The elephant in the room: the influence of prevailing pedagogical practice on the integration of Design and Communication Graphics in the post-primary classroom

Abstract

Senior Cycle Technology subjects in Irish post-primary schools have recently been updated. One subject, Technical Drawing, has been replaced with a new subject called Design and Communication Graphics (DCG). The new subject is quite different in content and is also quite different in its focus highlighting an emphasis on communication and design. This paper aims to explore the influence of prevailing pedagogical practices on the integration of the new DCG syllabus. The paper firstly examines the current pedagogical practices within Irish post-primary classrooms before moving on to discuss some of the emerging challenges and opportunities in light of this evidence. The paper argues that without challenges to prevailing societal attitudes towards technology education in schools it is unlikely that the changes in pedagogy required to fully embrace the philosophy of the new syllabus will be achieved.