Science Conference Presenters' Images of Inquiry
Department
Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-2009
Abstract
Inquiry-focused professional development and conceptions of inquiry held by eight professional development leaders were investigated within the context of a state science teacher conference. The prominent session format involved session leaders modeling classroom experiences. In all sessions, classroom inquiry was portrayed as a teacher-guided activity with the primary goal being to increase motivation for engaging students in classroom inquiry. The leaders' conceptualized inquiry primarily as a teaching approach with various goals, characteristics, and potential barriers. The findings of this study provide evidence of how inquiry, a prominent feature of science education reform, was portrayed in sessions at a conference sponsored by a state affiliate of the National Science Teachers Association and thought about by persons who led these sessions. The findings have implications for teacher learning from conference-based professional development and its potential influence on science teacher thinking and practice.
Journal Title
School Science and Mathematics
Journal ISSN
0036-6803
Volume
109
Issue
7
First Page
403
Last Page
414
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1111/j.1949-8594.2009.tb17871.x