The Inquiry Design Model in Practice: A Content Analysis of Teacher-Created Inquiries

• In Event: Social Studies Education: From National Policies to the Classroom

Abstract

The publication of the C3 Framework was an attempt to provide some coherence across the various states around a fundamental premise in social studies education—inquiry. Although the C3 Framework and the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) offer a solid theoretical backing for engaging in inquiry within the various social studies disciplines, research on how teachers are applying these models is needed. In this study, we analyze how teachers from different grade levels and subject areas who had been trained in the IDM created inquiry-based units. In total, we analyzed 38 inquiries from elementary, middle grades, and secondary teachers. Collectively, our findings offer implications for the training of preservice teachers and teacher professional learning.

Authors

• Wayne Journell, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Adam Friedman, Wake Forest University

• Emma Sowards Thacker, James Madison University

• John K. Lee, North Carolina State University

• Paul G. Fitchett, University of North Carolina - Charlotte