Teacher Recruitment in Design and Technology: Food Technology

This paper presents an update of the findings of a research project carried out by the National Association of Teachers of Home Economics and Technology ( ATHE) in the spring of 1998. The research explored a perceived national shortage of teachers available to teach food and textiles technology within design and technology. The findings were presented and published in 1999 as a paper at the International Conference on Design and Technology Educational Research and Curriculum Development (Rutland, IDATER 1999). This paper focuses on food technology as the problem is considered to be particularly severe in this specialism of design and technology. A number of issues appeared to be relevant, including changes in the traditional routes into secondary teaching, a change of focus in some degree courses, the introduction of National Curriculum design and technology in 1990 and regional differences in teacher shortages. ATHE de