Teacher beliefs have become important constructs in educational research with the recognition that beliefs are the best indicators of teachers' planning, decision-making and subsequent classroom behaviour. In this movement many probes and strategies have been employed by researchers for effective data collection and analysis. This paper discusses…

Hypermedia as a learning environment complements traditional instruction as it places the student at a higher level of control. Instead of "wait and see" what the teacher expects the student to learn next, hypermedia stimulates the student to become aware of his/her own cognitive needs and interests. This paper presents a combination of notions…

School-based outdoor and experiential programs face an increasing demand from outside interests for research-based accountability. This paper suggests that both research and practice are strengthened by researcher-practitioner partnerships and by practitioners conducting their own research. Three modest qualitative research designs are explored as…

Describes the practice of concept mapping, the student-student and student-teacher interactions, and cognitive activity occurring in participants. Authors conclude that concept mapping is an excellent activity that allows students to engage in extended science discourse. The maps provide students with a means to learn the language patterns of…

Investigates variations in students' responses to lever problems across multiple assessment contexts and formats. Data sources include students' semantic maps, written responses to questions, and modeled solutions to practical problems. Contains 40 references. (DDR)

This study investigated the effects of incorporating concept mapping into computer assisted instruction with tenth grade students in Singapore. Discusses results of a chemistry achievement test that suggest that concept mapping accompanying a computer assisted tutorial program can enhance their learning, and considers future research. (Contains 30…

This paper outlines a conceptual map that allows new academic staff in universities to see the relationship of teaching and learning within a context wider than their individual specialisations. These wider contexts include the institutional context and its sub-contexts, as well as local, national and international contexts. Examples are given to…

Concept maps drawn by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tertiary off-campus students were examined to determine the effectiveness of interactive multimedia as an instructional medium for teaching and learning in a multiple cultural context that integrates the requirements of academic culture and aspects of the students' cultures. Interactive…

We are studying two groups of preservice teachers' conceptions, progression and especially the concept of function in connection to y=x+5 when they are taking a course in algebra or one in calculus in their third and sixth term, respectively, in a teacher preparation program. There is a similar development in that they use to a higher degree a…

The REPRESENTATION Project, 1998-2000, carried out research within elementary schools in six European countries: Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, and England. Altogether, 31 schools participated, ranging from large inner city schools in Paris and Amsterdam, to a 20-student school in a Greek village. In each school, one class of…

Studies of the relationship between students' propositional knowledge (as measured by concept mapping tasks) and their study strategies (as measured by self-report questionnaires) for electricity in first-year university courses are described. The effect of propositional knowledge and prior knowledge on both conceptual knowledge and study…

Questions whether self-assessment helps teachers develop new conceptual structures in the context of integrated science. Examined 22 inservice teachers with concept maps, interviews, and questionnaires while they used teaching materials for eight integrated topics in the German PING Project. Discusses the importance of using self-assessment to…

Describes an innovation designed to capitalize on certain benefits of concept maps. Uses computer software with preservice teachers to enable them to construct concept maps that represent their own subject matter knowledge. Contains 21 references. (DDR)

This article reports on an exploratory case study of a class of Year 4/5 government primary school students in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The purpose of this case study was to establish to what degree, if at all, the skills involved in information literacy are being assimilated and practised by primary school children. Results for…

The environmental values of children from four different environments are investigated through a concept drawing tool alongside other media. The number of features commented upon by the children were related to age and experience while the type of environmental features and experiences valued by children stressed the significance of first-hand…