The experience of education students in the TechnoLab. Do engineers and educationalists have to co-operate?

The purpose of this study was firstly to explore and describe post graduate students' experiences of Technology Education in the TechnoLab and secondly to deduct recommendations to assist and facilitate the learning process of students in the TechnoLab. The research design can be described as qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual. Twenty-eight post graduate students in Technology Education participated in a workshop at the TechnoLab for one morning session. The aim of this workshop was to expose them to the so-called technological process, which they had already studied theoretically. After participating in this workshop students were requested to write down their experience of Technology Education in the TechnoLab. They were then divided into three focus groups for interviews conducted by three moderators. The same question was posed to each group: "How did you experience Technology Education in the TechnoLab?" These interviews were audiotaped and later transcribed. Tesch's method of analysis was applied to the data by three researchers independently followed by a consensus discussion. Three major themes were identified from the data, namely the TechnoLab and Technology Education were conducive to learning; fear and anxiety were experienced in the unknown situation, that is the TechnoLab and Technology Education; and empowerment through exposure to the TechnoLab and Technology Education. Further categories were identified within each of these three themes. Recommendations are made to assist and facilitate the learning process of these students in the TechnoLab.