Changes in Teachers' Ability to Design Inquiry-Based Lessons During a Two-Year Preparation Program

Abstract

Current reforms require teachers to design effective inquiry-based lessons. This is a challenging task particularly for preservice teachers who may not have experienced inquiry learning, and who do not posses a large repertoire of teaching strategies, or knowledge of student thinking in the domain. Here we report on the development of preservice teachers' lesson designs in the context of a two-year certification program with four consecutive methods courses. These courses included multiple opportunities to plan and implement inquiry-based lessons and units. We analyzed the lesson-designs of 15 preservice teachers. These lessons were generated as part of clinical interview conducted at the end of each course. Analysis of lessons revealed growth in the teachers' ability to: (a) craft appropriate questions to gather students' preconceptions and drive inquiry lesson, (b) anticipate students' prior knowledge and attend to the broader context of the curriculum, and (c) create more relevant investigations.