Through post-observation and general discussions our preservice teachers thought they were asking good questions by asking "why?". While these questions are important, "why?" questions are not always effective, especially when a student responds with "I don't know". Such questioning techniques must be explicitly…

This study explores the reflective processes by which a grade 5 science community co-constructed shared inquiry structures to focus and guide its inquiry about human body systems over a school year supported by a collaborative online environment. The co-constructed structures included a list of collective wondering areas as the shared focus of…

In this paper, I argue that the notion of 'reasonableness' that is, for many, at the heart of the Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach particularly and education for democratic citizenship more broadly, is constituted within the epistemology of 'white ignorance' and operates in such a way that it is unlikely to transgress the boundaries of white…

As part of the Opening Real Science: Authentic Mathematics and Science Education for Australia project, an online mathematics learning module embedding conceptual thinking about infinity in science-based contexts, was designed and trialled with a cohort of 22 pre-service teachers during 1 week of intensive study. This research addressed the…

Learning methodologies have been studied extensively for more than five decades. While traditional learning model was previously dominant method in the field of learning, the early 1970s saw a wide range of reforms in educational fields supported by new technologies that facilitate the change from a teacher to a student-centred model. However,…

This article explores the concept of "anti-blackness" as a theoretical construct that may offer new openings towards transformative and liberatory projects concerned with race and inequity in STEM education research, policy, and pedagogical reform. The article first unpacks the historic, economic, political, and therefore racialized…

The Next Generation Science Standards states that "science begins with a question." (NGSS Lead States [2013] "Next generation science standards: For states, by states". Washington, DC: National Academies Press). Yet scientific inquiry among students and scientists alike often begins without a clear question. In this article, we…

The use of narrative -- in this case a fictional dialogue -- has been a time-honoured way of exploring ideas and most importantly indispensable for learning, at least since the time of the Sophists. Indeed, the dialogues of Plato exemplify this thesis because the qualities and characteristics of philosophy and philosophising are revealed through…

This article is based on a yearlong qualitative, multiple case study that explored the pedagogy of elementary school teachers' work through the combining of inquiry-based pedagogy and critical literacy. One case is shared where Zoe, a first-grade teacher, engages students and fosters learning in critical, inquiry-based ways. Two interviews, daily…

The recent movement to include art and design in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has made Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) an increasingly common acronym in the education lexicon. The STEAM movement builds on existing models of interdisciplinary curriculum, but what makes the union…

The educational enthusiasm for both authenticity and empathy makes a number of assumptions about universal virtues, self-hood, the role of emotion in education, and the role of the teacher. In this article, we argue that authenticity and empathy are both nebulous virtues that teachers and students are called to embody with little reflection on how…

While we have known about the benefits of project-based learning for decades, it has been difficult to maintain momentum in learning how to do it well, especially as the policy context in education turned toward high-stakes accountability measures in the early 2000s. Currently, many schools across the country are incorporating project-based…

This study examines how teachers can structure and use pretend play for teaching science, as well as the impact it has on students' agency, engagement, and discussion. Using interaction analysis, I examine two teachers in two classrooms (n=52) of first and second grade students (6-8 years) at a progressive elementary school. To shed light on how…

This dissertation is my effort to better understand how teacher educators teach professional, anti-racist teaching practice to novice teachers. I argue that one important way to interrupt systemic racism in schooling is to design teacher education that both teaches novice teachers what anti-racist practice is and helps them gain some initial skill…

Induction Programs, Teacher Efficacy, and Inquiry Practices in Novice Teachers This purpose of this study was to identify the influence of Induction Programs on first-year teachers. Research shows that a large percentage of novice teachers leave the profession within the first five years. Novice teachers often begin the first year of teaching with…