Establishing trends in design and technology teachers’ approaches in Botswana

Arguably design and technology, its politics and philosophy have been chronicled in a number of journals: DATA Journals, IDATER Journals, International Journal of Technology Education and other similar documents. Research has also highlighted how good practice in design and technology and creativity could be fostered amongst learners in schools. This paper explores how teachers of design and technology in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools construct the meaning of design and technology through their classroom actions. It establishes trends in teachers' approaches, which have been constructed using trajectories. The paper primarily highlights how quantitative data was collected in qualitative situations and how it was analysed, looking not only at what teachers do in classrooms (qualitative) but for how long and how often (quantitative). A case study approach using participant observation and ethnography strategies is used. This has been complemented by the use of qualitative interviewing. The findings of this paper emerge from a PhD research study that was undertaken in Botswana in Year 2000.