The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of inquiry-based experiments on pre-service science teachers' science process skills. The study group consisted of 60 pre-service teachers in total, enrolled in the undergraduate program of Science Teacher Education, Faculty of Education at a state university. The study which used randomized…

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework is critiqued by examining differing assumptions of reality between the objectivist-rational and social constructivist paradigms. The conclusion is that most CoI research emerges from an objectivist-rational paradigm, not a social constructivist one. As a result, the framework's underlying premise that…

An important aspect of bringing innovation to education is supporting children's own innovative thinking. Teachers are finding that escape room activities can provoke children's wonder and determination to pursue their curiosity, which builds a foundation for innovators of the future.

In the United States (US) and elsewhere across the world, undergraduate mathematics instructors are increasingly aware of the value of inquiry-based instruction. In this research commentary, we describe the intellectual origins and development of two major strands of inquiry in US higher education, offer an explanation for apparent differences in…

This article is a collaboration involving a professor and three graduate students. Together, they explore lifescaping action research pedagogy guided by the participatory inquiry process. Since the lesson taught is not the lesson learned, the first author presents a perspective about teaching PIP followed by the graduate students' collective…

Several authors have argued that early childhood education and care (ECEC) is essentially an ethical practice based on certain values and conceptions about the purpose of education. Is this also the case for educational practices surrounding the highly valued notion of curiosity? While psychological approaches portray it as neutral, this article…

Students' levels of exposure to the world rely on many factors such as location, access to information, and socioeconomic status. Educators, can create a level playing field for all. Authentic learning experiences will multiply the paths that lay at students' feet as they embark on their life's journey. Students question because they have been…

Current science education reforms highlight the importance of students making sense of scientific ideas. While research has studied how to support sensemaking in classrooms, we still know very little about what drives students to pursue and persist in it on their own. In this article, we use a set of parallel case studies of undergraduate students…

Teachers play a critical role in supporting students' mathematical engagement. There is evidence that meaningful student engagement occurs more often in student-centered classrooms, in which the teacher and the students mutually share mathematical authority. However, teacher-centered instruction continues to dominate classroom discourse, and…

Xenophobic discourse surrounding migration, resulting in marginalisation of the other, is on the rise. This article tracks the formation of a professional community of teacher inquirers who wanted to challenge the prevalent negative discourse by generating narratives of change. Using narrative inquiry methods to capture 'stories of experience'…

Mixed methodology holds considerable promise for the field of literacy research, yet it continues to be underrepresented in published research. The purpose of this study was to identify potential problems in conducting and publishing reports of mixed methods research in literacy. Predicated on a view of research as principled argument, we…

Pigments are light-absorbing substances that are abundant in nature, serving roles in coloration, camouflage, mate/pollinator attraction and photosynthesis among higher life forms. Among microbial organisms, pigments can also be found in a wide range of phyla. While some of these pigments function in photosynthesis, namely among algae and some…

In looking back to childhood, and what constituted daily life, a case is made for unique ways of knowing that unfold through play, place, and tradition. A closer look at the relationship between childhood memory and the particularities of place, suggests that adult creativity, a sense of psychological stability, and an attitude of wonder, even…

Science departments in higher education have been adjusting their curricula to include more inquiry-based instruction, and research on inquiry-based teaching at the collegiate level has been increasing. However, more data are needed regarding the effectiveness of inquiry-based pedagogy in improving students' conceptual understanding and attitudes…

Although understandings of scientific inquiry (as opposed to conducting inquiry) are included in science education reform documents around the world, little is known about what students have learned about inquiry during their elementary school years. This is partially due to the lack of any assessment instrument to measure understandings about…