Exploring More Possibilities of Scientific Inquiry in Classrooms: Teachers’ Practical Wisdom in Inquiry-based Teaching

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Saturday 1:45 pm
  In Poster Session: Understanding Teacher Learning and Practice in Science Education

Abstract

Previous research on scientific inquiry emphasizes the role of teachers but mostly reports the shortcomings in teachers’ practice. This research proposal aims to explore how elementary teachers in China implement scientific inquiries in classrooms from an asset perspective. The study aims to reveal teachers’ practical wisdom in the procedural, epistemic, conceptual, and social domains of inquiry-based teaching. Preliminary results suggest that while teachers hold idealized conceptions of scientific inquiry in classrooms, the complexity of their teaching conditions requires them to adapt their practices. In response to these challenges, some teachers demonstrated remarkable practical wisdom in inquiry-based teaching, which was rooted in their theoretical knowledge, teaching experience, and educational beliefs.

Author

• Jiaxin Tang, University of Utah