Reviews four influential books on action research that highlight the self-reflective process of examining contradictions in personal beliefs to improve practice, noting that personal beliefs and experiences underlie action research, and those conducting the research live it as they consider whether the ideals match with their actions. (SM)

Discusses language across the curriculum movement and its impact on current social studies teaching. Asserts that social studies as a form of literacy means being able to understand the world from multiple perspectives. Recommends that social studies teachers implement inquiry and language principles across the curriculum. (CFR)

Examines the importance of learning environments as sites for change in science education, describing work with elementary teachers in which researchers are designing learning environments featuring guided inquiry. After explaining how to plan and enact guided inquiry instruction in science, the paper reflects on experiences implementing it in…

Investigated the appropriateness of microcomputer-based laboratories (MBLs) for elementary school students. Reports that children expanded their repertoire of graph-making and interpreting skills and MBLs supported scientific inquiry for and by the children. (28 references) (Author/JRH)

Moral purpose keeps teachers close to children's needs; change agentry causes them to develop better strategies for accomplishing their moral goals. Core capacities for building greater change capacity are personal vision-building, inquiry, mastery, and collaboration. Education faculties must redesign their programs to focus directly on developing…

Investigates the question concerning the maximum number of lines of symmetry possessed by irregular polygons. Gives examples to illustrate and justify the generalization that the number of lines of symmetry equals the largest proper divisor of the number of sides. Suggests related classroom activities. (MDH)

Described is an activity that categorizes a two-digit number as "sneaky" if the continued process of taking the difference of the squares of its digits leads to a difference of zero. Other categorizations are determined by whether the difference process ends in a one-digit number or continues in a loop of numbers. (MDH)

Examines specific applications of constructivism in teacher education and its relevance for teachers, focusing on how the development of empowered learners can be facilitated by examining how individuals construct concepts. Presents educational practices and guidelines within higher education programs that facilitate the development of teachers as…

The function of the child-centered school is to facilitate learning so that learners become the workers and teachers become collaborative learning enhancers. Four curriculum strands (self-readiness-competence-inquiry) are woven into a learning model that integrates learning styles, curriculum structure and subject-matter organization,…

Linguistic content analysis, method of encoding textual data by categorizing key words and identifying relationships, was developed to assess degree to which science was portrayed as process of inquiry within high school biology textbook series. The frequency of science as a process of inquiry increased from 1956 to 1965, then showed a pattern of…

Examines how the structure of learning communities shapes the teaching/learning task, and describes the kind of pedagogical adjustments that learning communities demand of students and faculty. Notes that the structure creates avenues for intellectual and pedagogical exploration; the attitude of shared inquiry and mutual, responsible community can…

Recommends that teachers combine multicultural education with an inquiry-based approach to social studies to help students critically examine society. Addresses the different obstacles when adopting this approach and offers an example of the inquiry method at work. Identifies 12 essential questions and controversial issues to use in classroom…

Identifies the essential features of critical inquiry and shows how it differs from the critical procedures often recommended by educators. Explains the implications of the inquiry process for teaching criticism. Provides a model of critical-inquiry instruction by suggesting three basic instructional strategies for teachers and describing an…

Describes an activity on charting 6th and 7th grade students' ideas about a potential science project. Summarizes a five week project on creating a new ride or redesigning existing rides in an amusement park, including research and sketches, final drawings, models of rides, and class presentations. (YDS)

Presents evidence that early and primary school learning exhibits features that previously were thought typical of adult learners only. Reconceptualizes child-centered primary education in light of theories on expertise, conceptual change, and epistemological development. Explores a theoretical approach to learning called progressive inquiry…