The pressures of a growing global population, compounded by environmental degradation, escalating energy use and the depletion of natural energy resources, have led to sustainable energy (SE) holding a prominent position on the international agenda. In spite of the widespread recognition of the important role of SE education in securing a…

This article describes a project to apply and validate a conceptual framework of clusters of purposeful learning activity involving ICT tools. The framework, which is based in a socio-cultural perspective, is described as "DECK", and comprises the following major categories of the use of digital technologies to support learning: distributed…

This paper considers several of the key findings of the State of the Nation research. Specific reference is made to three areas--impact evaluation, strategic leadership of professional development, and barriers and constraints to effective CPD practice--which are considered with reference to findings from the other TDA-funded projects conducted at…

Constructivism is a widely influential perspective in science education research. However, there have been strong criticisms of attempts to adopt constructivism as a principle underpinning official science curriculum policy (for example in New Zealand). Over the past decade recommendations for classroom pedagogy in extensive official guidance…

This article explores the implications for teacher education and continuous professional development (CPD) of enquiry-based learning, by drawing specifically on data collected during a four-year curriculum development and research project, Enquiring Minds (2005-9). Within the partnership approach to curriculum design endorsed by the project,…

Assessment reform has been on the educational agenda of many countries for at least two decades. In this article - which begins by charting what lies behind the calls for a paradigm shift in assessment and what is being proposed instead - classroom assessment is explored in detail in relation to its links with teacher and student assessment, as…

In this article, we describe how the concept of "learning to learn" has developed in Spain, and give you an overview of relevant Spanish projects. First, we sketch out how this approach has developed in Spanish educational laws. We then give examples of research projects, assessment instruments and instructional programmes pertinent to each of the…

The difficulty of using insights from educational research and scholarship to inform the design of subject teaching is widely acknowledged. In this article, we present an example of the design of a short science teaching intervention to illustrate one approach to using insights from research to inform the design of teaching. After outlining the…

I present some key ideas and examples of (mainly French) work in the didactics of mathematics with the aim of identifying the didactics approach to education in relation to more general approaches. In particular I discuss three crucial features of didactics: (1) its epistemological character, i.e. the central focus on specific knowledge in…

"What happens to domain knowledge on its way into the school curriculum?" The article explores this question from a systems view of the knowledge transformation process. This process is not only bound to "contextual knowledge" about "social forces" but also to the school's own "educational knowledge" framework. Further, utilizing knowledge depends…

This article examines partnerships between universities and schools that focus on the generation of educational knowledge through practitioner research and enquiry. It draws on a seven-year study of a partnership between the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge and a group of eight secondary schools. The article explores what has been…

The "Learning How to Learn" project of the ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme engaged teachers from primary and secondary schools in the UK in development and research of practice related to "assessment for learning" between 2001 and 2005. As part of the project, we were concerned to discover what factors encouraged the development and…

The relationship between knowledge and pedagogy is an important one and needs further exploration. Does a degree in archaeology provide a basis for teaching contemporary history? Is the high-flying physicist able to teach adequately the biology of a general science course? Can a primary teacher successfully work across the whole of the primary…

The ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme is the largest ever programme of educational research in the UK. This article reports the purposes, processes, outcomes and issues arising from cross-programme thematic work on the conceptualization of, and research into, 'enhancing learning outcomes' which is a key aim of the programme. Early…

One of the defining features of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme is that it 'aims to improve outcomes for learners of all ages in teaching and learning contexts across the UK'. This article argues that, although it is possible to use the terms "outcomes for learners" and "learning outcomes" interchangeably, they have an important…