| Chapter 2: | Background |
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Chapter Two
Background
The following background identifies the various implications of research on technology use in the science classroom and the implementation of university museum / school partnerships. Topics include: (a) historical background of museums in education, (b) seeing, understanding, and learning with museums, (c) university museum / school partnerships, (d) learning engagement, (e) computer technology in the science classroom and science inquiry, (f) predictors of computer usage by teachers in classrooms, and (g) the learning cycle curriculum model. Key issues are discussed as well as an overview of method designs employed in the research including a discussion of the study’s weaknesses, strengths, and limitations.
The following section provides a brief examination of the history of natural history museums for educational purposes. The section begins with the introduction and growth of natural history museums in the U.S., an often overlooked resource for classroom science teaching.
Historical Background of Museums in Education
One third of America’s natural history museums are more than fifty years old, with four percent founded before 1900 (Melber & Abraham, 2002).