Presents a teacher knowledge approach to school portfolio development that was used with teachers on five campuses involved in a major national reform movement. The narrative method shows how teacher knowledge is made public and shared through school portfolio making. Particular emphasis is placed on the connections between and among reflection…

Critiques the claim that Haitian children cannot actively engage in science classroom by examining the cultural practice of "bay odyans," a form of discourse similar to scientific argumentation. Offers examples of Haitian students recreating bay odyans in science classrooms and suggests that these students have a cultural experience that…

Educators must take the time to reflect upon their past efforts and make needed mid-course corrections. Looking for patterns within reform projects and helping teachers see reform as an evolutionary process and not an either/or response will help all educators grow as professionals. Presents examples of inquiry learning integrated with traditional…

Reminisces about several decades of research on teaching and teacher education, explaining that for teacher education research to make a significant difference, there must be new scholarly commitments, with long-term programs of scholarship, regularly embedded in ongoing programs of teacher preparation, becoming a norm, and ties to student…

Compares the traditional view of science with the more multidimensional view outlined in science reform documents. Outlines different genres of science nonfiction trade books. Describes a science text set and how it is used to encourage both science inquiry and science literacy practices in a unit on sound and hearing. (SG)

Asserts that inquiry-based activities increase student interest and motivation. Describes classroom management problems teachers may encounter in inquiry teaching. Outlines numerous ways to avoid or reduce the severity of problems by rearranging desks, dividing groups according to reading level and language skills, and by addressing student…

Reports an account of an experienced science teacher's self-initiated change in praxis within an inquiry community. Uses classroom observations and interviews to evaluate the discursive practices of the teacher and his colleagues. Attributes the teacher's change in praxis to his dissatisfaction with previous practice and the realization that…

Introduces an assessment instrument developed to evaluate students' views on the nature of science. Examines the ways in which learners mark out science as a particular domain, particularly the types of questions that they think are open to scientific investigation. (Contains 35 references.) (Author/YDS)

Introduces a study investigating graduate teaching assistants' (GTA) perceptions on their role in conducting laboratories and explores the benefits of inquiry-based laboratories for GTAs considering their experiences and knowledge. (Contains 22 references.) (YDS)

Explains the effects of current educational practices on both student learning orientations and institutions. Discusses barriers to change in the process of developing new policies and frameworks. (YDS)

Presents an inquiry-based science activity in which students collect data to determine whether flipping pennies and burning candles follow zero- or first-order rate laws. (KHR)

An inquiry-oriented teacher education program entitled PROBE (Problem-Based Teacher Education) is described. The fundamental concept of PROBE is based on John Dewey's philosophy that learning is rooted in experience and knowledge derives from a process of inquiry. (JD)

A discussion of creativity and curiosity, particularly in the context of college instruction, examines two psychological models of creativity, the cognitive approach of Howard Gardner and one aligned with depth psychology (James Hillman). Commonalities are noted: preference for mess over management and for boundaries transgressed rather than…

Describes activities a public school class of 40 children in grades 1 through 4 at Westminster, Vermont, participated in during an integrated curriculum encouraging hands-on, inquiry-based learning in a cooperative setting. The activities revolved around a snack garden whose original purpose was to improve nutrition and nutritional awareness. (LZ)

Examines claims that the bodies of knowledge, standards, and methods of inquiry promulgated by the university are undemocratic, representing a hegemony of Western, middle class, male culture. Argues that this view is based on a social construction view of knowledge and points out problems with this view. (SM)