Among educators there is no clear definition for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). This complicates its conception and application in schools. Thus, it is critical when working with students that we develop a common understanding of STEM, or at least understand and value the different perspectives that others may have. This…

This article describes the development of the Teaching and Learning Inquiry Framework (TLIF) and applications for its use. For decades teacher preparation and support has been dictated by a narrow mindset in which academic disciplines have been taught in isolation. This landscape, however, is evolving to align with the view that the world is…

Drawing on a text-based ethnography of digital writing in a biology laboratory, this article examines the text trajectory of a scientific manuscript and a scientific team's related writing for public audiences, including for citizen scientists. Using data drawn from texts, observations, interviews, and related artifacts, the author examines how…

This paper considers an Action Research project which was implemented to establish a shared understanding of the term 'Education for Sustainable development' within the context of an Early Childhood Studies degree. Students engaged in projects with children and local early years' providers, and the research aligns with previous work undertaken by…

Teacher inquiry is the intentional and methodical reflection on one's praxis that leads to action, and the resulting adjustments to one's teaching practice. While scholars identify the importance of supports to be in place to sustain engagement in teacher inquiry, the specifics of the supports have remained somewhat unidentified, and there is…

As the lead tutor for primary science in an initial teacher education institution, part of David Allen's role involves inspiring trainee primary school teachers to "want" to teach science. Their first science lecture is entitled 'Awe and Wonder' and this is delivered with the intention of modelling how dynamic hooks can be used with…

'Wow' is a teaching tool. It is not just a way to grab attention but, correctly used, a means to enhance children's understanding and improve retention. Wow leads to why. In this why state pupils experience the 'vacuum of ignorance': they know they don't know, they know that the teacher does know (usually) and they want the teacher to fill that…

This phenomenological study uncovered barriers early-career elementary teachers face when teaching inquiry-based science. During interviews, teachers shared a variety of challenges to the implementation of inquiry-based teaching. Inductive analysis revealed the shared barriers of time, curriculum, lack of administration support, pressure to focus…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework on students' perspectives of an online Kinesiology course. A Health-Related Fitness and Wellness course, an introductory Kinesiology class in the California State University, was converted to an online format using the CoI framework. Results showed…

This dissertation is comprised of three interlinked studies investigating young children's authentic inquiry practices. The first article provides a literature synthesis of over two hundred and fifty in-depth cases of K-6 facilitated authentic inquiry learning environments. These cases reveal the wide-ranging authentic inquiry practices that are a…

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, 2013) emphasize rich integration of authentic science inquiry practices with science content knowledge to promote deeper understandings and flexible transfer of practices and knowledge (Hilton & Honey, 2011). Meeting this goal poses significant challenges for teachers (Hofstein, & Lunetta, 2004;…

The Next Generation Science Standards [1] expect students to master disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and scientific practice. In prior work, we showed that students benefited from real time scaffolding of science practices such that students' inquiry competencies both improved over time and transferred to new science topics. The…

Do you sense that some students have mentally "checked out" of your classroom? Look closely and you will probably find that these students are bored by lessons that they view as unchallenging and uninteresting. In this follow-up to "The Highly Effective Teacher: 7 Classroom-Tested Practices That Foster Student Success," Jeff…

Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) is a pedagogy that is based on research on how people learn and has been shown to lead to better student outcomes in many contexts and in a variety of academic disciplines. Beyond facilitating students' mastery of a discipline, it promotes vital educational outcomes such as communication skills and…

Take a deeper dive into understanding the five practices-anticipating, monitoring, selecting, sequencing, and connecting-for facilitating productive mathematical conversations in your middle school classrooms and learn to apply them with confidence. This follow-up to the modern classic, "The 5 Practices in Practice: Successfully Orchestrating…