Whilst creativity is perceived as an important twenty-first century skill, current research suggests that educators generally do not have a good understanding on how to teach this type of skill, confusing it at times with creative teaching. This paper seeks to respond to educators' needs in this regard by addressing the meaning of creativity, as…

Background: Understanding cultural diversity in STEM education is important for inclusivity and teaching STEM literacy for all. We explore diversity at a micro-cultural classroom level involving students' emotional experiences and interactional practices as they engage with learning, which has received limited attention in naturalistic studies of…

Situated in the context of an in-service professional development (PD) program focused on Interdisciplinary Science Inquiry, this quantitative study tests the validity of and further explores the theoretical model adapted from Desimone's (2009), "Educational Researcher," 38, 181-199 conceptual framework on effectiveness of PD. The…

The authors describe a major program reform study of an early childhood teacher education program in a large, urban, state university in the United States. Over a 4-year period, our team of early childhood faculty undertook an intentional and reflective program reform study to better advocate for quality early childhood educational philosophy and…

A "Study and Research Path" (SRP) is a model, based on the Anthropological Theory of the Didactic (ATD), which describes the inquiry processes that take place when a new, generating question (Q[subscript 0]) is considered. The investigation of the question through different study and inquiry approaches leads to a rooted tree sequence of…

Strong information literacy, collaboration, and argumentation skills are essential to success in problem-based learning (PBL), and computer-based scaffolding plays a key role in helping students enhance these skills. As students search for information, identify root causes, and propose problem solutions, they are faced with choosing among…

By bringing everyday phenomena into the classroom, teachers can more readily engage students in authentic scientific inquiry. When working with young children, the best phenomena are those that students can directly experience and investigate. Meaningful phenomena can be identified by watching children at play, listening to the conversations they…

The authors present the individual and collective results of a university-wide initiative to institutionalize a hybrid pedagogical approach--Creative Inquiry--across multiple academic disciplines. The program is intended to systematically combine inquiry-guided learning and creative thinking in order to further enhance the depth and breadth of…

The aspects of inquiry based learning (IBL) are vigorously and frequently in the focus of recent studies. With the use of inquiry in mathematics in the daily school practice, some further questions are arising there: What kind of problems can be useful for an analysis of students' competencies in the field of IBL and how to assess the performed…

Teachers' professional knowledge has been an active area in the field of mathematics education research in the last decades, but we still know very little regarding how teachers learn. This article aims to identify learning opportunities experienced by two teachers regarding mathematical and didactical knowledge for the teaching of function, in a…

Dramatic inquiry is an arts-based method for exploring curricular goals in real and fictional contexts created in the classroom. Students and teachers collaborate as they explore possible solutions to inquiry questions to make meaning. Dramatic inquiry promotes inclusion by encouraging the use of tools and multiple modes for demonstrating…

A course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) is a teaching approach aimed at developing students' ability to conduct novel research. Although students' perceptions of their learning during CUREs may not reflect actual student learning, such surveys provide a convenient and useful metric for course evaluation. Instructors can use survey…

The empowerment of metacognitive skills has an important role in increasing the capacity of critical thinking and active control of students' cognitive processes in learning. Metacognitive skills can be enhanced through the implementation of learning strategies involving higher-order thinking. The RQA, ADI, RQA integrated with ADI are…

The purpose for this self-study was to explore the theoretical and practical understandings of scientific inquiry inherent in our elementary teacher preparation program, specifically those of new instructors. Although scientific inquiry and inquiry-based learning are emphasized in our program, several new instructors, doctoral students hired to…

Inquiry-based science instruction is widely advocated, but studies based on international large-scale assessments often show inquiry to be negatively associated with achievement. We re-examine this issue by examining whether the association between inquiry and learning depends upon the provision of teacher guidance. Participants were 151,721…