Abstract

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This action research report examines the phenomenon of design thinking in education, using the process as a pedagogical framework to support students through concept development and critical thinking.

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The aims of the research were to utilise a design thinking toolkit to guide students through the ambiguous process of concept development in an imaginative composition project. The framework in question was the IDEO Design Thinking for Educators (2012). The research applied further teaching strategies outlined in literature to examine how students can be supported through the various stages of Discovery, Interpretation, Ideation, Experimentation, and Evolution. Finally, the research investigates how the reframing  ‘mistake-making’ encourages students to be creative and think critically about their own work and the work of others.

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It was found that with additional strategies and interventions, including the “What if?” question for possibility thinking, and positioning the teacher as facilitator, a Design Thinking toolkit can guide students through ambiguous processes Additionally, it was found that Design Thinking encourages critical thinking of key concepts through suspended judgement, while drawing was the fundamental tool for enhancing articulation of ideas, individual perceptions of concepts, and critical thinking in students.