Much of psychology focuses on universal principles of thought and action. Although an extremely productive pursuit, this approach, by describing only the "average person," risks describing no one in particular. This article discusses an alternate approach that complements interests in universal principles with analyses of the unique psychological…

This article discusses the importance of authentic picture-storybook adaptations of multicultural folktales and describes an action research project through which a children's picture-book adaptation of a traditional tale can be authenticated using an inquiry-based process. In addition to modeling an actual authentication project using "The Golden…

This study examined the development of a mathematics teacher's proficiency in managing whole-class discussion in the context of an inquiry-based classroom. We analysed three lessons taught with the same class by a teacher-researcher. The first and second lessons were 10 months apart, the second and third lessons were 6 months apart. For each of…

Practical inquiry combines the formal research techniques of formulating questions and conducting literature reviews with site-based data collection and use of findings to improve practice. The object of practical inquiry is to explain a situation. The ultimate goal is to learn how to improve or change the work. Merging research and assessment…

This paper presents a framework for online collaborative learning, also known as telecollaboration. At the centre of this flexible framework are online collaborative educational experiences where knowledge creation and knowledge in action are the nexus of social, teaching and cognitive presence based on the "Community of Inquiry" model of…

Staff involved in pedagogic innovations are often presented with challenges that take them outside their customary spheres of expertise and disciplinary identities. This paper presents an analysis of data collected from staff involved in a "bottom up" pedagogic innovation introducing inquiry-based learning to a cohort of first year social science…

It is likely difficult for academics to think of a college or university that does not have some program of general education (GE). Over the past century, GE's model of liberal learning has become so entrenched in U.S. universities that it is widely seen as the core of the national undergraduate curriculum. In a series of distributed courses that…

In a technologically advanced, media-saturated culture, children are often confronted with realities that are as disturbing as they are real. Educators search for ways to deal with events that are so compelling that everything else drowns in the tide. They search for ways to bring these events into the learning environment in a manner that is…

Teachers who conduct research in the context of their own teaching practices can contribute to knowledge about reform-based instruction. This article provides examples that illustrate research by elementary, middle school, high school, and college faculty as well as the use of data such as transcripts of discussion, reflective journals, and copies…

Documentary websites known as "snapshots of practice" provide vivid examples of teachers' inquiries into issues they have formulated in the context of their own teaching practices and students' learning. Designed with assistance from Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, snapshots of practice can be accessed in the K-12 section of…

In this article the authors discuss some basic research on the inquiry abilities of elementary students and draw implications for curriculum policy and teacher professional development. In their research, they asked students to make investigations and compared the abilities of students who have had hands-on inquiry science curricula with those of…

The aim of this paper is to examine the role of methodology in action research. It begins by showing how, as a form of inquiry concerned with the development of practice, action research is nothing other than a modern 20th century manifestation of the pre-modern tradition of practical philosophy. It then draws in Gadamer's powerful vindication of…

"Reggio Emilia" is a remarkable, interdisciplinary inquiry-based approach typically found in preschools. What happens when elementary teachers confined by curricular mandates embrace key features of this learner-centered philosophy? This article provides compelling evidence that when multiple literacies are harnessed in support of inquiry, the…

This article begins with a "snapshot" of a fifth grade writing workshop and its study of op-ed writing to show an inquiry in action. The framework for this inquiry involves immersing students in reading multiple examples of the kind of text the teacher would like them to write, studying closely how the texts are crafted, and writing their own…

This resource book contains 18 magic number tricks that spark the interest and imagination of students as they are led through a variety of mathematical computations and discoveries. Following each activity, students are asked to write about their discoveries and create their own magic tricks. A matrix of skills for all the activities and lists of…