The use of technology (information and communication technology, ICT) in secondary education is an important aspect of the current curriculum and of teachers' pedagogy. Learning supported by computers is supposed to be motivating for students and is, therefore, assumed to have positive effects on learning experiences and results. However, the…

This paper investigates the use of online technologies to extend the learning of a group of junior secondary school students after attending a Sun, Science, and Society camp. The students were of mixed ages and came from metropolitan and rural schools. Their teachers described them as students of high ability or students interested in science who…

This study compared learning for fifth grade students in two math homework conditions. The paper-and-pencil condition represented traditional homework, with review of problems in class the following day. The Web-based homework condition provided immediate feedback in the form of hints on demand and step-by-step scaffolding. We analyzed the results…

High-performing middle schools are a critical link in the educational continuum. In an effort to stimulate the sluggish reform efforts of middle schools, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform established the Schools to Watch recognition program. Using responses of school personnel to a statewide survey, this study examined the…

This study investigated the development and validation of a 32-item scale that measures "Internet-Savviness" (IS). Relationships between this multidimensional construct and other primary variables of interest including age, gender, Internet access, Internet location, and Internet activities were explored. The sample population consisted of 241…

The purpose of this study was to examine reasons for teacher participation in online communities of K-12 teachers. The authors interviewed 23 teachers from three self-generated online communities and analyzed more than 2,000 postings in those communities. The findings indicated five reasons for participation: (a) sharing emotions, (b) utilizing…

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement of students in 14 Pascagoula schools and 9 Biloxi schools implementing School Renaissance (SR) to those of students in matched Control schools. The achievement measures to be examined were from the 2003 administration of the Mississippi Curriculum Test (MCT) for Reading, Language Arts, and…

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a problem-based learning (PBL) approach in a physical chemistry laboratory course. The parameters investigated were students' attitudes towards a chemistry laboratory course, scientific process skills of students and their academic achievement. The design of the study was one group…

This study investigated the differential effects of two modes of instructional program (conceptual change oriented and traditionally designed) and gender difference on students' understanding of heat and temperature concepts, and their attitudes toward science as a school subject. The subjects of this study consisted of 72 seventh grade students…

This research project involved viewing elementary children's (ages 8-10) design technology drawing through a theoretical perspective developed by analyzing professional drawing practice. The perspective places more emphasis on the generative aspect of drawing as well as on the use of different types of drawings at different stages of design. The…

This paper explores the notion of educational partnerships and reports on research on client-provider partnerships between full primary schools and external technology education providers for Year 7 and 8 New Zealand students (age range approx. 12 to 13 years). Educational reforms in New Zealand and the introduction of a more holistic technology…

Interaction between science and design and technology (D&T) in schools is seen by many educationalists and industrialists as being desirable. During the period 1970 to 1990 progress was made in the UK, however the advent of the national curriculum compartmentalised subjects thus hindering further progress. Bodies in the UK such as the Office for…

This paper reports on 12 in-depth case studies of trainee science teachers' use of the Internet in their science teaching from teacher training programmes in four UK universities. The findings reveal many opportunities and challenges trainee teachers face in using the Internet and these are examined in the light of the promotion of the use of ICT…

This study looked at 30 primary aged children between 10 and 11 years old who were visiting the Eden Project, Cornwall and participating in workshops led and designed by the Eden Education Officers. The study attempted to directly test the effects of the Education Officers' workshops on children's learning. Personal meaning mapping, a…

Knowing cause and purpose can enable a useful flexibility in thought and action that is more likely to produce a desired outcome. Some teachers, particularly trainees, new teachers, and those without a strong background in technology, may not address this kind of knowledge. Could children's technology textbooks provide a model of practice for such…