THERE’S A METHOD TO MY MADNESS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF SECONDARY SCIENCE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION AND PLANNING OF INQUIRY IN URBAN SECONDARY CLASSROOMS

There has been a declining interest in science by adolescents as they mature in the American school system (Anderman & Young, 1994). Inquiry-based teaching is a supported practice with the aim of shifting science teaching to better engage students. This study offers a qualitative analysis of teachers’ perceptions and implementation of inquiry-based teaching in secondary classrooms by examining perceptions, co-planning, assessment selection, and classroom instruction. By using survey data, applying the Science Teacher Inquiry Rubric (STIR) as an observation tool, and collecting qualitative data from teacher planning documents and assessments, the present study fills a critical gap in inquiry-based teaching scholarship. The results show that teachers think that inquiry involves student-centered activities and curricular agency, that the teacher’s role is that of a facilitator, and that inquiry yields a practice or product. Teachers use online resources and previously outlined units and focus their attention on student outcome goals during co-planning sessions. The STIR data revealed that the student assessments and classroom experiences were teacher-centered.

Grantor dc:publisher

Temple University. Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Bennett, Alexis Rylander

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Hall, John

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Cordes, Sarah A.
• Brandt, Carol B.
• Bailey, Janelle M.

• Science education
• Secondary education
• Educational leadership
• Inquiry
• Inquiry-based
• Science
• Teachers
• Teaching
• Urban

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12613/8561

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/8561