A formative assessment pretest was administered to undergraduate students at the beginning of a science course in order to find out their prior knowledge, misconceptions and learning difficulties on the topic of the human respiratory system and energy issues. Those findings could provide their instructors with the valuable information required in…

The purpose of this article is to describe the development, validation and use of the "Constructivist Multimedia Learning Environment Survey" (CMLES). This questionnaire assesses teachers' and students' perceptions of the learning environment when students use online multimedia programs while teachers use constructivism as a referent for…

In contrast to software engineering, which relies on relatively well established development approaches, there is a lack of a proven methodology that guides Web engineers in building reliable and effective Web-based systems. Currently, Web engineering lacks process models, architectures, suitable techniques and methods, quality assurance, and a…

Teacher education students have a significant role to play in the sustained application of ICT in schools. It is imperative therefore, that they are exposed to effective use of ICT in their training. However, "effective use" is subjective and existing characterisations of this construct appear to drive different ICT implementation plans…

This paper evolves out of a consultancy that was carried out with the European Commission over a two year period between 2001 and 2003. A working group, set within the European Commission and comprising representatives from 15 member states, as well as associated and accession countries, stakeholders and social partners involved in maths, science…

Claims made for the value of problem-based learning (PBL) as an effective method for professional education programmes draw on constructivist principles of teaching and learning to achieve essential content knowledge, higher order thinking skills, and a team approach to problem-solving through the interdisciplinary, student-directed study of…

Instructional strategies determine the approaches an educator may take to achieve learning objectives. Research has shown that sets of strategies or instructional models anchored on social constructivist learning theories were found to be effective in enhancing active participation. It is particularly influential and meaningful in many areas of…

This monograph addresses concerns about mathematics and science instruction and educational outcomes for Native students. The sociocultural contexts of schooling and community come together in particular ways to influence how Native children learn and, consequently, their life outcomes. It is important to look beyond the performance of individual…

This paper describes a professional development program for teachers. The Certificate of Teaching and Learning (CTL), developed in Australia for Kindergarten through Year 12 teachers across all subject areas. It outlines the process of conceptualization, the dilemmas faced by the development team, and the final implementation across Australia.…

These conference proceedings include papers presented and summaries of presentations made at the 1996 Annual International Conference of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science (AETS). Topics include: English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) Strategies in science methods courses; writing strategies; action research and equity issues;…

The 13 essays in this book examine the theory of constructivism in relation to teaching and learning. The first section provides an account of the epistemological, psychological, and sociocultural research that serves as the theoretical basis of constructivism, and includes the following chapters: "Introduction: Aspects of Constructivism" (Ernst…

In 1995, 17 graduate students at the University of Wisconsin attended a summer course titled Education 570: Integrating the Curriculum. This course was based on a constructivist view of knowledge development, and participating teachers represented a wide range of subject areas and grade levels. A study of participating teachers followed 16…

This paper examines students' mathematics learning in a social context as two versions of an instructional sequence designed to facilitate students' development of a conceptual foundation for place-value numeration are enacted in two third grade classrooms. The same instructional sequence is used in each classroom with the regular classroom…

In this conference proceedings the overarching theme of research on teaching and learning mathematics in diverse settings and the subthemes of diversity, constructivism and algebra are achieved in the plenary papers. The plenary papers and authors include "Constructivist, Emergent, and Sociocultural Perspectives in the Context of Developmental…

By examining the role of supervision in the induction process of second career teachers, this study provides a new lens both for examining the career transition of second career teachers and for viewing the role of instructional supervision. Using case study methodology, the transitions of three cohorts (N=38) of participants in a teacher…