THE CONCEPT

A centre that studies technology education research while developing the infrastructure, capacity, and collaborations needed to strengthen the field.

A distributed support structure

CATER is built around a simple premise: technology education research can be strengthened by studying how the field produces knowledge and by creating structures that support research activity. The centre combines meta-research, infrastructure development, capacity building, and collaborative facilitation.

Founding principles

Shared commitment to research

Technology education researchers work across varied topics, contexts, traditions, and methods. CATER begins from the view that, while research interests differ across the field, there is a shared commitment to research and to the continued development of technology education as an area of inquiry.

Credibility through methodological development

CATER supports the credibility of technology education research by helping the field engage with methodological advances. As research questions become more nuanced, the field benefits from shared structures that support increasingly sophisticated forms of inquiry.

Respect for research traditions

CATER recognises the value of quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, theoretical, philosophical, design-based, and practice-oriented research. Each tradition contributes to how the field asks questions, builds evidence, and develops knowledge.

Shared infrastructure for collective progress

CATER develops tools, resources, training, and collaborative structures that researchers can use, adapt, and extend. The centre is built around the idea that fields develop through shared infrastructure as well as individual scholarship.

Distributed by Design

CATER works across existing researchers, groups, institutions, and contexts. Its role is to connect and strengthen activity across the field while recognising that technology education research develops in different national, institutional, and curriculum settings.

Research-Active Centre

CATER conducts meta-research on technology education research and develops tools, methods, resources, and instruments that support research activity.

Collective Capacity

CATER aims to enable larger forms of research activity, including working groups, research clinics, multi-site studies, collaborative projects, grant development, and shared dissemination.

Feed in
Research questions
Experience
Local expertise

Feed out
Open tools
Research resources
Collaborative structures

CATER
Meta-research, infrastructure, and collaboration for technology education research

Meta-Research

Tools

Methods

Capacity Building

Collaboration

Grants

Research Groups
Local programmes and projects

Doctoral Networks
Early career development

Teacher Education
Practice-facing research

International Partners
Cross-context collaboration

Methodological Partners
Design, assessment, and analysis

Policy and Practice
Translation and uptake

Centre activity
Meta-research • Big-team science • Multi-site studies • Open tools • Research clinics • Shared protocols • Collaborative grant development

Connect with CATER

Contribute to Stronger Technology Education Research

CATER welcomes contact from researchers, educators, doctoral researchers, and partners whose work aligns with the centre’s remit of advancing technology education research. Enquiries are welcome around research collaboration, infrastructure development, capacity-building activity, and shared resources for the field.

Contact CATER