An overview of the EQUALPRIME project, its history and research design

Abstract

In this cross-national comparative research project the research team aimed to investigate how teachers of primary science created rich opportunities for engagement in learning and reasoning, and the impacts of local contexts and cultures on their practice. Based on the principles of naturalistic case studies, data were collected in Australian, German and Taiwanese primary science classrooms. Classroom videos and interviews with teachers were the main data sources. This Chapter recounts the project’s history, overviews the background to the study, the research questions and the methodology of the project. It also illuminates some specific aspects of research in the context of an cross-cultural comparative research project.