Developing Inquiry Questions: Encouraging Reflective Practice in a Language and Literacy Methods Course
Abstract
In this article, two university instructors analyze the process two pre-service teachers engaged in while developing an inquiry project in a Language and Literacy course in order to explore the use of practitioner research in pre-service teacher education. Findings indicate that probing questions and constant encouragement to refine questions were necessary to enable pre-service teachers to generate questions for which data could be collected. Pre-service teachers also had to be supported in the process of understanding what kinds of data needed to be collected to answer literacy-related questions and how the data might best be analyzed. These findings have implications for the teaching of reading in that inquiry-based instruction may help pre-service teachers better understand the relationships between theory and practice in the field of literacy.
Reference
Quiocho, A.M.L. & Ulanoff, S.H. (2004). Developing inquiry questions: encouraging reflective practice in a language and literacy methods Course. Action in Teacher Education, 25 (4), 1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2004.10648290
Journal
Action in Teacher Education
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
- Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development Credential
- multiple subjects credential
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
Preservice Sample Size
2
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- course materials
- fieldnotes
- reflections
- Survey
Data Analysis Tools
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)