Design and Technology (D&T) education occupies a distinctive position within the secondary curriculum through its historical emphasis on designing, making, and evaluating tangible artefacts. Drawing on a doctoral study, this article examines how the secondary school experiences of ten pre-service D&T teachers in Western Australia shaped their engagement with the subject. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, data were generated through in-depth interviews. Analysis revealed three interrelated themes: the power of practical engagement, experiences of success in the workshop, and limitations in opportunities for explicit design thinking. Findings indicate that hands-on, workshop-based learning played an important role in fostering confidence, motivation, and a sense of belonging, particularly for participants who struggled in more traditional academic subjects. However, participants also reported that junior secondary experiences were frequently characterised by prescriptive, skills-based tasks with limited emphasis on explicit design processes. While practical making, sustained engagement, and enjoyment were evident, the absence of structured design thinking constrained opportunities for creative exploration, iteration, and higher-order learning. The study highlights a persistent tension between making and designing in D&T education and underscores the importance of maintaining their integration to preserve the subject’s pedagogical integrity and distinctiveness within secondary schooling.
Carol Puddicombe (Wed,) studied this question.