Little research has been conducted on how students work when they are required to plan, build and evaluate artefacts in technology rich learning environments such as those supported by tools including flow charts, "Labview" programming and Lego construction. In this study, activity theory was used as an analytic tool to examine the social…

Investigates how microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) activities specifically designed to be consistent with a constructivist theory of learning support or constrain student construction of understanding. Analysis of students' discourse and actions reveal that students invented numerous techniques for manipulating data in the service of their…

Reports on a study that describes in detail the design processes used by small groups of preservice teacher education students engaged in ill-defined, open-ended, self-selected design technology projects. Provides insight to assist teacher educators in designing courses. (Contains 30 references.) (DDR)

This paper reports on an investigation into the first time implementation of a technology education unit of work by a beginning primary school teacher. The researchers monitored the teacher's implementation of the unit across a 6 week period using an interpretivist research approach. A variety of data sources were drawn upon including teacher and…

Explores the issues and concerns identified by a small group of teachers implementing technology using the document "A Statement of Technology for Australian Schools". Reviews four key questions posed by the teachers and argues that teachers' questions about their own beliefs and practices should drive professional development in technology…

Examines the extent and nature of Year 10 students' model-based reasoning in a laboratory investigation that considered the influence of six factors on electrical resistance. Finds that spontaneous use of the electron-drift model of metals in explanations increased over the duration of the task, but the explanations were restricted to mainly…

Analyzes and explores questions about the dialogic nature of beliefs and students' belief talk about the nature of science and scientific knowledge. Argues that students' discourse is better understood as a textual bricolage sensitive to conversational context. Contains 26 references. (DDR)

Examines student conceptions of their experiences with science, describes the variety of those conceptions over the years of schooling, and investigates patterns across those years. Six categories of conceptions were found, each portraying essential meanings of science. Results suggest making modern philosophical views of the nature of science…