Authentic science activities in the primary level classroom:Investigating the effects of a data collection and analysis interface on primary level students' scientific literacy

摘要

This study explores the use of technology in instruction in a primary level classroom. Though many researchers and educators advocate for the incorporation of technology into science instruction, little is known about the effects of the implementation of various types of educational technology. Here, we investigate the effects of the incorporation of a data collection and analysis interface, the Spark17m, on the scientific literacy of a group of second grade students in the United States. Treatment and control group comparisons indicate that the use of this technology during a lesson designed to investigate the relationships between physical variables increases the likelihood that students will represent their ideas graphically.