The development of optimisation decision-making skills within the area of technology education through a technology fair

The ability to make effective choices and decisions is one of the most important competencies that students need to be successful in life. This paper suggests the idea of using the technology fair as a means for promoting students’ decision-making skills. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of a procedure of working with primary school children to complete and present a technology fair project, on the decision-making skills of undergraduate primary education students. Pre-tests, mid-test and post-tests were administered to undergraduate students before, during and after the preparation of the technology fair, respectively. Data were also collected from reflective diaries kept by the university students during the preparation of the technology fair. A number of students were selected and interviewed after the completion of the technology fair. The analysis of the results indicates that the technology fair has an influence on improving students’ decision-making strategies within the domain of design and technology.