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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the levels of group cooperation on students' achievement during a series of physical science laboratory activities. Six intact seventh-grade physical science classes taught by two teachers, with each teacher instructing three classes, were selected from two middle schools. For each teacher, one of the classes was taught with a traditional approach (no cooperative goal structure). The other two classes were assigned to a cooperative goal structure (role assignment and nonrole assignment). For the role assignment class, each student was assigned a specific role, but students in both traditional and nonrole assignment classes were not assigned roles. The Classroom Observation Instrument in Science Laboratory Activity (COISLA), which includes investigative skills (i .e., managing, manipulating, observing, reading, writing, and reporting); social skills (i.e., discussing, encouraging) and nonlearning behaviors (i.e., waiting, off-task), was used to measure the levels of group cooperation. The grades on lab reports and lab quizzes of students who were taught by the same teacher were compared to assess the effects of the different learning conditions. No significant differences on the students' final achievement were found with respect to the three instructional approaches followed by each teacher. The teacher effect was more significant than either instructional approach on managing, manipulating, observing, reading, and writing behaviors. No significant teacher effect was found for the other behaviors. Only one treatment effect was significant, writing behavior. Overall, the teacher effect was more influential than instructional approach on students' behaviors. In teacher A's classes, reading behavior predicted 21 % of students' achievement. However, no significant correlations existed between the 10 collaborative behaviors and students' achievement in teacher B's classes.

This study developed, validated, and utilized the Technology Integrated Classroom Inventory (TICI) to examine technology-integrated science learning environments as perceived by secondary school students and teachers. Using technology-oriented classroom climate instruments and considering the science classroom's characteristics, TICI was developed. More than 1,100 seventh through ninth grade science students validated the instrument, revealing eight scales: technological enrichment, inquiry learning, equity and friendliness, student cohesiveness, understanding and encouragement, competition and efficacy, audiovisual environment, and order, with alpha reliabilities ranging between 0.69 and 0.91 (0.93 for the entire questionnaire). In measuring actual and preferred learning environments, TICI results indicated that both students and teachers ranked equity and friendliness highest. The largest actual-preferred discrepancy was order (students) and inquiry learning (teachers). TICI offers additional utilities for technologyenriched science leaning environments.

The new Science and Technology Curriculum Framework recently issued in Taiwan advocates the teaching of integrated science and technology with greater emphasis on basic skills. Science teachers are not used to teach in this way, they need different abilities and skills in order to do so. Using various effective professional development strategies, including a collaborative action research approach, the aim of this study was to help science teachers develop professionally through the development of instructional modules on integrated science and technology. A research team was formed consisting of science educators/researchers, graduate assistants and science teachers from six junior high schools in the central area of Taiwan. In order to involve teachers collaboratively over an extended period of time, the entire study went through preparatory, elaborative and disseminative stages for three consecutive years. Various professional development opportunities were built-in. The instructional modules developed were discussed by participants of this study and evaluated by external experts before they were tried out in actual classroom settings. Both qualitative and quantitative methods, including field notes, interviews, observations, video-taping, audio-taping, document analysis, and surveys of students' and teachers' opinions were used to collect data for a closer examination of the effectiveness of the instructional modules and of the increase in teachers' instructional proficiencies. Overall, teachers' interdisciplinary experiences and knowledge increased. They were more flexible and resourceful in using instructional strategies that best fit the instructional settings. Their knowledge and skills in using information and communication technologies in science classrooms also increased considerably.