Much research has been done and reform is suggested relating to teachers' implementation of student-oriented learning environments, yet research on the role, beliefs, pedagogy, and knowledge of teachers simultaneously in classroom environments has been minimal (Kyle, 1994, "Journal of Research in Science Teaching", 31, 785-786). This…

We report on responses to a series of four questions designed to identify pre-existing abilities related to debugging and troubleshooting experiences of novice students before they begin programming instruction. The focus of these questions include general troubleshooting, bug location, exploring unfamiliar environments, and describing students'…

The authors embed their advocacy of educational technology in a consideration of contemporary pedagogy in geography. They provide examples of e-learning from a wide range of teaching and learning contexts. They promote the idea that considering best practice with reference to educational technology will increase the versatility of teaching…

Classrooms across the United States increasingly find White teachers paired with ethnic minority students, but few of these teachers are prepared for the disparities such cultural integration presents. This is particularly true vis-a-vis science education. While classrooms have diversified, science instruction has not necessarily followed suit.…

Taking the point of departure in three different narratives concerning training as a cabinet maker, the article shows how the choice of a particular education is ascribed different significance, depending on the period and the individual's social background. In order to grasp the intersection between factors connected to the concepts of generation…

There is growing interest in the use of virtual gaming worlds in education, supported by the increased use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) and massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) for collaborative learning. However, this paper argues that collaborative gaming worlds have been in use much longer and are much wider…

A learner-centered approach is a central feature of instruction based on a constructivist learning model. However, there is some confusion regarding the requirement for behavioral activity as a prerequisite for a learner-centered environment. We offer evidence in this article that some types of behavioral activity can interfere with cognitive…

This paper summarises the outcomes of research that recorded and interpreted change in pre-service teachers' pedagogical beliefs when immersed in unique synchronous networked collaboration. The pre-service teachers were involved in the design and implementation of synchronous networked tasks, supported by the theoretical and pragmatic application…

This lesson plan uses group activity and manipulative materials to teach English-speaking students (ages 15-16) of diverse ethnic backgrounds an operatonal understanding of the Pythagorean Theorem. It is based on theories of constructivism and holism and includes teacher instructions, discussion questions, a retrospective vision, and an ancillary…

This paper presents evidence about the emergence of a research community in mathematics education by contrasting work in the field in the 1960s with current work with regard to six features of such communities. Based on this contrast, the claim that a research community in mathematics education has emerged is only partially supported. (a) Today,…

In a conceptual-analytical study using a deductive classificatory content analysis method ten constructivist instructional design models were selected, and learning/teaching approaches within each model were appraised. Using the original writings of the originators of each design model, the learning and teaching approaches employed or permitted to…

Instructors must be steadfast in their intent to alter conventional transmission models of instruction and to embed reading and writing fully in subject area learning so that avid reading and writing become a natural part of all classroom activity. One instructional model offering engagement of students with material is the constructivist…

Examines guessing as a heuristic for problem-solving presented in a taped lesson by George Polya. Analogical models transformed a complex problem to a simpler one and maintained problem identification. Instructional explanations fulfilled two goals simultaneously: (1) teach students how to use guessing as a problem-solving strategy to solve the…

Examines which of the warrants of authority, coherence, and empirical evidence were invoked by grade 8 science classroom participants in their daily interactions, and whether these were linked to particular teaching referents. Results indicate that when the teacher embraced a context exposure referent at the expense of constructivism, the warrant…

In interviews, 8 novice and 10 experienced extension educators discussed problem situations. Results supported Schon's theory that reflective practitioners use constructivist problem solving, nonreflective practitioners an instrumentalist approach. Whether novices or experts, reflective practitioners develop expertise through reflection-in-action…