Teacher Inquiry Defined
– Teacher inquiry is a newer way of researching educators in order to develop new strategies.
- allows teachers to personally reflect on themselves, thick critically about what and how they taught and think of ideas to change or fix anything
– Other ways of researching involve outside sources
- Process-product: teachers are responsible to implement the research provided by ‘outsiders’
- Qualitative or Interpretive: research conducted by Universities for academic use
– Studies need to include the voices closest to the children
– Teachers are knowledge generators
– Involving teachers in the processes may help them be open to some critique and implementing changes
– Teachers professional practice is a cognitive process of posing questions, exploring problems and thinking of solutions
– If teachers can inquire into their own learning and teaching they can adjust to better the students as well as set an example
– Teacher planned reflection time is key to the success of the teacher and students
Questions:
How can a researcher possibly narrow down the daily activities of a teacher and create a study?
Why doesn’t planned teacher reflection happen more often?