Good citizenship calls for the ability to think critically about issues concerning which there may be a difference of opinion and apply democratic values to the issues. Critical thinking has three components: an attitude of carefully considering problems, knowledge of logical inquiry methods, and skill in applying those methods. (MSE)

The New Jersey Task Force on Thinking has taken the first steps toward statewide assessment of students' thinking skills. Efforts were made to (1) define requisite thinking competencies, (2) explore measurement of thinking competencies, and (3) make recommendations accordingly. Preliminary findings are reported. (TE)

A profile of quantitative methods courses in public administration is presented. Most of these courses use one of two models of learning--the concept attainment model or the nondirective model. How a third and more promising method--the inquiry training model--has been used in the authors' course is described. (RM)

Defines the relationship between theory and practice with specific reference to the inquiry process. Presents a five phase explanation of the inquiry process and provides a practical illustration of each phase. (Author/DB)

The inquiry teaching or discovery approach to learning is discussed. An object lesson is outlined using a cultural artifact as the subject of analysis. (Author/RM)

This essay provides a window into an eighth-grade class engaged in a legislative curriculum drama. The author, an eighth-grade social studies and literature teacher at a private New York City elementary school, describes her use of a legislative curriculum drama to make an eight-week study of the legislative branch of government a more dynamic and…

This book offers a broad, comprehensive introduction to curriculum theory and practice. The sixth edition highlights major philosophies and principles while also examining the conflicting conceptions of curriculum. Readers will find a balanced analysis of humanistic, social reconstructionist, technological, and academic perspectives. This will…

Heart Health is grounded in the skill of learning to listen to the language of the heart. It connects students to their heart-rate data, and offers insights into what these numbers mean using the framework of Heart Zones Training. There are eight learning opportunities that originate from the following questions: How does heart health information…

This book is designed for middle school students to learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event-based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork, independent research, hands-on investigations, and…

This book is designed for middle school life science or physical science teachers to help their students learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event- based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork,…

This chapter examines benefits and pitfalls inherent in studying teaching and learning from the inside where the teacher is also the principal investigator of the research. The first section describes a first-person account of a trajectory using inquiry as a means of practice and using practice as a medium for research. Then, three cases of…

This book focuses on the promotion and development of science learning from the Foundation Stage to Key Stage 2. The four authors have extensive experience in initial teacher education and in primary schooling and this is evident in the emphasis on practical examples and evidence-based guidance. They offer examples and case studies designed to…

This document contains the first volume of the proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Conference presentations are centered around the theme "Inclusion and Diversity". In total, 147 presentations centered around the vision of mathematics for all. This volume…

This study addressed the problem of how a prospective mathematics teacher's active engagement in a scientific inquiry can deepen the meaning of her extant mathematical concepts. We used a constructivist framework to analyze a 2-hour interview with a prospective mathematics teacher as she solved an open-ended problem of graphing a 3-D landform. We…

This curriculum provides background information and activities for teaching inquiry-based science in the classroom and at the Oregon Zoo. The ZooScope program was created to provide students with hands-on and minds-on activities that are crucial to taking theoretical learning into the real world. The hope is that as students begin asking about the…