Type of Document	Thesis
Author	Dutrow, Jeff
URN	etd-07112005-173302
Title	An Assessment of Teachers’ Experiences in Scientific Research as a Method for Conceptual Development of Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Inquiry
Degree	Master of Science
Department	Middle and Secondary Education, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Penny J. Gilmer Committee Member William Herrnkind Committee Member
Keywords	Scientific Research Experiences Pedagogical Content Knowledge Inquiry
Date of Defense	2005-06-14
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract This purpose of this study was to assess the development of teachers’ conceptual understanding about inquiry in a professional development program designed to provide scientific research experiences as a means for increasing the practice of inquiry-based teaching. The teacher’s experiences in inquiry-based scientific research were the focus of reflective journal sessions employed as a pedagogical tool. The lead scientist also participated in the journaling process in order to develop a template describing his role as facilitator of the research experiences. The lead scientist’s template, representing his conceptions of inquiry, was consolidated into a set of three essential features: Provocative Phenomena, Questions, and Ownership. These features were compared to the teachers’ perceptions of their inquiry-based research experiences. Results from this comparison showed that each of the features of inquiry were intelligible to the teachers. There were no significant differences between teachers’ perceptions of inquiry when sorted by grade level. This study suggests that the identification of a Provocative Phenomena is an essential feature of inquiry that has been largely overlooked. Other important implications of this research include the ability of elementary teachers to profit from such experience, and the difficulty in constructing understandings of inquiry. Suggestions for future research are included.
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