Inquiry Group Research Articles

STUDENTS’ CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS IN AN INQUIRY-BASED FLIPPED CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of an Inquiry-based Flipped classroom model on the conceptual understanding and science process skills of junior high school students in the Philippines. Method: A two-group pretest/post-test design was conducted on 55 Grade 9 students for the study. One group received instruction using the flipped classroom format while the other group serving as control was taught in the conventional format. A Conceptual Understanding Test (CUT) and a Science Process Skills Test (SPST) were used to measure the impact of instruction on the two groups. Independent samples t-test was used to determine if there was a significant difference between the groups while paired samples t-test was conducted on both groups to determine if the groups improved significantly after a 7-week intervention. Linear regression was performed to determine if science process skills was a positive predictor of conceptual understanding. Findings: Inquiry-based flipped classroom did not make students perform better than the non-flipped inquiry-based learning environment in the Conceptual Understanding Test (CUT) and Science Process Skills Test (SPST) except on one biology topic (non-Mendelian Genetics) where the Flipped Inquiry Group scored significantly higher than the control in the CUT. Students’ science process skills positively predicted their conceptual understanding in biology. Significance: Inquiry–based flipped classroom can be as effective as the non-flipped inquiry-based instruction in improving students’ conceptual understanding and science process skills but can be made even more effective depending on the content, the manner the content is uploaded and the choice of LMS for uploading the online content. The study also showed the importance of science process skills in enhancing students’ conceptual understanding in biology.

'… This is my home and my neighbourhood with my very good and not so good memories': The story of autobiographical place-making and a recent life with dementia.

As part of the wider Neighbourhoods and Dementia Study, co-researchers from the Open Doors Research Group (based in Salford, UK) produced a series of three films with the title ‘The Changing Face of our Neighbourhood’. These films were subsequently placed on ‘YouTube’ and document co-researchers’ storied experiences of Salford and the industrial, economic and social changes that have occurred over the inquiry group’s lifetime. Drawn directly from this autobiographical and socio-generational work, this article focuses on the experience of lead author Lesley Calvert, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2013 and has been a member of the Open Doors Research Group since 2014. Lesley grew up and worked as a district nurse for almost 40 years, remaining close to her place of birth in Salford all her life. In this article, Lesley draws upon her autobiographical narrative which she shares in the three films to describe the intersections between biography, place-making, belonging and dementia. The article concludes with the importance of democratising the research space and why academic researchers need to create opportunities for personal stories to be told, heard and acted upon.

Teacher Change Following a Professional Development Experience in Integrating Computational Thinking into Elementary Science

Computer science and computer science education are marked by gender and racial disparities. To increase the number and diversity of students engaging in computer science, young children need opportunities to develop interest and foundational understandings, including computational thinking (CT). Accordingly, elementary teachers need to understand CT, and how to integrate it into their practice. We investigate how to best support elementary teachers in learning to integrate CT into their science teaching through a CT professional development experience for elementary teachers. The professional development consisted of two parts: a professional development workshop and a science teacher inquiry group. In this study, we sought to understand if and how teachers’ views on integrating CT into their teaching practice changed following their participation in a yearlong professional development experience on CT. Based on our analysis, we offer suggestions for future research and implications for the design of professional development for integrating CT into science education.

Expanding repertoires of resistance

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how a collaborative narrative inquiry focused on cultivating critical English Language Arts (ELA) pedagogies supported teacher agency, or “the capacity of actors to critically shape their own responsiveness to problematic situations” (Emirbayer and Mische, 1998, p. 971).Design/methodology/approachSituated in a semester-long inquiry group, eight k-16 educators used narrative inquiry processes (Clandinin, 1992) to write and collectively analyze (Ezzy, 2002) stories describing personal experiences that brought them to critical ELA pedagogies. They engaged in three levels of analysis across the eight narratives, including open coding, thematic identification, and identification of how the narrative inquiry impacted their classroom practices.FindingsAcross the narratives, the authors identify what aspects of the ELA reading, writing and languaging curriculum emerged as problematic; situate themselves in systems of oppression and privilege; and examine how processes of critical narrative inquiry contributed to their capacities to respond to these issues.Research limitations/implicationsCollaborative narrative inquiry between teachers and teacher educators (Sjostrom and McCoyne, 2017) can be a powerful method to cultivate critical pedagogies.Practical implicationsTeachers across grade levels, schools, disciplines and backgrounds can collectively organize to cultivate critical ELA pedagogies.Originality/valueAlthough coordinated opportunities to engage in critical inquiry work across k-16 contexts are rare, the authors believe that the knowledge, skills and confidence they gained through this professional inquiry sensitized them to oppressive curricular norms and expanded their repertoires of resistance.

Creating organisational and practice change through the use of co-operative inquiry groups in healthcare settings

This paper explores the challenges and learning achieved in utilising co-operative inquiry groups as an action research method through the presentation and critical reflection of two different research projects located in health and social care settings. One study was based in a domestic violence agency and the other was based in an age-related healthcare multidisciplinary team in an acute hospital. The paper compares and contrasts the use of a co-operative inquiry approach in these different contexts and explores how the action-based approach affected the way in which practitioners shaped, developed and implemented improved responses and work practices. The paper offers a vivid insight into the complexities of establishing, maintaining and negotiating research relationships where there are inherent power differentials and reveals the strong parallels that can be drawn between research and professional relationships. Learning points fell into three broad areas: participation and engagement within the inquiry group process, power and decision-making and the influence of organisational structures on practice and policy changes. A significant strength of this paper is the reflexive and inquiring conversations which took place between the researchers which facilitated a critical reflection of shared experiences, dilemmas and action learning from utilising a co-operative inquiry group approach.

Fairies on the schoolyard: curriculum as inclusive conversation

ABSTRACT What does it mean for curriculum to be inclusive? This paper builds upon assertions that standardised, pre-determined curriculum marginalises students. This is especially harmful for students labelled with disabilities. I argue for an alternative approach to curriculum that is more fluid and inclusive than the traditional model. Describing this approach, I call on the image of a conversation: a discourse influenced by everyone, informal, and easily responsive to constant redirection. Where this model is applicable to all students, curriculum as conversation is especially needed for students labelled with disabilities. In the first part of this paper, I provide an argument for why inclusive curriculum is beneficial for everyone and flesh out the notion of conversation. In the second half, I look at how teachers in the long-term teacher inquiry group, the Brookline Teacher Research Seminar (BTRS) successfully treated curriculum as a conversation to include their students. I demonstrate how the writings of these teachers offer an extremely helpful opus of counter-narratives on inclusive conversational curricula.

Examining the effectiveness of guided inquiry with problem-solving process and cognitive function training in a high school chemistry course

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of traditional versus guided inquiry (with problem-solving process and cognitive function training) on high school chemistry knowledge, science process skills, scientific attitudes, and problem-solving competency. Two classes of students were recruited from three classes of Grade 11 students at one school in North-eastern Thailand. Using a split-plot design, students were assigned to an experimental (N = 34) and a control group (N = 31), and were administered (a) learning achievement tests (chemistry knowledge, science process skills, and scientific attitude), (b) a problem-solving competency test, and c) tests of cognitive functioning. The findings showed that students’ learning achievement and problem-solving competency in the guided inquiry group were significantly higher than in the traditional group. The effect of the new teaching method does not seem to stem solely from improvement in cognitive functioning. We attributed the improvement to greater flexibility in the amount of information provided by the teachers, more effortful processing by the students, and greater collaboration amongst the students.

A Comparison of Instructional Design Approaches for Teaching Noncovalent Interactions

Students struggle to understand the physical basis of noncovalent interactions in the context of biochemistry. Our research goal is to develop instructional materials that take into account students' specific difficulties with biochemistry problems, principles from cognitive science, and the context of undergraduate education. From the constructivist perspective, we know pure discovery learning through problem solving alone is not beneficial; some direct instruction or guidance is necessary. Cognitive load theory suggests worked example‐problem pairs are optimal for learning due to limited working memory capacity. Alternatively, instructional design approaches in mathematics known as productive failure suggest that desirable difficulties in the initial phase of a lesson prepare students to learn from subsequent instruction. Finally, scaffolded problem solving in the form of guided inquiry is a popular instructional design where support is provided as needed and fades away as knowledge is built. Interestingly, the literature lacks a head‐to‐head comparison of these three instructional design approaches, especially in the domain of biochemistry. This study investigates the following research question: Among worked examples, productive failure, and guided inquiry, which instructional design will improve biochemistry students' problem solving about persistently difficult aspects of the physical basis of noncovalent interactions? In Spring 2018, ~100 students from an introductory biology course at a research‐intensive institution were recruited to participate in a one‐hour lesson outside of class for extra credit in their course. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three instructional conditions: (1) a worked example approach where students were guided by the instructor through two worked examples and completed two problems on their own with no guidance, (2) a productive failure approach where students explored a set of two problems followed by instructor‐led direct instruction through two worked examples, and (3) a guided inquiry approach where students worked through four problems with guidance from an instructor and peer learning assistants. After completing the instructional phase, participants completed an assessment that included near and far transfer problems. Prior knowledge was equivalent in all instructional groups, and each instructional approach yielded normalized knowledge gains. Comparisons of near transfer problem‐solving performance revealed a statistically significant instructional effect. Specifically, participants in the worked example and productive failure instructional groups outperformed participants in the guided inquiry group. In future work we will further explore the impact of instruction on far transfer problem‐solving as well as the extent to which variables like spatial ability influence the impact of instruction.Support or Funding InformationARCS FoundationThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

“It’s Like a Puzzle With a Million Pieces”: The Productive Possibilities of Conflict in a Teacher Inquiry Group

“It’s Like a Puzzle With a Million Pieces”: The Productive Possibilities of Conflict in a Teacher Inquiry Group

We can’t do this alone: Validating and inspiring social justice teaching through a community of transformative praxis

Since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), neoliberal policies, such as standardized curriculum, high-stakes tests, accountability measures, school choice, charter schools, value-added models and school privatization have pushed social justice teaching to the margins. As a result, many educators endure demoralization, teach in a state of fear and are driven out of the classroom. This article examined of how educators sustained and enhanced their ability to teach for social justice through a teacher inquiry group (TIG) that was founded by a teacher activist organization in Los Angeles, California, USA. Conducting a qualitative case study methodology and critical inquiry group design, data were collected over the course of an academic year through observations and document analysis with 25 teacher participants and semi-structured interviews with six core teacher participants across the teaching experience spectrum. Findings reveal that TIG members engaged in a collective and individual social justice process described here as a community of transformative praxis. Through a community of transformative praxis, participants pursued pedagogical goals, became students of their praxis and practiced social justice teaching, which led to being validated and inspired to teach for social justice. The article provides implications for research and practice that considers social justice teacher retention, teacher professional development, and re-imaging the purpose and possibilities of public education.

“So Why Is It OK Here?” Literacy Candidates Grappling With Culture/Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Urban Fieldsites

Drawing on culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and the development of cultural competence, this study explores how teacher learners in a critical inquiry group narrated and discussed their urban field experiences, particularly in regard to equity-oriented literacy education. More specifically, this study demonstrates both the impact that deep-seated deficit perspectives had on how the teacher learners approached their work as educators and the tensions they felt between engaging in CRP and maintaining high standards. The article ends by offering a heuristic for “critical practice-based field experiences” as a way of contextualizing practice within school-based teacher learning.

When teachers become activists

Teacher activist groups (TAGs), which are formed both locally and through online communities, appear to be a growing force in response to the more corporate-driven reform movement of recent decades. The author explains how TAGs seek to influence education policy and practice through organized collective actions, such as protests, letter-writing campaigns, and alliances with like-minded groups. In addition, TAGs promote professional learning through workshops, book clubs, and inquiry groups.

The Black Teacher Project: How Racial Affinity Professional Development Sustains Black Teachers

The Black Teacher Project (BTP) is an organization that supports, develops and sustains Black teachers for schools in the United States. The organization is building a Black teaching force that reflects the diversity and excellence of Black people in the United States. In our pilot year, BTP offered racial affinity-based professional development supports for Black teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, and sought to understand the impact on the teachers who participated. This article describes the findings from these supports, including a year-long book study, inquiry groups, and drop-in “Rejuvenation Spaces.” A key finding from this initial pilot study is that racial affinity-based professional development decreases isolation and increases retention for Black teachers.

Perceptions and Experiences of Patients and Informal Caregivers in Advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Exploratory Study (TH371B)

•Understanding the perceptions of patients and informal caregivers in advanced COPD.•Understanding what is lacking in PC provision in advanced COPD. Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is recognized as being a life-limiting condition with palliative care needs, palliative care provision is seldom implemented in this population. The disease unpredictability, the misconceptions about palliative care being restricted to cancer and only being relevant in the last days of life prevent a timely integrated care plan for patients with advanced COPD. To explore patients and informal caregivers' experiences during the disease trajectory and to understand their perceptions on palliative care integration in COPD. Ten individual interviews with adult patients suffering from advanced COPD (GOLD stages 3 and 4) and their informal caregivers were conducted and recorded. Data analysis was performed through thematic analysis. Six different themes were identified. Patients reported a feeling of personal guilt and a sense of discrimination by healthcare professionals with regard to their smoking habit. Informal caregivers mentioned their caring experience of loved-ones with a “self-inflicted disease” and their distress over acute exacerbations with a sense of helplessness in the case of dyspnoea. Both groups underlined their knowledge about the disease trajectory and the importance of having a palliative care support, which is currently lacking, addressing all multidimensional aspects of advanced COPD. These findings informed the second phase of the study, which involves healthcare professionals in a collaborative inquiry group as part of a participatory action research project. This group will aim to develop and try out new ways to integrate PC into outpatients' services for people with severe COPD.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Faculty Inquiry Groups as Communities of Practice for Faculty Professional Development

Many faculty in higher education have little-to-no formal preparation in the process of instructional design and the use of technology for learning, especially in research-intensive contexts. As such, professional development opportunities that focus on these issues play an important role in supporting best practices in teaching and learning. Communities of practice in the form of faculty inquiry groups (FIGs) may provide an effective avenue for faculty to enhance their awareness and implementation of technology-enhanced instructional strategies. This article describes the design and development of a series of faculty inquiry groups at a Research I institution and provides results of a comprehensive evaluation of those groups.

PENERAPAN PEMBELAJARAN PROBLEM BASED LEARNING (PBL) UNTUK MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR MATEMATIKA SISWA KELAS IV

The purpose of this study was to describe the steps to the application of PBL learning to improve student learning outcomes in the material fractions. This research was a class act. In this study the data source was the teacher and the student. Data collection techniques used in this study consisted of (a) observation, (b) interviews, and (c) test. Methods of data analysis used in this research is descriptive qualitative and descriptive comparative. The steps of learning by PBL method are (1) the stage of cooperation where students formed into groups of 4-5 students, (2) the orientation of students to the problem, namely the provision of problems related to everyday life, (3) organization students to learn independently in a group, (4) guided inquiry groups using worksheets to gather the appropriate information, and (5) develop and present the results of discussions through presentations to the class. The resulting increases in students' mathematics learning of the results of the pre-action test 71.31 and increased in the first cycle to 75.78, on the second cycle increased by 82.63.

Transforming the workplace environment to prevent non-communicable chronic diseases: participatory action research in a South African power plant

ABSTRACTBackground: The workplace is an important setting for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Policies for transformation of the workplace environment for occupational health and safety in South Africa have focused more on what to do and less on how to do it. There are no guidelines and little evidence on workplace-based interventions for NCDs.Objective: The aim of this study was to learn how to transform the workplace environment in order to prevent and control cardio-metabolic risk factors for NCDs amongst the workforce at a commercial power plant in Cape Town, South Africa.Methods: The study design utilized participatory action research in the format of a cooperative inquiry group (CIG). The researcher and participants engaged in a cyclical process of planning, action, observation and reflection over a two-year period. The group used outcome mapping to define the vision, mission, boundary partners, outcomes and strategies required. At the end of the inquiry the CIG reached a consensus on their key learning.Results: Substantial change was observed in the boundary partners: catering services (78% of progress markers achieved), sport and physical activities (75%), health and wellness services (66%) and managerial support (65%). Highlights from a 10-point consensus on key learning included the need for: authentic leadership; diverse composition and functioning of the CIG; value of outcome mapping; importance of managerial engagement in personal and organizational change; and making healthy lifestyle an easy choice.Conclusion: Transformation included a multifaceted approach and an engagement with the organization as a living system. Future studies will evaluate changes in the risk profile of the workforce, as well as the costs and consequences for the organization.

Finding Value in the Process: Student Empowerment through Self-Assessment

Four English language arts teachers formed an inquiry group to design approaches to writing assessment that would support and foster student writers’ agency, empowerment, and freedom.

‘When shall we three Meet Again’ PPRIG as a Practitioner–Practitioner–Researcher Collaboration Approach

This paper presents, discusses, and illustrates the practitioner–practitioner–researcher inquiry group (PPRIG) as a novel collaborative research approach involving practitioners as active partners instead of passive informants. Based on involvement of inside and outside practitioners vis‐à‐vis a particular organization, PPRIG taps into outside practitioners' specific potential for alternative ways of observing, reflecting, and sense‐making, to better explore and understand the how and why of management phenomena and to develop practical solutions. By systematically adding an outside practitioner perspective to the widespread insider (practitioner) and outsider (researcher) perspective in collaborative research, PPRIG responds to certain key criticisms of collaborative methods by giving precise guidelines for achieving such collaboration. PPRIG thus complements and extends existing research methods in the field of collaborative research. Moreover, by addressing the communication and collaboration challenges with a structured three‐step approach, it addresses key criticisms and answers fundamental questions about how to conduct collaboration between researchers and practitioners.

The Promise of Teacher Inquiry and Reflection: Early Childhood Teachers as Change Agents

In this article, a preschool teacher and an early childhood teacher educator describe and analyze their work co-creating and co-facilitating an early childhood inquiry group over seven years. The group consisted of veteran lead teachers, assistant teachers, instructional coaches, and an outside teacher educator at an urban, public preschool in San Francisco, California. Using the framework of narrative inquiry and portraiture, the article tells the story of the group’s formation, its structure, and its benefits for the participants’ personal and professional growth. The authors argue that an inquiry group is a highly viable, home-grown form of professional growth that relies on the group as a forum for self-study and reflection. The inquiry group provided the teachers with an increased understanding of child development and instructional strategies, a trusting public forum for sharing and validating their inquiry and teaching, and a communal opportunity to make visible the voices of teachers, children, and families.