Middle school technology education curriculum model for New Brunswick

The purpose of this study was to develop a middle school technology education curriculum model for New Brunswick. The study was carried out through a review of related research and applied theory in areas of the "middle school" concept and technology education curricula. This led to the development of a curriculum model for the middle school technology education program. The curriculum model was developed to provide a strategy for young adolescent students to solve technologically related problems of interest to them.;The resulting model was broad-based in that it covers home, business, and industrial technologies. The universal systems approach used in the model provided a generic problem solving technique. The model is also exploratory to cater to the wide range of student interests, and modular to allow for the different pace at which individual students work.;The model links past technology education curriculum with the new technology by retaining some of the former industrial arts features and adding information-based technology. On the basis of face and content validity the model gained substantial support from judges (75% average approval, significant chi square in four of the five areas). The province's excellent communication network, its location on the "superhighway", and the Department of Education's decision to introduce the middle school concept should make this model timely.