Situating technology teachers’ personal PCK: an investigation of the material preconditions for technology education in Sweden

Abstract Research has shown that even though technology educators promote hands-on work over theory, their premise for teaching the subject varies immensely. Scholars suggest that such differences may lead to students losing interest in the subject. Therefore, this study explores relationships between technology teachers’ education, their teaching strategies, and the material preconditions for teaching the subject. Based on a questionnaire (N = 54), the study shows that technology teachers use textbooks to support planning teaching and supplement practical work or learning activities for the students. Furthermore, the results indicate that teachers have access to either specialised classrooms and materials for teaching or classrooms and equipment that have been adapted to suit technology education. Moreover, the results show apparent differences between upper primary and secondary education. In all, the study concludes that inexperienced teachers can use textbooks to potentially compensate for lack of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and that the material preconditions for technology teaching are of great importance for how technology teachers may develop their PCK. Lastly, we argue that it is crucial for future research to explore classroom practice in terms of technology teachers’ potential PCK and how that is enacted in interaction with the environment – i.e., teachers’ contextual knowledge.