Changes in Middle School Teacher Questioning in the First Semester of Argument-Based Inquiry Professional Development

• In Event: Science Inquiry for Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This case study seeks to explore how a sixth grade teacher’s questioning changes as a result of a student-centered argument-based inquiry professional development. The areas observed include whether questions challenge student ideas, evaluation of student generated questions for investigation, and what happens when students reply with an answer that is inconsistent with the science explanation. The findings indicate improvement across the semester most notably with integrating student answers and challenging student replies. Less development was seen for developing fruitful investigation questions with students. These findings have important implications for inquiry professional development as well as theoretical views of teachers’ learning to teach science as inquiry.

Authors

• Brian Pinney, University of Iowa

• Brian Hand, University of Iowa