An Examination of How Science Teachers' Experiences in a Culture of Collaboration Inform Technology Implementation

This paper presents a case study of Technology Enhanced Secondary Science Instruction (TESSI), a school-university collaboration designed to explore what can be accomplished when teachers and researchers work together to bring technology into the secondary science classroom. Features that contributed to a successful and powerful collaboration are explored. The paper illustrates how a culture of collaboration may contribute to significant technological reform, and foster conceptual change leading to distinctive pedagogy and praxis. The findings support Kimmel and Deek's contention that teachers should take a central role in reforms that direct the implementation of technologies within the classroom. The study highlights the value of drawing upon teacher experience, perspectives, and knowledge of classroom contexts, and illustrates how these may serve as a basis for designing successful technology implementation.