Taking Risks as a Feature of Creativity in the Teaching and Learning of Design and Technology

This a r ti c le co n s id ers t h e n a tur e o f ri s k t a kin g a  n d its deter min a nt s in re l a t i o n t o te ac hin g and learning d es i gn an d t ec hn o l ogy in secondar y sc h oo l s. It i s in fo rm e d b y r esea r c h i nt o the contr ibuti o n th a t c r ea ti v it y m a k es to de s i g n a nd techno l ogy educat i on , inc lud i n g an analysi s of t h e r is k s th at teac h ers a nd st ud e nt s take w hen w orking wi th i n a d oma in . D e si g n activ i t y can requ ir e a c r eat i ve l e ap t o rea l ise a c c ep t a bl e so lu t i o n s , w hi c h a r e va lu e d b y c l ients a nd c u sto m e r s. T hi s p ro cess in v ol v e s t a king risks w i t h t he u se o f m a t er i a l s, with the deve l o pm e n t of p rocesses a nd w ith tho s e p e op l e w h o fu nd dev el o pm e n t wo rk a nd clients . In des i gn an d t ec h no l ogy e du cat i o n t h e risks are d i fferent . L ega l res p o n s ibilit ies for products that st ud e n ts c r ea t e are l i mited i n relation to t h e i r ef f ec ti ve n ess. Ri sks t a k e n b y te a ch e r s a re ma inl y gove rn ed b y t h e n eed f o r student s to a ch i eve success in t h e i r l ear