Läromedel i lågstadiets teknikämne : Lärares uppfattningar om teknikämnet och läromedel i teknik / Teaching materials in the technology subject in primary school : Teachers’ perceptions about the technology subject and teaching materials in technology

The purpose of this study is to contribute to more knowledge about primary school teachers’ use of teaching materials in technology education. We wanted to explore the experiences and perceptions that primary school teachers have of using teaching materials in their technology education, on the basis of the subjects´ practical tradition. The method used to collect data was qualitative, semi-structured interviews. In the study, seven primary school teachers who teach technology were interviewed. The results of the study shows that teachers have varying attitudes towards technology. Some teachers appreciate the subject and shows a lot of commitment, while others feel uncertainty and are uncomfortable teaching the subject. All of the teachers express that technology is a very practical subject, where students get to construct different things. The result also shows different reasonings regarding the use of teaching materials in technology, however, all teachers believe that available textbooks must be simplified and adapted to the level of the students. Teaching materials in technology are also considered to be deficient when compared to teaching aids in other subjects. The conclusion of our study is that all teachers use teaching materials in their technology education. The current textbooks that the teachers have are too difficult for the students and the language needs to be simplified, the teachers would therefore need to review the contents of the teaching materials or create their own. To create a balance between theory and practice in teaching, the teaching material NTA works well.