Craft in English and Welsh Secondary Schools: The Pupils' Perspective.

Following the introduction of national curricula for England and Wales in 1990, the concept of craft in society and secondary schools was unclear and its educational relevance widely questioned. Between 1994 and 1998, the Crafts Council commissioned research into craft education. This PhD research substantially developed the findings and analysis of one of these projects, called 'Pupils as Makers' which investigated pupils' views about the educational value of craft. The purpose of this research was to ascertain the value and the concept of craft in secondary schools and how it should be taught in the future. The research method was qualitative and included a historical overview of craft education and empirical research. The latter employed ethnographic-type fieldwork and hermeneutic analysis. Twenty schools were visited for three days each and 239 pupils interviewed. Three other instruments were employed to triangulate data. Key findings of the historical overview were that conceptions of craft in society, although confused, have been greatly influenced by theories formulated within modernity, especially by the Arts and Crafts movement, but that these are now being challenged by postmodern theory. Craft knowledge is generally understood to be tacit and has always had a low status in society and schools. It has been taught in schools in three separate strands: women's, workmen's and expressive craft. Key findings of the empirical research were that Secondary pupils like and value craft highly, provided they have ample opportunities to develop manual skills. They prefer to learn through demonstration and practising. Craft was still taught in the three disparate strands, but was in jeopardy in each. It was argued in conclusion that findings of this research and postmodern theory demonstrate that craft is relevant to general education in the twenty-first century. However, it is essential that the three strands are reconstituted and combined