‘Your past prepares you for who you will become’: reoccurring themes in the individual pasts of maker education teachers

Abstract

ABSTRACTMaker education offer numerous potential benefits for student learning; however, we currently lack an understanding of the ways in which educators integrate these pedagogies into regular practice. This qualitative study examines the background and motivations of 12 educators involved in makerspace initiatives at their respective schools in Israel. Through a thematic analysis of interviews, this study presents several overlapping characteristics of teachers who chose maker education as their way of teaching, to reveal the conditions under which maker educators are created naturally, and the features and attitudes that characterise them. Recognising these intersecting characteristics can enable schools to provide essential support systems for prospective maker educators.KEYWORDS: Maker educationmaker teachersmakingformal educationteaching methods AcknowledgmentsI would like to thank all the makers who agreed to participate in this research, and that are ready to share and dedicate their lives to improving the formal education system in Israel with the intention to influence and create a better future for us all.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationNotes on contributorsRoey KafriRoey Kafri is an Israeli researcher, educator, and maker who leads the program for ‘maker education leaders’ at ‘beit-berl’, Israel’s leading teacher college. His research focuses on maker education teachers, and teacher training. Roey specialises in innovative pedagogy and in ‘learning by doing’. He guides and accompanies schools, educational networks, and organizations in integrating the making approach and incorporating innovative pedagogy into their educational frameworks. Roey is also an orchestra conductor, and holds a degree in art and an M. Ed in educational leadership. He imparts his knowledge of these diverse areas of expertise in his lectures and workshops for educators and administrators all over the world.