Gender inequality in design and technology ... the pupils' perspective

Statistics have shown that those girls who choose to study the traditionally male areas of Design and Technology to GCSE level, generally do very well, yet very few still actually opt to follow these courses. My original research aimed to clarify effective strategies schools could adopt to redress the balance. This paper highlights the image of Design and Technology through the eyes of the pupils. Primarily it examines how relevant the study of Design and Technology seems to pupils and secondly it attempts to see which of the strategies implemented by teachers increased the enthusiasm and interest of the pupils. The disinclination of girls to opt for 'core' Design and Technology could be increased all the more with the latest changes in Design and Technology GCSE syllabuses, which have reverted to the more traditional format of specific discreet disciplines