Improving database design teaching in secondary education: action research implementation for documentation of didactic requirements and strategies

George Fessakis (1) , Angelique Dimitracopoulou (1) , Vassilis Komis (2)

1 LTEE - Laboratory of Learning Technologies and Educational Engineering
2 Department of Early Childhood Education

Database design and use has educational interest for utilitarian and learning reasons. Database technology has significant economic impact and the demand for database design can not be covered by the existent educated experts. Furthermore the database management systems available at schools could be used for the design and implementation of high quality learning activities. Databases are general purpose modeling environments that enable problem solving using conceptual frameworks closer to the solver and the problem than the machine architecture. Databases design introduction in the curricula of secondary education programs raises educational research questions. Research questions concern the didactics of the subject as well as the value of database design based learning activities. In this paper we present some of the more significant findings of an action research concerning the database design in secondary education. Research questions concern the ideas of students about databases and their difficulties during database design. Data, collected using a variety of research activities, are analyzed and discussed and teaching strategies are proposed.

Mots clés: database modelling; database design; cognitive difficulties

Domaines: Environnements Informatiques pour l'Apprentissage Humain

George Fessakis, Angelique Dimitracopoulou, Vassilis Komis. Improving database design teaching in secondary education: action research implementation for documentation of didactic requirements and strategies. Computers in Human Behavior, 2005, 21(2), pp.159-194. ⟨10.1016/j.chb.2004.06.006⟩. ⟨hal-00190693⟩