Collaborating to improve inquiry-based teaching in elementary science and mathematics methods courses

Paula A. Magee, Ryan Flessner

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    This study examines the effect of promoting inquiry-based teaching (IBT) through collaboration between a science methods course and mathematics methods course in an elementary teacher education program. During the collaboration, preservice elementary teacher (PST) candidates experienced 3 different types of inquiry as a way to foster increased understanding of inquiry based teaching (IBT). The experiences included a PST driven science inquiry and a mathematics inquiry where PSTs were learners and a science inquiry where PSTs were teachers. During and following the semester of the collaboration, data were collected to assess the impact of the inquiry experiences on the PSTs’ understanding of IBT. Student work and teacher field notes suggest that PSTs were able to identify, confront and wrestle with the complexities of IBT.

    Original languageAmerican English
    JournalScholarship and Professional Work – Education
    Volume23
    Issue number4
    StatePublished - Dec 1 2012

    Keywords

    • elementary teacher education
    • inquiry based teaching
    • mathematics
    • preservice education
    • science

    Disciplines

    • Education
    • Educational Methods
    • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
    • Science and Mathematics Education
    • Teacher Education and Professional Development

    Cite this