Analysing Teaching Materials for Interdisciplinary Technology Education through a Didactic Model

Abstract

Interdisciplinary STEM education is increasingly promoted in compulsory schooling, yet the role of the technology subject within such approaches remains unevenly articulated. This study examines how technology is positioned in pre-designed teaching materials intended to support interdisciplinary instruction in Swedish lower and upper secondary education. Fourteen materials were analysed using a qualitative, theory-informed content analysis guided by a didactic framework conceptualising teaching practices in terms of what is taught, how teaching is organised, and why activities are framed as educationally meaningful. Through iterative comparison across materials, three recurring configurations of technology emerged: technology-centered, thematically embedded, and tool-oriented projects. While many materials emphasise societal relevance, sustainability, and student engagement, explicit opportunities for students to develop technological knowledge and core design-related practices are often limited. Technology is frequently positioned as contextual support for scientific or societal themes rather than as a distinct epistemic domain. The findings highlight tensions between interdisciplinary ambitions and the disciplinary visibility of technology education and contribute a conceptual framework for understanding how technology is represented in interdisciplinary STEM contexts.