The paper examines the nature of qualitative empirical studies published in the AHRD proceedings from 1999-2003 and discusses findings on research purpose, research question(s), and inquiry literature cited. (Contains 4 tables.)

This paper presents the voices of California beginning teachers who completed focus group discussions on their perceptions of their own development as reflective practitioners, analyzing the nature and extent of teachers' thinking. Teachers were part of the California Formative Assessment and Support System for Teachers (CFASST), which is framed…

This document evaluates the Parks as Resources for Knowledge in Science (PARKS) project which supports environmental education in 36 National Parks across the United States and provides curriculum-based learning opportunities that integrate National Science Education Standards for teachers and students. Contents include: (1) "Executive…

The purpose of this study was to examine the following questions: a) what practices, if any, develop in the elementary science classroom to nurture development of technology as an imaginative extension of the learning environment; (b) how does an elementary teacher's practice change as technology is integrated into her/his science curriculum? How…

This paper introduces a course entitled "Teaching and Learning Life Science" which was developed as a direct response to a call for educational change in science teacher education. This course combines science content with laboratory experiences and pedagogy with inquiry learning. The targeted population includes non-science major students who are…

Teaching through inquiry can take many forms with most descriptions of inquiry emphasizing investigations. Though inquiry-based teaching strategies typically engage students in investigations, it is not the physical activity that defines inquiry. Teaching through inquiry is distinguished by its emphasis on a questioning attitude, gathering data,…

This chapter examines the role of inquiry in the development of instructional leadership in classroom teachers. It focuses on the impact that inquiry has on professional development, the promotion of professionalism, and collaboration through data-driven communication. The structure and function of leadership among these concepts serves as the…

According to the National Science Education Standards, Standard A states that science students must have the abilities and understandings necessary to do scientific inquiry. The Standards explicitly state that small groups of students should hypothesize from prior experiences, construct explanations, evaluate explanations, design investigations,…

The National Research Council (NRC) (1996) refers to scientific inquiry as "the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work." This could be paraphrased, as 'scientific inquiry is what scientists say it is.' Accepting this rephrasing at face value, a study has been…

The ability to become a scientifically literate citizen rests on the foundation students build from elementary, middle, and high school science experiences. The North Carolina Science Standard Course of Study (SCS) provides the concepts and theories all students should understand. Strands unify the goals and objectives and reflect a science as…

The "paradigm dialogue" is an attempt to examine the philosophical positions of competing social science "ways of knowing" in the hope of establishing a dialogue among these different schools of thought. Three paradigms--postpositivism, critical theory, and constructivism--were examined in regard to their stances on three…

Two hypotheses regarding the relationship between scientific reasoning skills and the use of the inquiry method of instruction in college biology labs were examined. The first hypothesis was that scientific reasoning skills influence an instructor's ability to teach biology using inquiry. The second hypothesis was that the effectiveness with which…

This book is a guide to an approach to professional development in which one's own teaching is a field of inquiry. The book explores the nature of the university teacher's inquiry and the importance of questioning personal and intellectual values in university teaching. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction to the Enquiry"; (2) "The…

This paper focuses on the importance of inquiry in the development of scientific knowledge and includes recommendations for inquiry teaching in higher education, especially in preservice teacher education. Some of the recommendations include: (1) students should engage in inquiry early; (2) teachers should be able to effectively ask questions and…

This project studied the effects of an inquiry-based, integrated science course on student science literacy. The course was aligned to state and national science standards. The target population consisted of sophomore, junior, and senior high-school students in an upper-middle class suburb of a major Midwestern city. Questionnaires, tests, and…