Examines the scope and quality of reflection-in-action displayed by six beginning teacher specialists as they provided each other with support. Analyzes 12 videotaped peer-assistance sessions using self-selected pairs. The most reflective episodes occurred when the specialist engaged the ethic of inquiry, raising questions and enjoying multiple…

Examines the models through which different academic disciplines approach inquiry. Faculty working in different models view their work differently, apply different evaluative standards, and accept different types of values. Although the discipline is more conspicuous than the model, the latter is equally important in understanding epistemological…

Describes a guided inquiry activity that addresses the law of reflection. Laboratory experiment is included. (DKM)

Describes an inquiry-based activity involving paper airplanes that has been used as a preservice training tool for instructors of a Native American summer science camp, and as an activity for demonstrating inquiry-based methods in a secondary science methods course. Focuses on Bernoulli's principle which describes how fluids move over and around…

Describes a system of regional research conferences for students in which they were invited to display a team poster and/or give a presentation on any interesting aspect of investigative work within the curriculum or within extracurricular activities. (DDR)

Proposes a Web-based collaborative inquiry learning system and describes a study of undergraduates at the National Taiwan Normal University based on a model system that investigated students' learning processes. Discusses the use of concept maps to anchor and represent knowledge during the inquiry process. (Author/LRW)

Explores the perspective of American suburban Midwestern high school chemistry students on the motivations for and implications of a particular form of classroom questioning behavior. Discusses the effects of the social atmosphere in high schools on scientific inquiry. (Author/KHR)

Explores connections between naive epistemology and everyday instructional practice. Reviews examples of naive epistemologies as made up of fine-grained, context-sensitive resources. Presents strategies designed to help students tap those resources for learning introductory physics. Reflects on this work as an example of interplay between two…

Describes an inquiry-based approach to researching in the intermediate grades. Presents detailed minilessons intended to provide students with strategies for writing effective research reports. Notes that hyperlinks in the article carry readers to examples of these strategies and to student applications. (RS)

Reports on a qualitative study in which preservice science teachers (PSTs) enrolled in an advanced methods course participated in a complex, data-rich investigation based on an adapted version of the "Struggle for Survival" curriculum. Uses the Galapagos Finches software and emphasizes giving priority to evidence and constructing…

Introduces an activity in which students learn principles of force and motion, systems, and simple machines by exploring the best position of the dogs on the dashboard. Includes a sample lesson plan written in the five instructional models: (1) engagement; (2) exploration; (3) explanation; (4) elaboration; and (5) evaluation. (KHR)

Provides an overview of the ENVISION program for enhancing middle school science teachers' understanding of environmental science and inquiry. Focuses on the component of the project that engages teachers in conducting their own environmental research. Describes the theoretical basis for the professional development model, linking the model to the…

Examines how preservice teachers' inquiry experiences in a science methods course were influenced by their conceptions of inquiry. Advocates that independent science investigations should part of preservice education and that these experiences should be scaffolded to prompt reflection, specifically about the nature of inquiry, and conceptually…

Describes an activity based on shrinkable thermoplastics in which students explore the percentage of shrinkage of a plastic ruler when it is heated. Includes science content knowledge behind the shrink, national science education standards related to this activity, and a complete guide. (KHR)

Describes an inquiry investigation to enable students to understand water cohesion, surface tension, and heating curves for water. The investigation includes several activities organized in a three-phase learning cycle: (1) exploration; (2) concept invention; and (3) concept application. (DDR)