Science, technology and society: A methodological perspective

Methodology offers a perspective on technology that differs from a historical or sociological one. It focuses on the scientific, technological and social factors that are to be taken into account in technological developments. Other approaches tend to focus on actors rather than factors. The (design) methodological approach is illustrated by the case study of the development Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Displays in a small Dutch company. It appears that problems emerge when this development is not dealt with according to the nature of the technologies that are involved. In technology education such insights can be used to prevent practices in which pupils are naively taught to work according to standardised design process prescriptions that do not take into account the nature of the product that is to be designed.