Professional Development for Inquiry-Based Science Teaching and Learning

This book examines the implementation of inquiry-based approaches in science teaching and learning. It explores the ways that those approaches could be promoted across various contexts in Europe through initial teacher preparation, induction programmes and professional development activities. It illustrates connections between scientific knowledge deriving from the science education research community, teaching practices deriving from the science teachers' community, and educational innovation. Inquiry-Based Science Teaching and Learning (IBST/L) has been promoted as a policy response to pressing educational challenges, including disengagement from science learning and the need for citizens to be in a position to evaluate evidence on pressing socio-scientific issues. Effective IBST/L requires well-prepared and skilful teachers, who can act as facilitators of student learning and who are able to adapt inquiry-based activity sequences to their everyday teaching practice. Teachers also need to engage creatively with the process of nurturing student abilities and to acquire new assessment competences. The task of preparing teachers for IBST/L is a challenging one. This book is a resource for the implementation of inquiry-oriented approaches in science education and illustrates ways of promoting IBST/L through initial teacher preparation, induction and professional development programmes.

Preface.- What is inquiry-based science teaching and learning? Costas P. Constantinou and Olia E. Tsivitanidou.- Section 1: Promoting student inquiry in the science classroom.- Science inquiry as part of technological design: a case of school based development in Norway, Berit Bungum.- Promoting IBSE with living organisms: Introducing snails in the secondary science classroom, Eliza Rybska.- Drama as a Learning Medium in Science Education, Ran Peleg, Anna-Lena Østern, Alex Strømme, Ayelet Baram Tsabari.- Section 2: Familiarizing teachers with motivational approaches and scientific literacy goals for inquiry based learning, Using motivational theory to enrich IBSE teaching practices, Hanne Møller Andersen, Lars Brian Krogh.- Taking advantage of the synergy between scientific literacy goals, inquiry based methods and self-efficacy to change science teaching, Robert Evans and Jens Dolin.- Inquiry-based approaches in primary science teacher education, Sami Lehesvuori, Ilkka Ratinen, Josephine Moate, Jouni Viiri.- Section 3: Fostering teachers' competences in cross-domain scientific inquiry.- Promoting Pre-service Teachers' Ideas about Nature of Science through Science-related Media Reports, Gultekin Cakmakci and Yalcin Yalaki.- The development of collaborative problem solving abilities of pre-service science teachers by stepwise problem-solving strategies, Palmira Peciuliauskiene and Dalius Dapkus.- Teachers as Educational Innovators in Inquiry-Based Science Teaching and Learning, Anni Loukomies, Kalle Juuti, and Jari Lavonen.- Section 4: Capitalizing on teacher reflections to enhance inquiry-based science teaching.- Biology Olympiad as a Resource and Inspiration for Inquiry-Based Science Teaching, Jan Petr, Miroslav Papácek and Iva Stuchlíková.- A Teacher Professional Development Programme on Dialogic Inquiry, Margareta Enghag, Susanne Engström, and Birgitta Norberg.- Designing teacher education and professional development activities for science learning, Andrée Tiberghien, Zeynab Badreddine, and David Cross.- Conclusions.- Concluding remarks: Challenges in implementing IBSE, Loucas T. Louca, Thea Skoulia, Olia E. Tsivitanidou and Costas P. Constantinou.