The following paper outlines the historical and philosophical development of, "community of inquiry" in educational discourse. The origins of community of inquiry can be found in the philosophical work of C. S. Peirce. From Peirce the notion of community of inquiry is adopted and developed by educational theorists of different orientations.…

This article provides a model for the professional development of elementary science teachers. The model focused on integrating different domains of knowledge into science teaching, including the knowledge of the science curriculum, especially scientific inquiry, teacher's knowledge, and students' knowledge. The two case studies in this article…

This article advances a view of Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) as powerful inquiry-based learning tools. Through an in-depth exploration of the "Emptying the Bowl" activity, upper level mathematics students test their own mathematical hypotheses, thoughtfully analyse and manipulate computer-generated output, and answer questions…

This paper is a report of a study on early school experience as part of a Teacher Education programme in Turkey. The programme requires second-year students to act as students only, observing their mentors in classrooms rather than practising teaching so that they can gain a wider view of the teaching profession. The study analyses the experiences…

Many varieties of data acquisition systems are now available for science classrooms. Most systems consist of a range of sensors--typically called probeware--connected to an interface unit usually described as a datalogger due to its capacity to record data from these sensors. Although some systems operate independently, most units connect to a…

Probeware is increasingly being implemented in science classrooms because it is less expensive than it used to be and improvements in hardware and software have made it more accessible to students and teachers. Many probes or sensors can now simply be connected to a computer, calculator, or other handheld device, and will immediately begin to…

Most high school chemistry labs contain detailed procedures on how to perform experiments, collect data, and analyze findings. These step-by-step instructions often eliminate opportunities for inquiry, higher levels of thinking, and the sense of accomplishment students find through independent discovery. For these reasons, two years ago the author…

The development of new courses is strengthened by assessment and a response to the assessment. Two new science methods courses for elementary and secondary preservice teachers were developed, fostered by the Great Salt Lake Project. The preservice teachers designed and performed research projects that they then converted into inquiry-based…

The authors examine the various communities of practice that were formed throughout a teacher development project that included a formal mentoring component. The authors describe a theoretical approach to understanding learning in communities of practice and present an approach for analyzing professional learning resulting from social interactions…

Evidence for the superiority of guided instruction is explained in the context of our knowledge of human cognitive architecture, expert-novice differences, and cognitive load. Although unguided or minimally guided instructional approaches are very popular and intuitively appealing, the point is made that these approaches ignore both the structures…

In this article, we present a study focused on developing students' understanding of the ecology through participation in a technology-supported urban planning simulation--specifically, 11 high school students in Madison, Wisconsin acted as urban planners to redesign a local shopping street using a Geographic Information System (GIS) model. This…

This paper stems from the ESRC TLRP Learning How to Learn--in Classrooms, Schools and Networks Project, and explores how Assessment for Learning (AfL) relates, conceptually, to learning how to learn (LHTL). The term LHTL was intended to draw attention to a primary focus on learning practices, and we have related the processes of AfL to LHTL. A…

This 18-month ethnographic study provides a snapshot of teachers' use of space and voice as they work in a newly formed Professional Development School (PDS) committed to shared responsibility for teacher education and developing a culture of simultaneous renewal through inquiry. The study identified the tensions produced when a PDS functions…

This article presents findings from case studies of two Latina bilingual high school writers engaged in a year-long research and writing project. Both young women demonstrated unique patterns related to their approaches to inquiry and performance of literacy practices. By using an ecological framework to integrate a multiple literacies perspective…

The author leads a program that teaches teachers in a public university, most of whom work in struggling urban schools serving students from predominantly poor and minority backgrounds. The courses in her program share a common purpose: to develop understandings about the active nature of children's learning and to use these understandings to…