The need to consider the predictive capacity of intelligence and its malleability within design and technology education research

Abstract

General intelligence is a fundamental human capacity with significant educational implications. However, it is often not considered in educational research despite substantial evidence illustrating its association with positive life outcomes and student’s capacity to learn. There are a number of potential reasons for this including the controversial history of the use of intelligence tests, validity concerns, counter-moral implications associated with equality, lack of related training, and discipline research priorities. Design and technology (D&T) education however presents a subject area where consideration of student’s intelligence appears particularly important. The focus on design provides students with regular variation learning contexts, with a similar phenomenon occurring through the subject areas focus on technology as a result of constant cultural and societal technological advances. However, intelligence is rarely considered within D&T education research. Therefore, this article puts forward an argument and rationale as to why D&T researchers need to give more consideration to the predictive value of general intelligence and its malleability in pertinent research and discusses some implications for intelligence in practice.