Preschool Heads’ Perceptions of Technology and Technology Education

Abstract

Teachers need support in how to organize teaching in technology to meet the preschool curriculum goals. In Sweden, the head of the preschool has a pedagogical responsibility with a task to support teachers and ensure that the work corresponds to national goals stated in the school act and the curriculum. In this paper, we investigate preschool heads’ perceptions of technology (RQ1) and of teaching technology (RQ2) as a precondition for their pedagogical responsibility. Data were gathered from two two-hour seminars with five heads of preschool attending a professional development programme. The seminars were audio recorded and the recordings were transcribed for analysis. Research question 1 was analyzed using Collier-Reeds categories for Nature of Technology, and research question 2 was analyzed using a conventional content analysis. The heads perceptions of technology varies between individuals having a narrow view of technology as only being artefacts, or a great insecurity entailing not knowing what separates technology from natural science, to a developed and complex view of technology. Regarding the teaching of technology the heads talked about the preschool teachers´ competence, including subject knowledge as a basis for teaching and pedagogical and didactical knowledge and skills. They also discussed content and method for teaching technology, which included the concept of technology, the nature of preschool teaching and a progression through the preschool years. The results also show that the heads believe the characteristics of preschool education demand that the preschool teachers have a high level of subject knowledge.