What Constitutes an 'Authentic' Project Context in D&T Education?

Abstract

Authenticity is widely referenced in Design and Technology (D&T) education, yet the term is used inconsistently and rarely defined in ways that reflect the realities of lower secondary school teaching and learning. This paper addresses this gap by conducting a structured literature analysis across D&T, STEM and wider educational fields to examine how authenticity is conceptualised, enacted and constrained in school‑based design contexts. This paper addresses this gap through a structured literature analysis conducted in January 2026, involving searches across four major databases (Scopus, ERIC, Web of Science and the British Education Index) and the systematic screening of more than 41,000 records. Using an inductive–deductive iterative coding process, approximately 38 relevant studies were analysed to examine how authenticity is conceptualised, enacted and constrained in school‑based design contexts. Through screening, selection and synthesis, we develop a six‑dimension analytical framework that captures three interconnected strands of authenticity: the external features of tasks, users and practices; the internal, learner‑centred dimensions of relevance and agency; and the practical constraints that shape what teachers can design and pupils can do in lower secondary settings. The framework highlights how authenticity emerges not from any single feature but from the interaction of context, learner experience and classroom feasibility. This work provides researchers, curriculum designers and teachers with clearer criteria for analysing and designing authentic D&T project contexts, supporting more coherent discourse and more meaningful design experiences for 11–14‑year‑olds.