful questionnaire for educational researchers and practitioners for measuring students' concepts of the nature of technology.

The importance of supporting technological knowledge in post-primary education: a cohort study

“…Considering these types of knowledge in the context of technology education initially requires a broader examination of what the discipline aims to espouse within students. The overall aim of technology education is regularly acknowledged internationally to mean the development of technological capability (Black and Harrison 1985;Kimbell 1994;Norman 1998;Davies and Rogers 2000;Tairab 2001;Shaw 2002;Gibson 2008;Rauscher 2011;Liou 2015). Due to its subjectivity, traditionally it has been difficult to offer an explicit classical definition for the concept of technological capability (Gagel 2004) which has resulted in many definitions now existing in the pertinent literature.…”

Exploring the Effect of Nos/Not Learning and Dispositions on Undertaking Behavioural Actions in the Case of Natural Hazards

“…While comprehension of NOS and NOT were viewed as important for science education (Fernandes, Rodrigues, & Ferreira, 2017;Lederman 2007;McComas, 1998), NOS/NOT responses overall were generally low, and suggest an area of concern (DiGironimo, 2011;Liou, 2015). The exception were responses in section 2 for items 2 and 3, except in Estonia.…”

“…There is no one definition of NOT and thus any single definition is contested (DiGironimo, 2011;Liou, 2015). There is, however, a consensus view among researchers regarding the bi-directional relationship between science and technology.…”

An Interdisciplinary Research on Students’ Employability in Technology Education to Advance Higher Education Enrollment Sustainability

“…Some researches induced that students' organizational ability [10,11], planning techniques [12], and presentative skills were the three most crucial individual competences for employment [13]. However, no researcher has directly been able to complete an in-depth and in-detail assay of the cross-analytical correlationships among these three research fields: technology education [14][15][16][17][18], students' employability [19][20][21][22][23][24], and institutions' enrollment sustainability in order to induce the best solution of the above-listed three mainstream research questions of current higher education enrollment sustainability. In order to effectively and interdisciplinarily explore the interactive correlationships among technology education, students' employability, and institutions' developmental stainability, this research comprehensively employed the essential core perspectives (individualism, organizationism, and socializationism) of the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to comprehensively assay the interactive dependences and influences among technology education, students' employability, and institutions' developmental stainability (as shown in Figure 1).…”