Going Deep, Wide, and Long

Abstract

The decades-long and ongoing era of accountability-driven education is defined by top-down reforms targeting the ostensibly poor performance of public schools. Teacher researchers—who identify, examine, and mitigate their own problems of practice—offer a powerful counter-narrative. Cultivating and maintaining what is known as an inquiry stance, they hold themselves accountable by devoting their constant curiosity to continual improvement. Acknowledging the value of such reflective practice, this chapter offers insights for teacher education gleaned from a qualitative study of long-term teacher researchers that sought empirical evidence of the premise that an inquiry stance is a career-long habit. Examining the sociopolitical and institutional features that promoted and inhibited their stance of inquiry surfaced the deep scholarly preparation, wide ongoing support, and long-standing relationships that made them who they are. Consequently, this study illuminates how teacher educators can prepare future teacher researchers for going deep, wide, and long.