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Title of the thesis: Team Teaching in Multidisciplinary Technology Education: Instructional Process in Design-based Technology Projects

Thesis defender: Hanna Aarnio
Opponent: Prof. Wendy Fox-Turnbull, University of Waikato, New Zealand 
Custos: Prof. Maria Clavert.,Aalto University School of Engineering

Empirical model for the collaborative instructional process in multidisciplinary technology education

The creation of technological innovations increasingly requires collaboration that crosses disciplinary boundaries. Educational institutions, ranging from primary to higher education, seek to educate future experts who can combine technological expertise with the perspectives of various disciplines to innovate collaboratively. While the multidisciplinary approach to technology education in schools has been found to increase pupils’ interest and motivation in learning technology, it can be challenging for teachers to organize. Bringing the perspectives of different subject areas into design-based technology projects requires teachers to collaborate in teams. They need to identify and leverage the yet less explored forms of collaboration in technology education.

This thesis explores how team teaching enables multidisciplinary, design-based technology education in Finnish primary, secondary, and upper-secondary level schools. By applying qualitative interviews and longitudinal classroom video data, the three part studies included in the thesis together form an overview of support for teaching and learning in technology projects. Support for pupils' collaborative designing activities is approached through the theoretical concepts of pedagogical infrastructures and assessment forms. Support among colleagues in a teaching team is examined using the social support framework. 

The main finding of the thesis is an empirical model for the collaborative instructional process in design-based technology projects. This model illustrates the supportive resources embedded in the interactions between teachers and pupils during the collaborative planning, implementation, and assessment of the projects. The dissertation also suggests opportunities for more effective resource utilization, particularly in formative assessment between pupils and pedagogical leadership for teaching teams. 

Teachers can apply the recognized forms of collaboration to strengthen pupils’ technology study paths across the levels of education, thereby enriching the pool of future technology professionals. Technical universities can use the results to reinforce their role in providing continuous education in technology education for teachers. 

Keywords: technology education, multidisciplinary, team teaching, design-based learning, instructional process

Thesis available for public display 10 days prior to the defence at . 

Contact information: 
E-mail - hanna.aarnio@aalto.fi