Attempts to identify skills shown when able students work on open investigations. Findings indicate that these students use knowledge, carry out preliminary work, decide on objectives, are flexible, use a range of techniques, attempt to quantify, seek information from different sources, use time efficiently, report work, show critical appraisal of…

In this article, the author shows some simple examples of ways in which "Autograph" can enhance learning in the KS3 curriculum. He began using version 2 with A-level students to help them visualise concepts in pure mathematics. He has "Autograph" projected to the front board to keep learners focused on mathematical activity…

The Faulkes Telescope Project and its educational aims are briefly summarised. Research to evaluate its impact in inspiring excitement and interest among students is described. The Faulkes Telescope in Hawaii was used to provide images for assessed coursework based on two of the Faulkes "education/research" projects on galaxies.…

In investigative work, pupils encounter relatively open-ended tasks for which they have to devise their own solutions. Historically, the development of investigative work in the United Kingdom has come to the point where many schools are adopting it with some enthusiasm and with a degree of success. Progression has been largely defined by the…

Investigates different perceptions of resource provision, management, and use to support investigative and other practical science. Findings indicate that overall schools are building up an increasingly broad resource base, reflecting the range of content required in the National Curriculum. Findings also indicate inadequate quantities of basic…

Describes four techniques for investigating animal behavior in situations where it is relatively easy to obtain meaningful data. Presents investigations for attention responses and habituation of domestic animals to sound stimuli, interaction of lambs and ewes, behavior of lambs in a simple T-maze, and vigilance in birds at a feeder. (JRH)

Purpose -- Gender segregation has been a persistent feature of apprenticeship programmes in countries around the world. In the UK, the Modern Apprenticeship was launched ten years ago as the governments flagship initiative for training new entrants in a range of occupational sectors. One of its priorities was to increase male and female…

Forms a preliminary theory from the shared reflections of Scottish teachers at a symposium on the teaching of investigative science. (Author/CCM)

Describes a project that aims to promote a holistic study of specific environmental issues with students through interdisciplinary and multi-dimensional investigations. Uses active and participatory approaches to learning to empower students to exercise responsibility for their own lives and their environments. Contains 46 references. (JRH)

Adult education and ICT (information and communication technology) are intrinsically linked and ICT infiltrates every part of our lives. As those who have grown up and been educated in the ICT age become more prominent in society those who were not find themselves with the distinct possibility of becoming second-class citizens if not so already.…

This article reports on an exploratory investigation of the relationship between prior experience of formal instrumental music tuition (FIMT) and the process of collaborative computer-based music composition. The study linked a school in the UK with a school in Norway to engage in computer-mediated collaborative composition via e-mail.…

This study explored the process and outcomes of constructivist methods of enhancing science understanding in the topic areas of light and the earth in space. The sample was drawn from a group of 41 nine-year-old children, delivered in four two-hour weekly sessions. Each session involved different combinations of interactive discussion and…

This paper follows an empirical study of how teachers were represented in British newspapers during the 1990s. Its purpose is to describe some of the findings arising from a comparison of the data and representations of teachers in educational research literature. The topic of teacher representation was a matter of personal interest to the…

This essay discusses issues of cultural difference in dance studies and presents specific pedagogical strategies for engaging the students' embodied knowledge as a research tool in both historical and cross-cultural investigations. (Contains 2 notes.)

This article reports on an investigation of the teaching of music by non-music specialists in the primary school. In particular, it examines attitudes to teaching music, factors affecting teachers' confidence, the relationship between confidence and training, support for music teaching, teaching experience and musical background. The…