Fostering technologies literacy: integrating technical vocabulary into the primary school Technologies curriculum for young learners

Abstract Technologies curriculum is synonymous with practical learning opportunities that provide students with vocational pathways, apprenticeships, and/or traineeships, in addition to tertiary education. As with any curriculum learning area, a base set of terms that reflect the key knowledge and skills are crucial for students to communicate effectively their understanding and achievement in that learning area. Technologies curriculum is no different. Vocabulary and language acquisition has been well researched in English and non-English language studies, and while there is some understanding of the use of technical language and vocabulary development in the research literature, this has been more prevalent in the vocational educational space. There remains limited understanding of the development and use of technical language, specifically technical vocabulary or terminology, which is posited by the authors to be central to successful problem-solving in the Technologies school curriculum. This paper provides an early insight into the use of technical language and vocabulary by young primary school students (ages 8–10), while working collaboratively on practical Design and Technologies problem-solving activities. By exposing students to three practical problem-solving activities involving students working collaboratively, the authors strove to understand how technical language/vocabulary influenced students’ collaborative problem-solving outcomes. The three activities were models of machines of varying difficulty: simple windmill, complicated tower crane, and complex steerable boat. This study found that the effectiveness of language use, technical vocabulary and problem comprehension strategies should be considered important factors in producing higher quality models and enhancing students collaborative problem-solving skills, especially in complex design-based engineering activities.