Teacher Influence on Pupil Autonomy in Primary School Design and Technology

Primary school design and technology in the UK is taught, in the main, by non-specialists. This paper considers the influence of teachers on pupil autonomy in primary school design and technology lessons. Teacher interviews and lesson observations provide illustration in this consideration of pupil autonomy. What might at first appear to be a simple cause and effect relationship between teacher direction and pupil autonomy is questioned and a number of possible distinctions considered.