Purposes in drawing: the significance of children's personal styles for design and technology

The work described forms part of an extended research project, investigating the development of children's skills and understanding in drawing and modelling for design thinking. The focus of this phase of the research is the sense of purpose that a child brings to a free drawing task. A typology is proposed, based on repeated observations of a small group of children, that uses two main dimensions to such purposes, namely patterning (investigating shape, colour, and pattern), and representation/narration, which is regarded as a continuum. Children's concerns in managing the task of drawing are also discussed. Some implications for the teaching of Design & Technology to younger children are suggested.