Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) earnings conference for the third fiscal quarter revealed some interesting insights on the iPad tablet computer and its performance in certain markets. It was announced Tuesday that the iPad was an especially strong seller in the educational sector, as the game-changing tablet set record education sales in the third fiscal quarter.

In particular, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer emphasized the doubling of iPad sales in the K-12 market.

iPad sales were so impressive in the educational market, according to Oppenheimer, that their numbers were double that of the full-size Mac computer. This was actually a repeat of the trend that was first set in the second fiscal quarter.

According to Apple CEO Timothy D. “Tim” Cook, the iPad 2 was the most instrumental in driving the record numbers set for the education market. The iPad 2 sells for $399 and is primarily aimed at students or consumers who otherwise cannot afford the new iPad.

Cook also added that the iPad’s success as an “educational” tablet came as a surprise, given the market’s conservative tendencies. For example, 11,000 units were purchased this month by the Independent School District of Mansfield, TX. This was part of a special district initiative designed to create a paradigm shift from pen-and-paper to digital education.

San Diego’s Unified School District purchased a total of $15 million, or 26,000 iPads last month in a similar initiative. The dedicated iTunes U application was also a success, totaling 14 million downloads in the last fiscal quarter.