The purpose of this self-study was to examine my enactment of 3S Understanding, a holistic, democratic and inquiry-based curriculum theory, in a university-based, English-to-speakers-of-other-languages (ESOL) writing course grounded in Subject Learning, Self Learning, and Social Learning. Through disciplined reflective inquiry and collaboration…

A mid-Atlantic state has recently adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that require teachers to integrate inquiry-based instruction into the classroom. The problem at the local level is a new inquiry-based curriculum, based on the NGSS, is being mandated without identifying the instructional strategies teachers are using to…

Recent studies on student engagement suggest that students become decreasingly engaged as they proceed through their secondary-level school experience (Gallup Inc, 2015; Hodges, 2018; Washor & Mojkowski, 2014; Yazzie-Mintz, 2007). The consequences of low student engagement or disengagement in schools can be significant, leading to poor…

This study utilizes action research to examine the design and implementation of inquiry-based teaching in a middle school social studies classroom. As a practitioner, fulfilling the role of teacher and researcher, I sought to better understand my teaching practices. To do so, I collected multiple forms of data that would help me understand…

The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IBPYP) curriculum for students ages 3-12 is implemented using inquiry-based learning. There is a lack of understanding about primary international teachers' perspectives about their implementation of inquiry-based learning in this setting. The purpose and research question of this basic…

Using a phenomenological methodology, a cohort of four experienced science teachers was interviewed about their experience transitioning from traditional, teacher and fact-centered science curricula to inquiry-based curricula. Each teacher participated in two interviews that focused on their teaching backgrounds, their experience teaching the…

The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to identify the extent to which kindergarten teachers understand and implement inquiry-based instruction in their science classrooms. This study was conducted in response to the indication that traditional didactic teaching methods were not enough to adequately prepare American students to…

This research identifies a problem of practice with standardized science test scores declining over the last eight years. The Sea Turtle Elementary School for the Creative Arts (STESCA; pseudonym) schedule allowed 150 minutes per week for science instruction, compared with 450 minutes per week for mathematics instruction. Science instruction has…

This study explored secondary agriculture education as practiced by four teachers and sought to examine and describe how they interpreted and practiced the Biological Science Applications in Agriculture (BSAA) curriculum. The following questions were examined: (a) What does BSAA teaching look like in practice? (b) How do teachers perceive their…

This study investigated the design, enactment, and impact of an undergraduate, inquiry-based astronomy laboratory learning environment. The professor, Richard, adopted laboratory materials from the Center for Astronomy and Physics Education Research [CAPER] which were described by the group as inquiry-based. Students worked through these…

A quantitative nonexperimental survey study was developed to investigate Northeast Tennessee K-8 educators' perceptions of STEM education. This study was an examination of current perceptions of STEM education. Perceived need, current implementation practices, access to STEM resources, definition of STEM, and the current condition of STEM in…

Geographic inquiry increases higher-order thinking skills which can be supported through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The purpose of this research project examines the effect of using a Collaborative Inquiry Model (CIM) model during professional development on the rate of effective GIS implementation in K-12 classrooms. The…