Elementary teacher's conceptions of inquiry teaching: Messages for teacher development

Journal article


Ireland, Joseph, Watters, James Joseph, Brownlee, Joanna and Lupton, Mandy. (2012). Elementary teacher's conceptions of inquiry teaching: Messages for teacher development. Journal of Science Teacher Education. 23(2), pp. 159 - 175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-011-9251-2
AuthorsIreland, Joseph, Watters, James Joseph, Brownlee, Joanna and Lupton, Mandy
Abstract

This study explored practicing elementary school teacher’s conceptions of teaching in ways that foster inquiry-based learning in the science curriculum (inquiry teaching). The advocacy for inquiry-based learning in contemporary curricula assumes the principle that students learn in their own way by drawing on direct experience fostered by the teacher. That students should be able to discover answers themselves through active engagement with new experiences was central to the thinking of eminent educators such as Pestalozzi, Dewey and Montessori. However, even after many years of research and practice, inquiry learning as a referent for teaching still struggles to find expression in the average teachers’ pedagogy. This study drew on interview data from 20 elementary teachers. A phenomenographic analysis revealed three conceptions of teaching for inquiry learning in science in the elementary years of schooling: (a) The Experience-centered conception where teachers focused on providing interesting sensory experiences to students; (b) The Problem-centered conception where teachers focused on engaging students with challenging problems; and (c) The Question-centered conception where teachers focused on helping students to ask and answer their own questions. Understanding teachers’ conceptions has implications for both the enactment of inquiry teaching in the classroom as well as the uptake of new teaching behaviors during professional development, with enhanced outcomes for engaging students in Science.

Keywordsinquiry based learning; primary science; phenomenography; student engagement; elementary science
Year2012
JournalJournal of Science Teacher Education
Journal citation23 (2), pp. 159 - 175
PublisherSpringer-Verlag
ISSN1046-560X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-011-9251-2
Scopus EID2-s2.0-84858748028
Page range159 - 175
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
Place of publicationNetherlands
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/878yy/elementary-teacher-s-conceptions-of-inquiry-teaching-messages-for-teacher-development

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 52
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 3
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as