Young children's learning strategies in design and technology

The value of understanding the procedural knowledge that young children bring with them to the Design and Technology task is addressed in this paper. The research so far provides an investigation into young children's learning strategies and goes some way towards identifying emergent, developing and changing strategies during Key Stage One. It challenges the conventional Technology problem solving models and strategy cycles and poses questions concerning optimal times of capability. In doing so it attempts to gain greater insight into children's motivation for their actions and through their perceptions of the classroom culture, raises broader issues regarding early years education.