Maor & Taylor The influence of teachers ' epistemologies on the development of students ' higher - level thinking skills using a computerised scientific database

The purpose of this session is to discuss the results of a study which investigated students' development of higher-level thinking skills in a computerised learning environment which was designed to facilitate an inquiry-based approach to learning. The session will focus on the social interactions and the influence of teachers' epistemologies on the development of students' higherlevel thinking skills. In the class where the teacher implemented a constructivist-oriented approach to teaching that emphasised both the personal and social construction of students' knowledge, most students developed higher-level thinking skills. The results of this study suggest that it is not the computer itself which facilitates inquiry learning; the facilitative role of the teacher is essential for students to be able to utilise the computer as a tool of scientific inquiry.