Australia’s innovation agenda for technology teachers: a plain English critique

Technology teachers, along side maths and science teachers have been given a new role in the latest reports and recommendations from the Federal Government. This role is to embrace and transform their purpose into that of flag bearers for innovation education into the future. This new role raises several complex issues. The language of reports suggest, at one level, a need for an unprecedented shift away from previous pedagogy and at another the use of new jargon that can make it difficult for teachers to accommodate the agenda in their practice. In addition, teachers are entitled to ask why developing innovation capacity should suddenly be seen as critical to Australia’s future? This paper offers technology teachers plain English interpretations of the role of innovation policies. It describes what innovation is thought to include, its link to the knowledge economy and why innovation has been given such national priority in technology education.