Integrating Technology, Science, and Math at Napoleon’s School for Industry, 1806-1815

Historical studies expand the research discourse of a field by introducing a broader set of questions. For example, Merrill emphasized the growth of interest in the integration of technology, mathematics, and science education in recent years (2001, pp. 45; 47; 58). But is Merrill implying that we are facing a new idea or challenge, or rather a renewed interest that is part of a cyclical pattern of waxing and waning interest over the last two centuries? If there has been such a cycle, does its behavior correspond to other technological, educational, social, or political trends? Do governments promote the integration of technology with math and science in hopes of spurring national economic development? What are the politics of integrating technology with math and science? How are politics embedded in educational programs, their physical artifacts, conceptual tools, and social forms of instruction?