The research in this thesis explores how and why student leadership of learning with ICT can impact the knowledge, practice and environment in one high school. Interest in student participation and student voice increased with the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child over a decade ago by countries including the UK, USA and Australia, but questions remain as to whether or not this has resulted in schools becoming more democratic. Although much valuable research has been done relying on the views of students themselves, few studies actually examine student participation in school leadership. This research therefore seeks to further understanding in this area by exploring student participation in school ICT policymaking, and the consequences of this involvement.I set up a student-led project at an independent private secondary school in the south-east of England. This project, which lasted 8 months, became a lens through which I examine student leadership of ICT for learning. Twenty-five students aged 14–19 led staff at the school in developing research-based ICT policy statements for recommendation to the school’s senior management team. They formed a consortium in which the 13 staff members served as their ‘critical friends’, and worked with them in devising the policy recommendations. I studied this project over 33 months using case study methodology. Data generated through observations, participant interviews and document analysis, along with literatures in related fields of educational technology, educational leadership and student participation are used to address how and why student leadership of ICT for learning can contribute to changes in knowledge, practice and the school environment. Distinctly, the specific Doctoral research investigates the role of these students in leading learning with ICT from the perspective of a researching practitioner: not just what role they can and do play but also what are the consequences of their involvement in school policymaking. The findings show that (1) ICT leadership at the school is problematic, and students hitherto played no part in decision-making about school and classroom ICTs; (2) the student-led project highlighted the fact that students can provide knowledge and understanding about digital technologies, and that there is need for students and staff to develop a shared ethos about ICT for learning at the school; (3) students are quite capable of leading ICT changes in the knowledge, practice and environment at the school. The thesis goes further to use Bourdieu’s thinking tools—field, habitus, capital and strategy—to conceptualise student leadership in practice.

This thesis is concerned with the knowledge and skill requirements to teach technology education. Technology education has an important part to play in the UK economy. There is great demand to produce a technologically skilled workforce and secondary school technology education is a key element in the supply of skilled engineering technicians and graduates. Whilst there have been improvements in the number of pupils choosing to study mathematics and science there has been a decline in those studying technology. The work in this thesis has focused on the subject of Design and Technology as it provides pupils with the majority of their compulsory technology education in England. This thesis is comprised of four studies, adopting a mixed-methods approach. The first study characterised the background knowledge of Design and Technology teachers through a demographic analysis. In the second study observations were made on the adoption and teaching of a novel technology resource by trainee teachers. The third study analysed the opinions of teachers who attended a subject knowledge enhancement professional development course. In the fourth study the results of the previous studies were explored in further detail to triangulate findings and to test assumptions. In the first study the admissions data of 341 trainee Design and Technology teachers over the academic years 2000-2001 and 2013-2014 inclusive was analysed. The key finding of this analysis was that 81% of Design and Technology teachers have their entry qualification in creative arts and design and not in a technology subject. This misalignment of subject knowledge was discussed to be a result of the existing training standards and hypothesised to be contributory to the lack of technology teaching, and over emphasis of design in Design and Technology. The second study used observational methods to record how three trainee teachers adopted and taught lessons using a novel technology resource created for the study. The resource was designed to teach laser cutting and the design of mechanical systems. Subsequent analysis revealed the difficulties participants had in understanding and teaching the technology aspects of the projects. The existing practice, and collective knowledge of teachers within the schools used in the study were found to create obstacles for the trainees in trying to implement technological content. The third study developed a new professional development course for teachers to address the issues observed in the second study. The quantitative and qualitative data was obtained from 20 participant design and technology teachers before, during and after the course. Participants reported to be confidence in teaching technology, yet were unable to demonstrate a deep understanding of the subject content. Participants engaged with the procedural knowledge aspects of the course but not with the conceptual knowledge. They considered many aspects of technological and engineering content to be irrelevant to pupils. The fourth, and final, study developed questionnaires to assess teacher and pupil reactions to the provision of 57 different technology projects resources and training sessions to 82 schools across London. Useable data were generated from 33 teachers and 458 pupils. Measurements of teachers confidence in teaching the new Technology National Curriculum revealed that teachers strengths were the making of products. The weaknesses were teaching modern mechanical and electrical systems. Pupils motivation towards technology revealed positive attitudes, but they were unaffected by resources teachers considered to be novel. This study was used to triangulate the findings of the previous study and validate the claims made. The major contribution to knowledge of this thesis is the quantified description and analysis of teachers technology knowledge. The interrelationships of the distinct teacher knowledge domains were analysed to discover how they affect technology education. The main conclusion of this study is that teachers have difficulties in developing and teaching technology based schemes of work to meet the National Curriculum requirements. However, teachers appear unaware of this situation and consider themselves confident in teaching the technology curriculum topics. These difficulties have been caused by teachers lack of compatible background subject knowledge, and were evident in the teaching of projects without secure technology content. This thesis recommends that a significant intervention is required to provide support to Design and Technology teachers to develop their knowledge and skills in teaching technology.