Technology in the technology subject

Abstract

The Danish higher technical examination programme (HTX) is the only high school program in Denmark that specialises in technology and engineering. Central to the HTX curriculum are the profile subjects; technology and technical science. In this article, we take a closer look at these subjects, or more precisely, we examine the concept of technology embedded within them. The ministerial order regarding the subjects places the concept of technology within the ‘technology model’. We will examine the background for the model, its potential and limitations and the model's place in teaching through empirical findings from fieldwork in order to examine whether the technology model lives up to its described purpose. Overall, it can be argued that the model works but it can also be argued that the teachers should be aware of the model’s shortcomings and discuss these with students, so they obtain a more dynamic and dialectical understanding of technology.