Curricula under pressure: reclaiming practical knowledge

The increasingly complex socio-technical and economic challenges of our time place considerable pressure on engineering programmes. To ensure that graduates are well-prepared to address these challenges requires curriculum developers to select the appropriate knowledge for the engineering programme. A number of key theorists, notably from the sociology of education, have contributed to conceptualising forms of knowledge in different curricula, but the nature of practical knowledge in qualifications such as the engineering technician diploma has not adequately been theorised. Following Shay, we argue for the specialist value of practical knowledge in technical engineering curricula. Our purpose is to provide a more robust conceptualisation of practical knowledge that recognises its complexity and value. We argue that prioritising theoretical, abstract knowledge over practical knowledge has impoverished technical education.