Dissertations / Theses: 'Computers Study and teaching (Primary)'

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Alfajjam, Hasan M. H. F. A. "Teaching primary science with computer simulation : an intervention study in State of Kuwait." Thesis, Durham University, 2013. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/8493/.

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This thesis describes an investigation into use of interactive computer simulations software in primary science education. The research questions are what effects teaching with interactive computer simulations have on students’ achievement, their conceptual change in particular science topics and on their attitudes. The question was investigated in an intervention study that tested use of simulations in two different pedagogical environments. The first environment used simulations in a computer laboratory, with students using blended learning (combining computer-based learning with non-computer learning). In this environment students worked independently on the computer. The second environment is class teaching. In this environment, the simulation was used on one computer, controlled by the teacher, in front of the class. The study also investigated ease of use and looked into practical consideration of computer-based teaching expressed by students and teachers. Three science topics were studied. The novelty of the research is using computer simulations in an Arabic nation, which has widespread use of traditional didactic-oriented pedagogy. Recent educational reforms have made demand for more student-oriented teaching, with use of practical experiments in primary science. This major change is difficult to implement for practical reasons, and the study therefore asks if computer simulations may work as an alternative approach to reach the same aims. The theoretical frameworks for the study are constructivism, conceptual change and cognitive multi-media theory. The first of these looks at the role of the student in learning, the second takes into consideration that students enter school with intuitive knowledge about natural phenomena and the last explains learning with use of computers. The theoretical frameworks were used to guide development of the simulation software and the intervention. The participants were 365 students in year five (10-11 year olds) and eight science teachers in Kuwait, located at eight different primary schools. All schools were single sex, with half the schools of each gender. All teachers were female. The study used a quasi-experimental design and separated the students into two experimental groups and two control groups. The first experimental group, which used simulations in computer labs, had 91 students in four primary schools (two boys’ and two girls’ schools). A matching control group with the same number of students was established in the same schools. The other experiment group had 92 students using simulations in the classroom. This group was also matched with an appropriate control group. The eight teachers taught both experimental and control group students. The control groups used traditional teaching. The experiment was carried out in the academic year 2010-2011. The study measured effects of the interventions with pre- and post achievement tests and attitude questionnaires. Students in the experimental groups also answered a usability questionnaire. A sub-sample of students and all teachers were interviewed for triangulation of the questionnaire data and to learn more about experiences with using the simulation software. The results of the study revealed no statistically significant difference (at the 0.05 level) in achievement or attitude between the students who used computer simulations in the computer laboratory. Students, however, who were taught with simulations in the classroom scored significantly higher on both achievement tests and attitude questionnaires. This benefit applied also to conceptual change of specific topics. In general, the interviews revealed that science teachers and students were satisfied with the simulation program used in science teaching and learning. However, the interviews indicated that there were some problems related to infrastructure and use of computers in the teaching that might have influenced the outcome of the study. These problems are relevant also to use of computer simulations in science teaching more widely.

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Liu, Chun-lung, and 廖進龍. "Implementing ICT into teaching in a primary school." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2003. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B40039869.

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李偉柏 and Wai-pak Li. "Learning algebra with computer-assisted learning program in a primary school." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31256399.

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Ryterband, Astrid. "The pros and cons of using technology in primary education." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2005. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2665.

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The aim of this thesis is to examine computer technology as an educative tool in primary education and to discover how it's affecting instruction and learning. The writer of this thesis believes that the integration of literacy and computer technology can be successful, provide that government, administration, faculty, parents and students work together.

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Stokes, Jacqueline. "Towards a knowledge age teacher: A study of pre-service teacher metaphors for computers." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2001. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36638/1/36638_Digitised%20Thesis.pdf.

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The classroom of the Knowledge Age requires different roles for teachers and students, and a different learning and teaching paradigm, from traditional Industrial Age education. Teacher education institutions are currently charged with the responsibility of developing in pre-service teachers both skills and understandings so that they can take their place in the 21st century. These teachers must be skilled in the appropriate use of information technology rather than merely adopting the use of computers in keeping with a transmission pedagogy of education. The study reported in this thesis, took place at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 1998. It tracked a cohort of Bachelor of Education (Primary) pre-service teachers through the frrst year of their course where they undertook two units of information technology education as core to their degree. Adaptations of already existing informal surveys were used to explore the changes to the pre-service teachers' feelings towards computers, perceived competence with computers, and perceptions oftherole of information technology in education. Data from the cohort were analysed in conjunction with the fmdings of in-depth analysis often key informants, chosen to be a purposeful sample of participants. The main cognitive device used within the study, based on Lakoff and Johnston's (1980) Metaphors we live by and Black's (1962) interactive view of metaphor, was to ask the pre-service teachers to construct a personal metaphor that reflected their relationship with computers. This was asked for at four times throughout the year. The pre-service teachers' metaphors for computers were categorised using grounded theory principles and the categories inserted into the sections of Ihde's (1979) Technics and praxis theory that provided a meta-schema for analysis of the changes that occurred throughout the year. Ihde's schema was modified in accordance with the understanding of teacher progression through learning stages as identified by Russell (1996). Ihde (1979) proposed that different relationships with technology lead to amplification/reduction/selectivity parameters. The study identified whether preservice teachers' relationship with computers influenced their perception of the role of information technology in education. The research data did not uphold this hypothesis. However, the study found interesting occurrences. Pre-service teachers almost unanimously related that they gained in competence throughout the year and most developed more positive feelings towards computers. The pre-service teachers' perceptions of the role of information technology in education expanded from stereotypical responses, such as access to information, to roles more in keeping with the underlying pedagogy of classrooms of the Knowledge Age. The roles that emerged were divided into three sections-the role of the teacher, the learning process, and the role of information technology. The study further developed a theory for information technology education in preservice teacher education that is iterative rather than progressive, acknowledging that pre-service teachers had had limited modelling of the effective use of information technology in education on entry into the course. This theory was developed into a model to inform pre-service teacher education of Teacher preparation and skills for the Knowledge Age. Although the area under study is subject to constant change the underlying principles of teacher praxis upon which the two units of information technology education were based still remain constant. The construction of a personal metaphor for computers provided the pre-service teachers with a novel and effective way to track their changing relationships with computers.

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Finlayson, Helen M. "LOGO, mathematics and upper primary school children." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/6629.

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This study was set up to assess the contribution that a computer modelling approach using the language LOGO could make to the quality of mathematics learning in primary school children. Following a constructivist theory of mathematical learning it is argued that many problems children have with their mathematics results from instrumental learning without understanding, rather than relational learning. LOGO was developed, in part, to provide a learning environment for children to investigate mathematical ideas and thus develop their own understanding. Previous research has not provided much evidence that this happens, nor specified what mathematical learning could be expected to take place and what pedagogic approach could bring it about. Other questions relating to the maturity of the children and their aptitude for programming have similarly been neglected. This study was set up to identify the mathematical ideas intrinsic to Turtle Geometry and to explore the conditions under which this learning could best be fostered. The study was carried out in three phases. The first phase considered the constraints of maturity and the need to program on the learning of 9 and 11 year old children. The second phase of the study followed up the programming of the older children, to see what mathematics they were encountering, and what sort of activities encouraged them to think mathematically. Pre and post tests were used to identify the mathematical learning which was taking place. In Phase III a control group was used to identify the particular mathematical learning which could be attributed to LOGO experience, and to assess the transfer of mathematical learning from the LOGO context to novel problem solving. The first two phases revealed considerable mathematical activity intrinsic to Turtle Geometry. The need to learn some simple programming apparently did not present a barrier to mathematical investigation. The test results in the third phase showed that the children had deepened their understanding of angles, variables and general process aspects of mathematics through using LOGO. The performance of the children on the computers was monitored and was found to be revealing of their current mathematical understanding.

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何寶鈴 and Po-ling Ho. "Usability of web teaching in general studies in primary school: a case study." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B26903763.

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Li, Sau-fun Ocean, and 李秀芬. "The implementation of ICT in teaching English in a primary school." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2004. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B3040325x.

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Du, Plessis André. "Learners' perceptions of creating a collaborative hypermedia product: an exploratory case study at Mount Pleasant Primary School." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003546.

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The Ministry of Education (SICTE, 2002) states that the widespread introduction of computers in schools should support Curriculum 2005 and that computer technology is part and parcel of making schools the center of community life. The vision is to establish Smart Schools: schools that are reinvented in terms of teaching-learning practices to prepare learners for the information era (SICTE, 2002). Kafai (1996:71) has found that conventional school assignments rarely give learners the opportunity to spend a great deal of time on complex projects. As a result, many learners have little experience in design: planning, problem solving, researching, dealing with time constraints, modifying expectations and synthesizing everything in a project. Research by Carver, Lehrer, Connell and Erickson (1992); Lehrer, (1993); Lehrer, Erickson and Connell (1994); Kafai (1996); Liu and Hsiao (2002) and Liu (2002) indicates that the design of hypermedia artefacts can assist in providing experience in design. To date, no equivalent research has been conducted in South Africa to ascertain the perceptions of learners regarding the creation of a hypermedia artefact over an extended period of time and whether some of the critical outcomes specified in Curriculum 2005 can be addressed in such a learning-by-design hypermedia project. This study shows that design skills and aspects related to the critical outcomes of Curriculum 2005 can be achieved. Furthermore, it indicates that this kind of project encourages interest, motivation and collaboration. In addition, it suggests that learners experience the role of the teacher as different and prefer such a learning environment. In spite of the positive results, some aspects that need attention for future implementation are suggested.

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Reynolds, Nicholas J. "Primary school creativity and composition in a professional level music software environment." Connect to thesis, 2001. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/1238.

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This paper provides an investigation into the use of professional level music software as a learning tool for creativity and composition in primary school children. The researcher believed that music and sound editing was under-used in schools and that children could: -work successfully with that type of software -work creatively with the software -benefit from its use. A small case study was used to expose the participants (eight children from Grades 3-6) to two professional level music software applications: Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 and Cool Edit 2000. The children explored the software and completed set tasks over a ten-week period. Data, in the form of the students’ work, taped copies of all sessions, interviews and researcher reflections, were analysed to present an understanding of the creative and compositional processes and products. In addition, all student pieces were recorded onto CD. The analysis of data suggests competent use of both software applications as well as satisfactory completion of set tasks. The data also indicate that the participants were able to operate at compositional levels beyond their age and musical skills and knowledge. Conclusions are drawn to suggest that, in this case, the use of this software has assisted the creative process and has allowed these children the opportunity to compose and construct pieces that could not have been constructed without the software. (For complete abstract open document)

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Kam, Shuk-han Tiffany, and 甘淑嫻. "Effect of Knowledge Forum on primary mathematics understanding." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2001. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B23501285.

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(Uncorrected OCR) Abstract This study is designed to examine the effectiveness of Knowledge Forum (KF) on foresting mathematical concept understanding and problem solving; and on enhancing attitude towards and beliefs of mathematic word problems. Thirty-eight sixth graders from a Hong Kong pnmary school were introduced to KF in mathematics proportional reasoning learning for five weeks. The students spent about one hour a week at school to solve ratio and proportion problems through KF and another hour to reflect on their learning by whole class discussion. Before and after the experimental program, instruments like traditional mathematics tests, mathematics word problems tests, beliefs and attitude questionnaires were administered in both the control and the experimental groups. An ANCOVA analysis was conducted to the data collected by the four quantitative instruments. During the program, the experimental group's KF notes and learning diaries were collected and analysed qualitatively to evaluate the knowledge building process. The results suggested that the KF not only had a significant positive effect on mathematics performance and problem-solving competency, it also yielded a positive influence on beliefs of mathematic word problem. However, the KF 11 had no impact on attitude towards mathematic word problem. There were evidences that some subjects were applying the five-step metacognitive strategy and appropriate heuristics during the problem solving process. Furthermore, there were mathematical discourses on the concept of ratio and proportion. The information obtained from this study will be helpful in gaining a better understanding of the computer-supported collaborative learning environment, in particular, the Knowledge Forum and mathematics problem solving. Despite of the constraints, the findings of this study may have implications for developing instructional programs and improving mathematical teaching methods for teachers in elementary schools. 111 abstract toc Education Master Master of Education

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Choy, Sai-hung, and 蔡世鴻. "Using multimedia packages to teach Chinese in a primary school." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31256600.

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Chuesathuchon, Chaowprapha. "Computerized adaptive testing in mathematics for primary schools in Thailand." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1591.

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A new system-wide educational change has been introduced in Thailand requiring, amongst other things, that technologies for education be utilized in all levels of education. This study focuses on Mathematics Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) designed to provide Thai primary school teachers with an innovative method of assessment, one of the effective tools of new technology to be used in Thai primary schools. This study aims to: (1) construct multiple-choice test items for a Mathematics course on the topic of Equations for Year 6 (Prathom Suksa 6) students in Thailand; (2) calibrate the test items using a Rasch Measurement Model, investigate the validity and reliability of the test data, and set up the items in an item bank for use with Computerized Adaptive Testing; (3) create a computer program for Computerized Adaptive Testing, test the program and modify the program as appropriate; (4) construct and develop an attitudinal questionnaire about the Mathematics Computerized Adaptive Testing; (5) investigate the Mathematics abilities and attitudes to the Mathematics Computerized Adaptive Testing of Thailand Year 6 students; (6) compare the test length, testing time, and mathematics competency for different stopping criteria; and (7) compare the test length and testing time among differences in mathematics competency of the examinees.

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Paul, James R. M. "The design and use of a data base for the teaching of history at primary school level." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003371.

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The changes brought about by society's move from an industrial to an information society has brought with it changes in the way that society operates - from the way we do business to the way we entertain ourselves and, increasingly, in the way we educate our children. That the society of tomorrow requires new skills to survive and operate had been, and continues to be, debated in a growing number of books and in the popular media. More and more educationists are calling for schools to 'restructure' so as to be able to provide the skills that this new society requires, especially those related to the management of information. The nature of these skills are discussed, together with the potential provided by information technology, particularly computers, to provide them. The current use of computers in schools is addressed, together with the apparent inability of schools to generate effective change from within using in-service training. The researcher suggests that this makes it imperative that teacher training institutions provide the next generation of teacher-trainees with a thorough understanding of the requirements of an information society and the tools that it uses. The research undertaken attempted to provide final year primary education teacher-trainees with one example of the way in which the electronic database can be used to change the teaching of history. By researching in the field and entering data into a data base, the teacher-trainees were able to look at information in new ways. By selecting and sorting data by different fields, they were able to act as ' true' historians - each interacting with the data in his or her own way to extract knowledge that is arguably unique for each participant. The data base was then used with a class of standard four pupils, with the researcher acting as participant observer. The reactions and responses of the pupils to the data was noted and these are discussed in the results . A non-participant observer, also a primary school history -teacher, provided input with respect to the validity of the learning experience and to act as a control. The research is described, together with the observations of the researcher, teacher-trainees and pupils involved. The observations of the non-participant observer are also discussed. Shortfalls and difficulties encountered are pointed out, and areas for further research suggested.

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Arderne, Meagan. "Developing and implementing an information communication technology model for a primary school." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/1215.

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Thesis (MTech (Quality (Faculty of Engineering) Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008. While the necessary Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure at the Holy Cross Sisters' School (HCSS) has been established, there has been little evidence of the successful integration of ICT into the school. While traditional teaching methods are still being practiced, ICT integration into the curriculum has been non- existent and mundane administrative tasks are still being performed manually. Furthermore, management has no real vision in place with regards to ICT integration at the school. Due to the fact that the HCSS has not optimally used its ICT capabilities results in administrative processes being inefficient and impacting adversely on the quality of the education provided. The objectives of this research study are to develop a model that mitigates the research problem with focus on improving administrative processes, integrating ICT into the curriculum, and combining ICT with traditional teaching methods to exponentially improve upon the efficiency of teaching and learning. The research methodology for this dissertation will fall within the ambit of action research, using both qualitative and quantitative research paradigms. The research question that will form the crux of this dissertation reads as follows: 'What mechanistic approach can be deployed at the HCSS to integrate ICT within the organization to improve the quality of education and improve on the efficiency of internal processes?' Observations, focus groups and a survey will serve as data collection methods for this research. Data collected will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

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Caver, Mary E. "A study of the efficacy of a word processor on the creative writing done by fourth grade students." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1987. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/393.

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Wilson, Bruce K. (Bruce Keith). "The Economic Feasibility of Utilizing Computer-Assisted Instruction as a Primary Teaching Strategy in Schools of Vocational Nursing in Texas." Thesis, North Texas State University, 1987. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc332090/.

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Each vocational nursing program in Texas was surveyed to determine the faculty and media costs per student classroom instructional hour. Data were obtained from 131 schools, or 99 per cent of the population. These schools taught a total of 4,718 students. The average faculty cost was $1.72 per hour. Faculty cost ranged from $0.17 to $7.75. The average media cost was $0.12 per student hour with a range from no media expenditure to $7.55. The reliability of these costs was not demonstrated. Each program director was asked to identify a principal textbook representing the content taught for each content area in their program. A total of 75 textbooks were identified by two or more programs. A cross tabulation analysis procedure yielded 1,582 combinations of 2 or more textbooks from 2 or more schools. Twenty-five per cent of the schools used the most frequently identified combination of two textbooks. Computer hardware and operating expenses were subtracted from the combined faculty and media cost per student classroom instructional hour. The amount remaining for software purchase was identified as $1.61 with a range of from $0.03 to $7.85 per hour for teaching the required 600 hours. The twenty textbook combinations with the greatest remainder for software utilization were identified. The combination with the largest arithmetic mean remainder was used by 624 students. It was $1.61 per hour. This combination consisted of Ingalls and Salerno's Maternal and Child Health, used to teach maternal and child health, and Hood and Dincher's Total Patient Care, used to teach Medical-Surgical Nursing.

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Mann, Anne-Marie. "Child-centred technologies as learning tools within the primary classroom : exploring the role of tablets and the potential of digital pens in schools." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/11012.

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This thesis provides insights into how technology can be and is used as child-centric learning tools within primary school classrooms. The conducted studies look closely at how tablet technology is integrated into the modern classroom, and considers how existing digital writing technologies could support handwriting-based learning exercises in future. This is achieved by conducting three in-the-wild studies, using different approaches, with a total of seventy-four children in school classrooms. In the first study, focus is placed on how tablets integrate into and with existing classroom practices, documenting when and how children use tablets in class. Relevant and complementary to this, the use of traditional writing tools is questioned and two further studies explore the potential and suitability of digital pens to support children's handwriting-based learning. One looks in detail at how children's handwriting is effected by different existing digital pen technologies. The other study, conducted through a creative, participatory design session, asks children to provide their opinions regarding desirable features for digital writing technology. The findings from this research classify and exemplify the role of tablets in the classroom, and explore potential design directions of digital writing tools which could be used by children in the future. This work may be useful and of interest to others who conduct research with children within the fields of Human Computer Interaction, Child Computer Interaction or education.

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Yang, Shun-shing, and 楊順成. "Collaborative learning in science project among primary 5 students using Knowledge Forum (KF)." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2004. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B30412389.

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Chan, Chun-leung, and 陳振良. "The learning of science concepts through simulation and modeling." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B30409160.

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Batt, Deleece A. "The communicative orientation of virtual language teaching in upper primary and lower secondary telematics in Western Australia." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2003. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36669/1/36669_Digitised%20Thesis.pdf.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the communicative orientation of classroom interaction in Japanese language lessons that are conducted in the virtual environment of synchronous (real-time) telematics. Specifically, the study examined Japanese telematics classrooms in upper primary and junior secondary schools in Western Australia. This study focused on whether the interaction in the classes studied, evident in the virtual learning mode of telematics was facilitative of second language (L2) acquisition. The form of telematics used in this study was synchronous communication between teacher and students using telephone and computer links, sometimes also referred to as "audiographics". Telematics may also include the use of other communication technologies, such as live interactive television (LIT) however this was not available to all sites in the current study so it was not investigated. The aim of this study is articulated through the research questions: 1. What is the nature of the communicative orientation in upper primary and junior secondary Japanese language classrooms in telematics mode? 2. ls the interaction observed in Japanese language telematics classrooms of the type that promotes L2 acquisition? The first question seeks to identify the relative emphasis placed on interaction and form-focused interaction in the telematics classroom context. The second question identifies whether the features of interaction that SLA researchers suggest promote L2 acquisition are evident in the telematics context. This study uses the term interaction to refer to the type of human-human communicative interaction occurring in L2 telematics classes via the computer/technology that is facilitated by a number of key communicative features of interaction drawn from the second language acquisition (SLA) research. Interactivity on the other hand is used to refer to the human-computer engagement which is technologically facilitated. Subjects in the study were three telematics teachers, with distributed classes across several student receival sites. The study examined descriptive process data collected from Japanese telematics classes in Western Australia via audio and video recordings. The study engaged in a descriptive inquiry using Classroom-Centred Research (CCR) methodology. CCR as a methodology provides evidence about the nature and influence of language instruction and classroom interaction have on L2 acquisition. This study used multi-methods of data collection via four stages: teacher questionnaire, classroom observations of interactions, teacher focus group discussion and follow-up interviews conducted later in the study to confirm the findings. The major analytical tool used was the current version of the Communicative Orientation of Language Teaching (COLT) Observation (1995). The use of this scheme stems from its ability to bring together all of the communicative variables to capture features deemed theoretically and empirically relevant to the L2 classroom. The COLT Observation Scheme also provides a framework for comparing features of discourse in classrooms with features of natural language acquisition considered to be facilitative of L2 acquisition. In this way the extent to which an instructional treatment may be characterised as communicatively orientated can be measured. Both Part A and Part B of the scheme were used. The features and categories in Part A are primarily derived from pedagogical issues identified in the literature on communicative language teaching (CL T). Features and categories in Part B reflect issues in first and second language acquisition. The only modification was an additional investigation of how form was used in the telematics lessons. Although recent studies have recommended improvements to telematics delivery, no other known study has specifically investigated whether the interaction evident in the delivery of Japanese via telematics is of the type that promotes successful L2 acquisition. Through the use of the COLT Observation Scheme, this study was able to capture and measure features of L2 classroom interaction in these telematics environments. The results indicate that there were a number of internal and external variables that influenced the nature of the communicative orientation of telematics classes in this study. In terms of the communicative features of interaction identified in the COLT Observation Scheme as predictors of successful L2 acquisition, a number of these were not strongly evident in the results, for example, use of the target language, interaction in group work, use of extended text, use of authentic resources and student-made materials, reaction to message and clarification request. Pedagogic factors impinging on the communicative orientation of the telematics environment included the highly teacher-centred nature of the telematics context. The use of the computer as a controlling device and the only visual connection also moved teachers further towards a more directive delivery style and greater dependence on using the L 1. Given the recent support for the incorporation of some focus on form into a communicative curriculum, the supplementary focus on form data revealed how the electronic nature of telematics delivery influenced how form was taught and the overuse in some cases of vocabulary games, drilling, substitution and repetition. There was also little evidence of students initiating discourse, negotiating activities or requesting clarification. Students engaged in mainly minimal rather than extended text thus limiting opportunities to experiment with the L2. The communicative orientation of L2 telematics classes in this study was also impacted upon by a number of external factors, such as noise, technical breakdowns and inadequate learning environments at receival sites. The impact of the absence of a two-way human visual connection led to teachers using a more directive style of teaching where "silences" were often filled with teacher talk. Teachers identified this limitation as also limiting opportunities for students to obtain comprehensible input. However, teachers developed useful compensation strategies to overcome some of these limitations such as, using colour on the computer screen and tone of voice to highlight salient features. They also introduced games that promoted interaction between sites. Whilst this study has revealed that some of the communicative features of interaction are evident, a greater number of these features need to become more prominent or more communicative. As well as targeting the technological orientation of the delivery method by adding a human visual connection, this would also involve the careful incorporation of the features that are characteristic of a more communicative approach to L2 acquisition. This study has contributed to the fields of SLA and virtual delivery in a number of ways. It has added to the existing literature base through interfacing the SLA literature with the telematics literature. It has also contributed to a new methodology by taking an existing methodology and methods and applying them to the virtual L2 telematics classroom, in particular, the use of the COLT Observation Scheme in a virtual context. A contribution this study has made to language teaching through telematics lies in a mapping framework that has evolved from the study that aims to bring the type of interaction that occurs in SLA, communicative interaction and telematics closer together. Further research needs to determine how interaction can be more effectively promoted m the telematics and virtual learning environments. It is anticipated that this study will encourage other researchers to further investigate the benefits of a more communicatively orientated intervention which will ultimately lead to positive L2 learning outcomes for all students in telematics environments and the broader virtual learning contexts.

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Fong, Sze-nga Natalie, and 方思雅. "An analysis of the use of information and communication technologies in Hong Kong primary school English lessons." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2009. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B42664470.

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Scarparolo, Gemma E. "Character cars : How computer technology enhances learning in terms of arts ideas and arts skills and proceses in a year 7 male visual arts education program." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2005. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/662.

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'The possibilities that the technology can offer are seemingly endless and remain to be fully explored in [visual] art education." (Callow. 2001. p,43) The aim of this research is to investigate whether the integration of Visual Arts Technology Tools (TECH-TOOLS) into Traditional Visual Arts Programs (TRAD-['ROG) enhance the students' learning in terms of Arts Ideas (AI) and Arts Skills and Processes (ASP) and whether it is a cost effective option for Western Australian primary schools. To determine whether it is worth the inclusion of TECH-TOOLS in terms of enhancing learning. this research will statistically state whether the combination of TECH-TOOLS and Traditional Visual Arts Media (TRAD-MEDIA) enhance the expressive outcomes of Year Seven boys' artwork. The comparative case study method has been chosen as the most suitable method to enable the Researcher to establish the impact that combining TECH-TOOLS with TRAD-MEDIA have upon Year Seven boys' artwork. The Control group only used TRAD-MEDIA and the Experimental group used both TRAD-MEDIA and TECH-TOOLS to create a piece of artwork based on the chosen theme, Character Cars. There were 23 students in the Control group and 24 students in the Experimental group, however not all students attempted or completed the task for reasons which will be explained in Chapter Four. Each group was involved in three sequenced activities based on the chosen theme, with the second activity varying only according to the media used to complete the task. Combinations of quantitative and qualitative methods have been used in this research. To present quantitative data which provides insights into whether Visual Arts (VA) teachers should be combining TECH-TOOLS with TRAD-MEDIA in their Visual Arts Programs (VAP), each piece of artwork was assessed and analysed using descriptive analysis of the data. Each participant completed a written feedback form outlining their attitudes, feelings and thoughts about their artwork and the media that they used. The Researcher and an independent Visual Arts Education (V AE) expert also took anecdotal records during the VA activities with the aim of recording the participants' involvement and enjoyment of the activities. This study is significantly different from the current research in this area u!; it will: provide quantitative data which will demonstrate Whether the combination of TECH-TOOLS and TRAD-MEDlA enhances students' artwork; link the relevant literature and findings of this study to the Western Australian primary school context; provide links to the Western Australian Curriculum Council's Curriculum Framework; and comment on the influence of gender in VAE. All of these factors contribute to the uniqueness of this study.

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Motala, Tasneem. "Towards a better understanding of how to implement technology projects at rural primary schools : a case study." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97351.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa, an increased effort is being made to integrate the use of technology into the public education system, as technology has proved to be beneficial to both teachers and learners. Technologies introduced in schools are not always adopted equally by all educators. There are differences in both the rate at which the technology is adopted, as well as differences in the extent to which each teacher is willing to integrate the technology into the classroom. iSchoolAfrica has extensive experience in the successful roll out and implementation of technology at schools. The objective of the research was to study iSchoolAfrica’s implementation approach, with a focus on educator engagement, to enable the generation of a set of guidelines that can be used by service providers who implement similar projects in the future. A secondary objective was to understand the reasons for resistance towards technology. Primary data was obtained via interviews with iSchoolAfrica employees. In order to include the views of a set of end-users and possibly the primary stakeholders in such projects, this study offers input from teachers at a school where iSchoolAfrica implemented a technology program. The attributes of a school have a significant impact on the success or failure of a technology project. Implementers must have a deep understanding of the management of the school and the challenges that the school faces before they undertake any technology projects. Resistance from teachers towards a technology change initiative arises for a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic reasons. The main reason why teachers tend to be unwilling to adopt new technology is their lack of self-confidence in terms of their competency in using the technology. Teachers are also overwhelmed by their existing workload and may resist a technology change that they feel adds to their workload. There is also a high probability of resistance from teachers who integrate technology into lessons under duress, after exposure to inadequate training programs. Appropriate training is the primary measure used to counter potential resistance. This training should not only focus on device usage, but rather on pedagogical practices so that teachers understand how to integrate the technology into existing lessons. The role of a facilitator is also important. Although facilitators lead the training effort, they also assume a supportive role and guide the teachers through their adjustment to technology. Although resistance towards change is expected, an implementer can take proactive measures to minimise this resistance and thereby increase the probability of success of the project.

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Proctor, Romina M. J. "Upper primary students, intelligence and technology: An investigation of interventions designed to develop students' creativity and domain-specific intellectual abilities." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1999. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36596/1/36596_Digitised%20Thesis.pdf.

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The major goal of this study was the creation of two unique intervention programs for upper primary students, based around the National Profile and Statement (Curriculum Corporation, 1994a, 1994b) for the Key Learning Area (KLA) of Technology. The intervention programs comprised discrete units or projects, each of which ran for a full school term, and each of which thematically integrated the other seven KLAs. Both intervention programs were identical in content and implementation techniques, with the exception that the second program aimed to seamlessly integrate classroom computer resources with the curriculum units of work. The two intervention programs, called Program Only (PO) and Program+ Computers (P+C), were implemented for a period of one school year and their effectiveness in facilitating positive student learning products and processes was assessed using mixed-method procedures. This thesis views the KLA Technology as basically an intellectually creative problem solving process which can be applied in a range of culturally valued domains. Thus, this study proposed that it is imperative that intervention programs dealing with Technology be strongly linked to the accumulated psychological research into intelligence and intellectual development, in order to provide the programs with a sound theoretical basis for development, implementation and assessment. Therefore, the literature pertaining to intelligence and intellectual development was reviewed, and a theoretically sound conceptual model of intelligent functioning within the classroom context was proposed. Further, the relationship between intelligence and other valued human capacities such as creativity, problem solving and metacognition were also examined. The conceptual model used in this study contained three major dimensions: Learning Context, Learning Processes and Learning Products. It was largely based on the work of Gardner (1993a) and Biggs & Moore (1993). The interventions, based on this model, endeavoured to develop students' creativity and domain-specific intellectual abilities, through use of the problem solving heuristic Investigate (I), Design (D), Make (M) and Evaluate (E). The definition of intelligence, that was used in this study, is that intelligence is a unique set of proclivities, which afford the individual the capacity to solve problems, or to create novel products, valuable in the specific cultural setting in which they were created. Intelligence was therefore viewed as a pluralistic cognitive construct (Gardner, 1993a). Further, this research took a distributed view of intelligence, whereby it was assumed that an individual's intelligence is composed of both in-the-head and out-of-the-head elements. An individual's creative output can be perceived therefore, as the mirror through which to view their intellectual ability in specific domains. Nine research questions were asked pertaining to the effectiveness of the interventions to positively impact upon learning process and product components of the conceptual model. Eleven measurement instruments and/or procedures were utilised to answer the questions and accept or reject the eight hypotheses that were based on the research questions. The Approach to Learning Inventory (ALI), the Classroom Environment Questionnaire (CEQ) and the Creativity Checklist are new instruments that were designed and psychometrically validated for use in this study. The Upper Primary Classroom Computer Attitude Inventory (UPCCAI) was designed and validated by this researcher in a previous study, and its reliability was confirmed as part of this study. Other instruments include the MICUPS and COSMIC (McGrath & Noble, 1995) and the Self-Concept Questionnaire that was developed from Burnett's research (1994). All of these instruments were psychometrically validated as part of this study. Qualitative data were also collected to triangulate, complement, develop and expand the data collected with the quantitative measures (Greene, Caracelli & Graham, 1989). The qualitative data took the form of teacher Feedback Sheets at the completion of each project/term; teacher interviews at the end of the implementation period; student Process Folios for each project; and student written responses to two questions about their own learning. The study involved 24 upper primary classes in seven schools in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Fourteen of the classes from five schools were evenly distributed between the two interventions and the remaining ten classes in two schools acted as a non-intervention control group. The study utilised an Intervention (3) by Time (3) repeated measures MANOVA design to investigate the quantitative impact of the three treatment programs (2 interventions, 1 control). Initially 580 students were pre-tested and 455 completed data sets were collected at the post-test. At the treatment group level, interactions between the groups and time were achieved for both the MICUPS and the COSMIC which measured students' relative intellectual strengths; the Creativity Checklist which measured the students' personal creativity characteristics; and the Upper Primary Classroom Computer Attitude Inventory (UPCCAI), which measured students' attitude to their classroom computers. In fact, the students in the P+C group were perceived by their teachers to have significantly enhanced personal creativity characteristics at the post-test, in contrast to the other two groups. All three groups reported liking their classroom computers less at the end of the trial than they did at the start. However, only minor differences were reported at the .01 level of significance among the three groups with respect to the students' intellectual ability profiles. Further, the results of the teacher interviews and Feedback Sheets indicated that there were differences among the implementation approaches used by the individual teachers within the same intervention program. These difference were more related to teacher and school variables than they were related to the intervention program itself. They also undoubtedly impacted upon the results obtained at the treatment group level of analysis, and required investigation at the class level, hence the unit of analysis was moved to individual classes within the two intervention groups. At the class level, there were interactions between the seven PO classes and time for the COSMIC and the UPCCAI. Interactions between the seven P+C classes and time were reported for the COSMIC, the Creativity Checklist, the Approach to Learning Inventory (ALI), the Self-Concept Questionnaire (S-CQ), and the UPCCAI. It would appear from these results that differences were more apparent among classes within interventions, than they were among the three treatment groups as a whole. Another compounding issue of the study reported here relates to the non-convergent results which were obtained between the quantitative and qualitative data with respect to the students' approach to learning, self-concept and perceptions of their classroom environment. An explanation is provided for this non-convergence in the study's concluding chapter. However, further research will be required in order to establish the reasons for the anomalies obtained in this study's results. Overall, the results obtained in this study indicate that the intervention programs were a wise investment of classroom time, as students achieved positive learning outcomes in a number of areas. Further, the purposeful integration of computer technologies seems to have had a significant impact on the personal creativity characteristics of the students in the P+C group. Generally, the teachers involved in the trial of the intervention programs reported a positive impact on their pedagogical thinking and practices. They felt that the intervention programs were a valuable addition to their classroom curriculum programs and they would not hesitate to use the programs again with other class groups.

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Ramirez, Carolyn Eve. "Web development in correspondence to motivating fourth grade students to gain knowledge of California history." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2003. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2368.

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The goal of this project was to determine whether using a web-based project incorporating John M. Keller's ARCS model would motivate students to want to learn and explore new ways of learning. California history was taught to fourth grade students, including English as a second language students and Title 1 students, through a website. Lessons incorporated online quizzes, web designing, PowerPoint, Excel and other computer programs.

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Ntombovuyo, Klaas. "An investigation of the effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for primary school teachers in the transfer of knowledge." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1052.

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Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: We are in the era where Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are increasingly becoming as common as desks and chalkboard in our classrooms. Government, students, parents and the community at large are now expecting ICTs to be integrated in the school curriculum and to be used as tools of instruction.

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Khalifa, Said M. G. "The use of computers in the teaching of mathematics in Libyan primary schools." Thesis, University of Sunderland, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.394137.

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This study shows how schools in the United Kingdom, make use of leT in the primary school classroom, and compares these experiences with the potential for schools in an economically developing country, Libya, which has yet to introduce computers into primary education. Based on a triangulation of empilical study, classroom observation and a review of the literature, this study considers the merits of introducing computers into primary school mathematics teaching in Libya. Empirical field studies involved questionnaires and interviews for teachers in both countries, and testing the effect of introducing mathematical software to pupils in Libya who had not used a computer. The study considers initial and in-service training requirements for teachers, including the need for teachers to be able to select appropriate software. The study considers a list of criteria for teachers to use. In examining the UK situation, observing what took place in Libyan classrooms during the fieldwork experiment, and through subsequent interviews with Libyan teachers, the study identifies that the introduction of leT into primary school classrooms would impact significantly on traditional teaching methods used in Libya; challenging continuous whole-class teaching, moving to the use of small groups; challenging traditional gender-roles of boys and girls; challenging teachers to act as facilitators allowing pupils to determine in part their own learning. An evaluation of the experiment suggests that the computer can enhance mathematics learning in a non-computing literate culture. The study concludes that the introduction of leT into Libyan education involves far-reaching issues of resourcing and teacher training.

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Ireland, Joseph Ernest. "Inquiry teaching in primary science : a phenomenographic study." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2011. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/45772/1/Joseph_Ireland_Thesis.pdf.

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In spite of having a long history in education, inquiry teaching (the teaching in ways that foster inquiry based learning in students) in science education is still a highly problematic issue. However, before teacher educators can hope to effectively influence teacher implementation of inquiry teaching in the science classroom, educators need to understand teachers’ current conceptions of inquiry teaching. This study describes the qualitatively different ways in which 20 primary school teachers experienced inquiry teaching in science education. A phenomenographic approach was adopted and data sourced from interviews of these teachers. The three categories of experiences that emerged from this study were; Student Centred Experiences (Category 1), Teacher Generated Problems (Category 2), and Student Generated Questions (Category 3). In Category 1 teachers structure their teaching around students sensory experiences, expecting that students will see, hear, feel and do interesting things that will focus their attention, have them asking science questions, and improve their engagement in learning. In Category 2 teachers structure their teaching around a given problem they have designed and that the students are required to solve. In Category 3 teachers structure their teaching around helping students to ask and answer their own questions about phenomena. These categories describe a hierarchy with the Student Generated Questions Category as the most inclusive. These categories were contrasted with contemporary educational theory, and it was found that when given the chance to voice their own conceptions without such comparison teachers speak of inquiry teaching in only one of the three categories mentioned. These results also help inform our theoretical understanding of teacher conceptions of inquiry teaching. Knowing what teachers actually experience as inquiry teaching, as opposed to understand theoretically, is a valuable contribution to the literature. This knowledge provides a valuable contribution to educational theory, which helps policy, curriculum development, and the practicing primary school teachers to more fully understand and implement the best educative practices in their daily work. Having teachers experience the qualitatively different ways of experiencing inquiry teaching uncovered in this study is expected to help teachers to move towards a more student-centred, authentic inquiry outcome for their students and themselves. Going beyond this to challenge teacher epistemological beliefs regarding the source of knowledge may also assist them in developing more informed notions of the nature of science and of scientific inquiry during professional development opportunities. The development of scientific literacy in students, a high priority for governments worldwide, will only to benefit from these initiatives.

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Fuglestad, Anne Berit. "Computers and the understanding of mathematics : a study of teaching decimal numbers." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.339608.

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Teixeira, Adla Betsaida Martins. "The domestication of primary school teaching : a Brazilian study case." Thesis, UCL Institute of Education (IOE), 1998. http://eprints.ioe.ac.uk/21964/.

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This thesis explores the ways in which the work of women teachers in primary schools in one region of Brazil has been re-defined by agents within the school itself. The investigation was pursued through semi-structured interviews with 48 women teachers and 14 school managers working mainly in poor communities. It reflects the experiences of teachers from Municipal schools in one of the developed cities: Belo Horizonte. Informal talks with teachers involved in activities outside classroom, other school staff such as secretaries and door-keepers, and parents encountered at the school entrance (some parents agreed to participate in tape-recorded interviews) also provided useful information for the study. Among the secondary• material collected during the field work were visual and written didactic texts used inside schools, the school files relating to discipline problems between pupils/parents and teachers, and the school files of "Colegiado" meetings. Also inside schools, observations were made of school meetings with parents; pedagogical meetings and a extraschool activities such as paren& and pupils' preparation for a party and showing of a school video. A search of written material from local newspapers archived by the Teachers' Union related to teachers was conducted. Visits to, and contacts with, the Municipal Secretary of Education provided material on extra-school administration. Study at the local University, with its extensive archive of recent studies on the history and conditions of work of women teachers in Brazil, in the State of Minas Gerais and specifically in the Municipal schools of Belo Horizonte,was a rich source of academic material for this study. It is suggested that the domestication of teachers' roles has been promoted within schools by teachers, the school managers and others involved in school life (parents, pupils and other school staff). This has led to a considerable increase in the number of roles schools and teachers are required to fulfil in communities with serious economic and social limitations. In a society where state social support is insufficient, schools provide palliative solutions for a range of needs. However, as schools become increasingly involved in business other than formal education, teachers' roles have changed and thus are judged through a gendered filter iii which stresses femininity over professionalism. Women's acceptance of poor working conditions and their involvement in the immediate social problems of pupils and local communities has been beneficial for the Brazilian and State governments, as well as for the local community. However, there have been negative consequences for the development of better ways to teach children from these communities and the status and socio-economic position of teachers themselves. The domestication of the roles of women in teaching has thus had long-term negative consequences for the education of the poor.

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Hooper, Hugh R. "Computers and content-based language learning." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28072.

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Can a computer database be used to augment a content-based approach to developing academic discourse? This document reports on the integration of these three areas in student tasks in a unit of work (biology) taught by a content teacher and a language specialist to a class of grade 7 students in a Vancouver elementary school. The objectives of the study were 1) to investigate the connections between biology content, the academic discourse of classification and a computer database, and 2) to identify if each area was in fact related to the knowledge structures of classification and description. The research method focussed on, ethnographic observations, interviews and recordings of the students and the teachers as they worked through the unit. Analysis of the findings seems to suggest that there are connections between biology content, academic discourse of classification and a computer database, and that each area is related to the knowledge structure of classification and description. This finding further suggests that student tasks at the computer have the potential for developing academic discourse and the learning of content. This potential may deserve further investigation by both teachers and researchers. Education, Faculty of Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of Graduate

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Shand, Coral Jean, University of Western Sydney, of Arts Education and Social Sciences College, and School of Education and Early Childhood Studies. "Primary school teachers integrate electronic storybook software into their teaching/learning practices through addressing issues of pedagogy, organisation and management." THESIS_CAESS_EEC_Shand_C.xml, 2002. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/577.

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The combination of literature and technology provides a powerful scenario for learning and it is made a reality through the use of electronic storybook software. This study concentrates on the everyday decisions made by teachers concerning why, how and in what way learning occurs in their classroom. Three case studies show how primary teachers engaged in action research to introduce electronic storybooks into their classrooms, monitoring changes in pedagogy, organisation and management. It is confirmed that teachers can integrate electronic storybooks into their classroom practices to create enjoyable and productive learning experiences. A range of pedagogical approaches was used and the introduction of electronic storybooks had a positive effect on student motivation, enthusiasm and achievement of learning goals, and resulted in changes in the physical composition of the classroom and the way learning was structured. The teachers received confirmation of their own ability to integrate technology into teaching and learning. The results of this study have direct implications for teaching practices and reinforce the need for teachers to develop confidence and competence as technology users Master of Education (Hons)

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Chung, Shuk-fan, and 鍾淑芬. "Teaching of rhyming skills in poems for primary school." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31962907.

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Rooney, Barbara A., and n/a. "The teaching of science in a primary school : a case study." University of Canberra. Education, 1995. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061107.155337.

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The 'Discipline Review of Teacher Education in Mathematics and Science' (Department of Employment, Education and Training, 1989, p 81) concludes that science in primary schools is in a state of crisis. This finding is not new as there have been concerns about primary school science for many years. It is likely that one of the reasons why the problem remains could relate to the attitudes and beliefs that teachers hold about the subject and its importance in the primary school curriculum. Another reason put forward relates to the limited background experiences in science of many primary school teachers. In particular, their knowledge of content matter and strategies for teaching the subject is limited. As a consequence, many primary teachers do not feel confident to teach science so they avoid it or teach only units with which they are familiar. This leads to inconsistent science teaching and an ineffective science curriculum in many primary schools. The research question, What factors influence the teaching of science in a primary school?' is investigated through a case study of a primary school. Teachers' attitudes to, and beliefs about, the subject are explored in relation to their background experiences, teacher education and knowledge of science. How these factors influence their classroom teaching is explored through the context of the physical environment and culture of the school, the culture of teaching and the instructional leadership of the principal. The case study is based on information obtained from teacher surveys and interviews, journal entries and school documents. A typology which helps clarify factors influencing the teaching of science is developed. It provides insight into the problems of teaching the subject and how they may be addressed. A case study of the principal adds to the typology by providing the principal's perspective of science in the school. It is likely that the school featured in the case study is representative of many primary schools. The findings and recommendations may therefore have wider implications and may contribute to more effective teaching of science in many primary schools.

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Wilson, Christopher D. "Male perceptions of teaching in the primary grades| A phenomenological study." Thesis, University of Phoenix, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3570377.

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Since the 1970s, a continuous decline in the number of males entering into the teaching profession has resulted in significant underrepresentation of male teachers in public schools, especially in elementary schools. The problem is applications to elementary school positions by females far outnumber applications by males. This qualitative phenomenological study was designed to identify potential male elementary school teachers’ perceptions of teaching in the primary grades and how the perceptions are influenced. Nine male veteran teachers and 11 male nonveteran teachers participated in the study. All data were collected with in-depth interviews using open-ended questions. Six relevant themes pertaining to attracting and retaining male teachers in elementary teaching emerged during data processing, including the decision to teach, stereotypical expectations about elementary teaching, the importance of money, reducing barriers for male teachers, the benefits of teaching, and technological teaching orientations. Exploration of the emergent themes on an individual basis provides information for school leaders that will help refine recruiting practices and allow leaders to target potential male elementary teachers more effectively.

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Cheung, Chi-kit, and 張志傑. "Lower primary students' understanding of whole number addition and subtraction." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1998. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31960030.

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Winstanley, Rhuna. "Beginning teaching : the ideal and the reality : a study of primary teachers in the first four years of teaching." Thesis, University of Gloucestershire, 1992. http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/3109/.

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The aim of the study is to examine the perceptions of a sample of graduate teachers (B. Ed. Hons. ) in primary schools of beginning teaching. It consists of a questionnaire survey of 57 teachers in he first year of teaching (1986-1987) and case studies, based on interviews, documents and questionnaires, of 10 teachers during their first four years of teaching (1986-1990). The study begins with a brief outline of its purpose and methods (Introduction) and an account of influences an teachers and teacher training from 1970-1990 to place it in context (Chapter 1. ). Part 1. (Ch. 2-6) gives details of the survey. Data analysis Shows that the training course was seen as helpful by more teachers than any in-service support, although this was still a minority. Teachers were at different developmental stages and the majority received little inservice support and found evaluation of teaching difficult. Certain 'beliefs', for example a belief in group teaching, were widely held. In Part 2. (Ch. 7-10) methods of data collection and analysis for 10 case studies are given. A synthesis of data in the form of a life history was sent to each subject for verification at the end of four years. Theoretical frameworks adopted from Fuller (1969). Lacey (1977) and Berlak and Berlak (1981) were used in analysis of life histories to form case studies, allowing themes to emerge. Comparison of the case studies in an analytic survey suggests that new teachers enter teaching with an 'ideal' but find adjustment necessary to the reality of being a class teacher. In the first year of teaching student teaching practice is seen as unrealistic, giving insufficient experience in teaching basic skills, class organisation and long-term planning. Years 2-4 mark a period of professional growth, when teachers appear to learn more effectively from their teaching experience, placing theory in a practical context. Although it appears that the theoretical base of the ideal of teaching may have been imperfectly conceptualised as a student, the ideal is retained. Once teachers begin to 'know the Job' they look for further intellectual stimulus and career challenge and this nay occur in the second or third year of teaching. In Chapter 11. the influence of personal theory disposition an the development of theory-practice relationships is considered and related to theories associated with teacher learning. Conclusions from the study and implications for initial training, teacher development and further research are discussed. The importance of extended school experience with opportunity for reflection and analysis of teaching is argued. Training for mentors is urged as a means of pronoting collaborative enquiry between mentor, student/new teacher, and college tutor, establishing continuity between training and induction and stimulating whole school development. The need for attention to student teachers' individual learning needs, and to their acquisition of the broad range of competencies required for classroom teaching and for reflective analysis and further professional development, is also stressed. A brief conclusion points to the compromise entailed in drawing generalisations whilst attempting to preserve the individual teacher's 'voice'.

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Jones, Michael William. "An extended case study on the introductory teaching of programming." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2010. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/166317/.

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Learning to program is a complex and arduous process undertaken by thousands of undergraduates in the UK each year. This study examined the progress of transforming the pedagogical paradigm of an introductory programming unit from a highly controlled, reductionist 'cipher' orientation to one in which students have more freedom to explore aspects of programming more creatively. To facilitate this, certain programming concepts were introduced much earlier that had previously been the case. This was supported by an analysis of the semiotics and symbology of programming languages that showed that there was no intrinsic support for the traditional sequence of introducing programming concepts. A second dimension to the transformation involved doubling the number of assessments to emphasise the benefits of continual engagement with programming. The pedagogical transformation was to have been phased over four successive cohorts, although the fourth phase had to be delayed due to a revalidation that amalgamated three programmes into a framework. The study was planned during the second phase of the transformation. To ensure that the study did not disrupt the students’ learning experience the main focus of the research was on quantitative analyses of the work submitted by the students as part of the coursework for the unit. This work included programming portfolios and tests. In all, the work of more than 400 students completing more than a thousand portfolios and a thousand tests were analysed, providing a holistic view of waypoints in the learning process. The analyses showed that the second and third cohorts responded positively to the greater level of freedom, creating more sophisticated applications utilising a wider range of programming constructs. In the latter part of the fourth cohort a more traditional, constrained approach was used by another tutor that resulted in a narrowing of the range of programming concepts developed. The quantitative instruments were augmented by questionnaires used to gauge the students' previous experience, and initial views. Analyses of these returns showed that there appeared to be a limited relationship between a student's previous experience and the likelihood that he or she would succeed in the unit and be eligible to continue to the next stage of the undergraduate programme. The original plan was for qualitative instruments to be introduced in the final two cohorts. The re-organisation alluded to earlier restricted qualitative methods to short, semi-structured interviews during the third cohort. Within the study, certain aspects of the pedagogical transformation were considered in more depth: the development and use of a code generator and criterion-referenced assessment. These innovations were part of another dimension of the transformation of the unit, emphasising comprehension and modification equally with construction. This dimension reflects the changing nature of programming, incorporating existing code wherever possible. The analyses showed that comprehension skills developed to a greater extent within the unit compared with modification and construction. The main conclusions of the study were that the pedagogical changes had a beneficial effect on the learning of all students, including those with considerable previous experience, and those who had never written a program before.

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Tsang, Man-sing, and 曾文聲. "A study of preferred teaching styles in environmental education through primary science in Hong Kong primary schools." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31958849.

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Tsang, Man-sing. "A study of preferred teaching styles in environmental education through primary science in Hong Kong primary schools." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1996. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B17596580.

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Van, Hille Gilles Ernst Willem. "A preliminary investigation into the use of computers in the teaching of mathematics." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004382.

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Like many South African high school mathematics teachers I have followed the development of computers with interest and I have tried wherever possible to gain some experience on them. Thus when microcomputers became more readily available the mathematics department at our school, Graeme College in Grahamstown, motivated for the school to acquire this powerful new tool. The eventual outcome was that the Old Boys' Association donated to the school 3 BBC B microcomputers with monitors, a disc drive, a printer and two tape recorders. These have now been in the school for three years. The acquisition prompted this research project which takes the following form:- 1) An investigation into some of the uses of microcomputers in schools and, in particular, in the mathematics classroom. 2) A statement on the present position adopted by the Cape Education Department on the use of computers in schools. 3) A study of what the experience has been in other countries, particularly in Britain and the United States of America. 4) A description of an investigation which was undertaken at our school using the method of Action Research and Triangulation. Its aim was to investigate the feasibility of using a microcomputer to aid in the teaching of mathematics and the reaction of the pupils to this innovation. Three different approaches were implemented. a) The algorithmic approach: In this investigation a class of standard eight pupils were required, with the help of the teacher, to write, enter and test a short computer program which would solve any pair of simultaneous linear equations of the form, ax + by = c. Their reaction to this form of instruction was noted by myself and a non-participant observer. The pupils themselves were also asked to express their reactions, both verbally and by filling in a prepared questionnaire. Examples of worksheets, exam questions and analysed questionnaires are given in the appendix. Short programs which examine various other mathematical concepts are also listed and discussed. b) The audio-visual approach: In this case use was made of a graphs software package in which the computer would draw either a straight line, circle, parabola or hyperbola when the appropriate variables were entered. This package also includes a graph game facility where participants are required to find the equation of the graph which will pass through three given points. Points are awarded if the correct type of graph is chosen and the variables are entered within a certain time interval. The pupils involved in this investigation were standard eight higher grade mathematics pupils and their reaction to this form of instruction was again noted using the methods described in (a) above. c) Computer Aided Instruction: Here I was most fortunate to be able to make use of the Rhodes University PLATO Centre. This allowed me to take a class of eighteen standard eight higher grade mathematics pupils to the Centre. Here during four sessions, each of just over an hour, the pupils interacted with the software on the computer terminal. The software used was a set of five lessons written by Barbara Lederman of the Community College Maths Group, of the University of Illinois in 1976. The lessons give instruction and require the pupils to transform, plot and draw the graphs of linear equations of the form, ax + by + c = 0, x = c and y = b. They are also taught and required to find the equations of given straight lines. Their reactions to this form of instruction are discussed after each session. 5) In conclusion some thoughts are given on how computers can best be utilised in the school situation, with particular reference to the teaching of mathematics.

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Wagiet, Razeena. "Environmental education : a strategy for primary teacher education." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003394.

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This research focuses on environmental education in initial teacher education, and is grounded in three interlinked and widely recognised assumptions. First, that education for sustainable living can assist in resolving some environmental problems that are contributing to the environmental crises of sustainability currently facing South Africa and the rest of the world. Second, that education for sustainable living can assist in the establishment of a new environmental ethic that will foster a sustainable way of living. Third, that teacher education is a vital process for the attainment of both. These assumptions inform the aim of this research, which is to explore the potential for the implementation of education for sustainable living, and to identify a strategy for this, for initial teacher education, for senior primary school student teachers in the Western Cape. The strategy is derived following the grounded theory approach, developed through the case study method. In the process of identifying the strategy, this study establishes that there are challenges at macro, meso and micro levels that are obstructing the changes necessary for education for sustainable living. Change theory provides the basis for explaining these shortcomings, by helping to identify the barriers that might obstruct the realisation of the changes that are necessary for education for sustainable living. These challenges need to be perceived in the light of overcoming three sets of barriers in the way of the potential implementation of education for sustainable living in teacher education. First are those that can be ascribed to the formal education system that, while clinging to Western, Eurocentric values on the one hand, bave also failed to secure a policy for environmental education on the other. Second are the barriers ascribed to the teacher educators themselves, with the whole notion of their powerlessness at its core. Finally, there are the logistical barriers, which encompass, for example, time and financial constraints. With these barriers as a backdrop, to facilitate the incorporation of environmental education into initial teacher education, the study identifies a need for the development of a strategy to secure that education for sustainable living assumes its rightful place in the curriculum for initial teacher education. This framework emerges from the theory grounded in the interviewees' responses during the research, and from the theory grounded in the literature. Central to this framework is for education for sustainable living to contribute to the realisation of real change, change that would further the transformation of our conflict-riddled and inequitable society towards a more democratic and just one. This thesis demonstrates that the realisation of the changes necessary for education for sustainable living demand a reconstruction of current teacher education in order to secure and to sustain an appropriate and sound education ethic to form the basis of a trans formative teacher education curriculum for sustainable living within initial teacher education. Except formal policy, but central to overcoming these barriers, is the need for professional development programmes for teacher educators. A strategy in this regard, is outlined.

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Chan, Lim-ha, and 陳念霞. "Do primary students study differently in different subjects?" Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2004. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B30234360.

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Lloyd, Lorraine Gladys. "The problem-solving strategies of grade two children : subtraction and division." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28106.

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This study was aimed at discovering the differences in how children responded to word problems involving an operation in which they had received formal instruction (subtraction) and word problems involving an operation in which they have not received formal instruction. Nineteen children were individually interviewed and were asked to attempt to solve 6 subtraction and 6 division word problems. Their solution strategies were recorded, and analysed with respect to whether or not they were appropriate, as to whether or not they modeled the structure of the problem, and as to how consistent the strategies were, within problem types. It was found that children tended to model division problems more often than subtraction problems, and also that the same types of errors were made on problems of both operations. It was also found that children were more likely to keep the strategies for the different interpretations separate for the operation in which they had not been instructed (division) than for the operation in which they had been instructed (subtraction). For division problems, the strategies used to solve one type of problem were seldom, if ever used to solve the other type of problem. For subtraction problems, children had more of a tendency to use the strategies for the various interpretations interchangeably. In addition, some differences in the way children deal with problems involving the solution of a basic fact, and those involving the subtraction of 2-digit numbers, were found. The 2-digit open addition problems were solved using modeling strategies about half as often as any other problem type. The same types of errors were made for both the basic fact and the 2-digit problems, but there were more counting errors and more inappropriate strategy errors for the 2-digit problems, and more incorrect operations for the basic fact problems. Finally, some differences were noted in the problem-solving behaviour of children who performed well on the basic fact tests and those who did not. The children in the low group made more counting errors, used more modeling strategies, and used fewer incorrect operations than children in the high group. These implications for instruction were stated: de-emphasize drill of the basic facts in the primary grades, delay the formal instruction of the operations until children have had a lot of exposure to word problem situations involving these concepts, use the problem situations to introduce the operations instead of the other way around, and leave comparison subtraction word problems until after the children are quite familiar with take away and open addition problems. Education, Faculty of Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of Graduate

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Feldman, Carmia Suzannah. "Teacher beliefs and teaching with computers : believe it or not : a case study of the role beliefs play in three middle school teachers' use of computers in teaching science /." For electronic version search Digital dissertations database. Restricted to UC campuses. Access is free to UC campus dissertations, 2004. http://uclibs.org/PID/11984.

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Naidoo, Anandhavelli. "Developing a problem solving approach to primary mathematics teaching: a case study." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003374.

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According to recent research a focus in teaching mathematics to children is the development of problem solving abilities. Problem solving means the process of applying mathematical knowledge and skills to unfamiliar situations. A case study was done using a problem solving approach to the learning and teaching of mathematics with a sample of teachers registered at the Umlazi College For Further Education. These teachers were familiar with the traditional approach of teaching mathematics through drill and practice methods. The new syllabus that is to be implemented emphasises a problem solving approach to the teaching of mathematics. This study set out to implement a problem solving approach with primary school mathematics teachers so that they would be someway prepared for the innovations of the new syllabus. Workshops were conducted using an action research approach with discourse and practice leading to reconstruction with improvements. Early theorists like Piaget and Bruner offered ways of understanding children's learning, to help the teacher develop his teaching. Dienes introduced an element of play and Dewey spoke of the importance of experience. Dienes and Dewey show the first positive signs of recognising the importance of social interaction in the learning situation. Social interaction lays emphasis on language and discussion in the mathematics classroom. A social constructivist model of teaching and learning was used for the research. This research includes a study of the established ideas on developing a problem solving approach to mathematics teaching. These ideas were incorporated into the workshops that the group of teachers attended. During the workshops teachers were gradually exposed to the essence of problem solving techniques through much group discussion and doing practical exercises, which they could then implement in their classes. The teachers reported back at each subsequent workshop. A non-participant observer evaluated the development at the workshops. The workshops' success was evident from the change in the teachers' attitudes and behaviour as well as their feedback of what transpired in the classroom. They reported on the change in their roles as information suppliers to facilitators where the thinking process was focused on, rather than the importance of a correct answer. In the workshops the teachers themselves moved from passive listeners to active participants. It would appear from this preliminary investigation that through using a problem solving approach in workshops, inservice teachers can benefit constructively from this approach and will attempt to use it in their own teaching.

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Newton, Susan Sublett. "Integrating social studies and literature using folktales." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1990. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/583.

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Liang, Shu-Chuan. "Teaching English vocabulary in the primary classroom in Taiwan : a case study." Thesis, University of Essex, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.433561.

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Perkins, M. A. "A study of how primary student teachers perceive the teaching of reading." Thesis, University of Worcester, 1999. http://eprints.worc.ac.uk/7182/.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Computers Study and teaching (Primary)'

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