Abstract

In the United States, K-12 public education system, over 5 million students encounter specialized career paths, including interior design, through Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) classes. Despite this exposure, many students still have misconceptions about the profession, often viewing interior design as a merely decorative field. This lack of understanding can result in insufficiently prepared students and may contribute to lower retention rates in post-secondary interior design programs. This exploratory study used the Framework for Teaching: Planning and Preparation to investigate whether FCS educators incorporate industry standards or Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) content in their K-12 public school FCS classes. The study also aimed to determine if interior design content was included in the curriculum, and if so, what specific topics were covered. The research methodology involved administering a national online survey to FCS public school educators, followed by an analysis of FCS educator university programs. Results revealed that 41% of participants (n = 143) had received some training in interior design, with a focus primarily on residential projects. Additionally, the findings indicated that when interior design content was included in the K-12 curriculum, it was largely centered around residential design. This study suggests an opportunity for collaboration between the interior design discipline and FCS professionals to introduce interior design to K-12 students at an earlier age. Such collaboration could better prepare students for higher education, challenge misconceptions surrounding the interior design industry, and potentially encourage more diverse populations to pursue a career in interior design.