The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between preschool teachers' reflective thinking tendencies and children's creativity. The study is in general screening model and was conducted with preschool teachers, and normally developing children attending kindergarten, primary school and secondary school in Konya city center in the…

With the recent curriculum reform in basic education (elementary to senior high school) in the Philippines, developing the research capacity of teachers is seen as a key factor in enhancing their instructional practices. The professional development (PD) design which was the data source of this qualitative study was conceptualised to follow a…

State and national standards have shifted what science learning should be from "plug and chug" formulas, to deep understanding of natural phenomena, competence developing ideas through the inquiry process, and even communicating scientific ideas among their communities (NRC 2007). By inquiring into his own teaching endeavors, the author continues…

This study investigated a professional development model designed to improve teachers' inquiry teaching efficacy as well as the quality of their inquiry instruction through engaging teachers in practice-teaching and reflection sessions. The programme began with a two-week summer Institute focused on both inquiry pedagogy and science content and…

The recent release of the Gonski Review recognises the decline in Australia's schooling performances over the last decade, noting in particular a distressing increase in the "achievement gap" affecting students from low SES backgrounds (Gonski, 2012). The report details the need for more quality in teachers throughout the schooling…

Teachers who engage in reflective practice are more effective and may encourage higher student achievement. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the methods that teachers use in order to engage in reflective practice. Further, it is essential to gain an understanding of how schools, including Jesuit high schools, promote reflective…

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…

Teaching is so multifaceted that learning to teach requires several years of experience after a person begins to practice. To maintain professional growth, teachers must develop an orientation to their work that includes reflection and renewal. In the absence of these factors, teaching can become too automatic, which can undermine its…

Presents a rationale for the self-study of professional practice and illustrates how the inquiry process can help make sense of professorial practice in education. Excerpts are included from life history interviews, individual and collective reflective writing, and electronic mail exchanges to explore the role of questioning in developing…

This report argues that the most effective way to raise academic achievement is for teachers to become inquiring professionals with action-research and reflective-thinking skills. The report defines effectiveness and examines the views of various stakeholders about what qualities they value in school, arguing that effectiveness is a complex…

In this book, seven teachers analyze their own efforts to integrate social, moral, and political issues into the public school classroom. The volume weighs the possibilities for making classrooms more responsive to the need for social justice, critical consciousness, and democratic values. Through their personal narratives, these teachers reveal…

The author leads a program that teaches teachers in a public university, most of whom work in struggling urban schools serving students from predominantly poor and minority backgrounds. The courses in her program share a common purpose: to develop understandings about the active nature of children's learning and to use these understandings to…

This monograph describes the Curriculum Inquiry Cycle (CIC), a professional development process that supports educators in making curriculum and instruction decisions responsive to state standards, local needs, and student characteristics. It is designed to improve learning and teaching, with the classroom as the central focus. The CIC has four…

Providing support focused on real challenges is critical in retaining highly qualified new science teachers, but the field lacks a systematic description of these teachers' needs. The authors of this article examine the areas that science teachers are expected to understand: (1) the content and disciplines of science; (2) learners; (3)…

Clinical supervision as inquiry encourages teachers to reflect upon their teaching and develop and test hypotheses about what is effective and why. The paper discusses two models of thinking (the multiple intelligences theory, and identification of habits of mind) that enrich the clinical supervision experience, and makes recommendations for staff…