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How The Transition From Key Stage 2 To Key Stage 3 Is Made In Schools Within ...

How the transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 is made in Schools
within the DT subject group

Abstract:
The transition between Key Stages 2 and 3 is an important part of ensuring pupils' success in secondary schooling, and in ensuring continuity of learning between different levels of the education system. This paper examines factors affecting the transition, as it affects the Design and Technology group of subjects, and proposes a research methodology for investigating this area.


Contents:
Section 1: Introduction
Introduction
Key Issues
Section 1 Summary
Section 2: Current Practice
2.1 The aims of DT teaching at key stages 2 and 3
Transition: Policy, practice and effectiveness.
Part A: General Policy
Part B: Specific Policy
Section 2 Summary
Section 3: A Research Methodology for investigating transition
Section 4: Conclusions
4.1 Limitations of this Paper
4.2 ConclusionsSection 1: Introduction
- an overview of the issues that face DT teachers in the transition from KS1 to KS2.
1.1 Introduction
As one of the recognised non-core foundation key skills areas, Design Technology is central to pupils' development at all stages of their school careers. This subject area is one of the broadest in the national curriculum, incorporating as it does such areas as Resistant Materials, Graphic Design, Food Technology, Textiles, Systems and Control and Electronics. This breadth of material is a necessary part of achieving the main aims of the teaching of DT as stated by the curriculum: Through design and technology, all pupils can become discriminating and informed users of products, and become innovators (NCC, 2007)
This paper examines in detail current thought and policy on the transition between key stages 2 and 3 in DT. I critically evaluate the content of both government and research literature in this area, and produce a series of recommendations for further development of teaching policy. Where appropriate, reference is made to the relevant professional standards
1.2 Key issues in the teaching of DT
The following issues can be said to be important to DT teachers at all levels, and therefore have a bearing on this study.
Limited Teaching Time
As stated above, DT is a fusion of at least five general curriculum areas, and therefore potentially places heavy time constrains on a limited amount of teaching time. This is compounded by DT's place as a non-core subject it receives secondary priority (in timetabling terms) to the core subjects such as science, maths and English.
At key stages 1 and 2, the focus is on a broader study of the basic principles in all of the five component areas. At key stages 3 and above, it is usual to introduce some aspects of pupil-led decision making in which young people choose which aspects of the DT curriculum they wish to focus on. For example, it is unusual for mainstream pupils to take more than two of the five main sub-subjects at GCSE level.

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