In this article, we examine the role that different participant structures can play in supporting inquiry-based science learning. We frame mastering scientific inquiry as mastering the "what," "why," and "how" of the cultural tools that scientists employ. We present a participant structure we call the teacher as partner and show how it renders the…

Suggests that instructors can foster the growth of thinking skills and promote science literacy by incorporating active learning strategies into the classroom. Describes situations in which a variety of learning strategies were incorporated into large earth science courses for non-majors. Improvements in student achievement, retention, and logical…

An apt analogy for busy, pacey and accountable classrooms is the industrial production line. In this, the teacher (or supervisor) controls the transmission of ready-made packages of knowledge by providing appropriate tasks, and then monitors and assesses their acquisition. The pupils (or labour force) work to complete these tasks. Classrooms like…

Self-directed learning (SDL) is viewed as a desirable outcome of schooling, yet scant information is available to educational leaders and teachers on how to implement an inquiry-based curriculum or to support effectively students' development as self-directed learners. To understand better the relationship between the inquiry nature of primary…

For science teachers, implementing inquiry for the first time can seem intimidating. Inquiry-based curriculum requires teachers to design experiences that engage students in scientific phenomena through direct observation, data gathering, and analysis of evidence. Replacing familiar routines and conventional methods with inquiry may seem outside…

Inquiry-based teacher education promotes an exploration of concrete particulars as the route to wise practice. The case study presented illustrates one teacher candidate's struggle to let go of a conception of knowledge as generalizable formulae that can be readily applied in practice and to become more open to practice itself as a site of…

The purpose of this article is to describe findings from a study of teachers' social interaction during discussions about students' thinking. The goal of the discussions was for the teachers to interpret their students' thinking as revealed from work on non-routine, thought-revealing mathematical tasks, known as "model-eliciting…

There are several legitimate ways of conceptualizing and studying wisdom. One is largely informed by Western philosophy and treats wisdom as an analytic theory of expert knowledge, judgment, and advice about difficult and uncertain matters of life. Another is more consistent with Asian philosophical nonsecularized traditions and treats wisdom as…

This article explores the meaning of the scholarship of teaching and learning and describes how the concept has evolved over time. It then discusses how the scholarship of teaching and learning might contribute to developing effective online learning and, reciprocally, how online learning might change and advance the scholarship of teaching and…

In 1993 two of the authors of this article published a survey of introductory biology laboratory instruction in colleges and universities of the U.S. in order to document the status of laboratory instruction, and in particular, the use of inquiry based instruction. In this article, the authors present a survey that examined the changes that may…

In this article, the authors offer social studies educators two student-centered, inquiry-based techniques to help students learn about the contributions of historical figures. Both strategies were classroom tested and proved effective at helping students learn about historical figures in a challenging and enjoyable way. Although techniques in…

This article, the first of a two-part series, introduces the living history program. This yearly, weeklong program features living portrayals of famous people, which becomes a catalyst for teaching curricular standards, as well as providing the spark for inquiry. Here, the authors describe how the yearly living history program was implemented and…

The third article in this series featuring the Living History Program (see December 2005 and January 2006) looks at the life of Phillis Wheatley, the first published African American woman poet. Though little is known of her life as a slave in Boston, her published poetry is available today for people to read and enjoy. This study of Phillis…

In this article, the author discusses inquiry learning and primary sources. Inquiry learning puts students in the active role of investigators. Questioning, authentic and active learning, and interactivity are a few of the characteristics of inquiry learning that put the teacher and library media specialist in the role of coaches while students…

This article traces the development of a contextual approach to the teaching of science (physics) subsequently called the Large Context Problem (LCP) approach. This approach is based on the general observation that learning could be well motivated by a context with one unifying central idea capable of capturing the imagination of the students. The…