Fostering teaching and learning through an inquiry-based literacy methods course
Abstract
This study describes a teacher certification literacy methods course taught in an elementary school setting and featuring a classroom practicum, integrated with course sessions, that focuses on work with individual children. It examines the influence of an inquiry approach, promoted in this course model, on teacher candidate development. Drawn from the analysis of field notes, teacher candidate written reflections, and formal course projects, the results of this study suggest the inquiry-based practicum encourages teacher candidate understanding of individual children, motivates engagement in the assessment-instruction-reflection cycle and facilitates development of pedagogical content knowledge as an element of effective teaching.
Reference
Smith, A. T., & Place, N. A. (2011). Fostering teaching and learning through an inquiry-based literacy methods course. The New Educator, 7(4), 305-324.
Journal
New Educator
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
Research Location Context
- field-based methods course
- Literacy methods course
Preservice Participants
- Undergraduates (university based program)
Preservice Sample Size
10
Other Participant Data
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- Course evaluations
- fieldnotes
- reflective essay
- researcher memos
- University coursework assignment (e.g. writing/project done for a grade)
Data Analysis Tools
- coding (emergent categories)
- trends
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
- Inside (studying their own programs)
Research Questions
Does the promotion of an inquiry approach focused on individual
students influence the development of teacher candidates and, if so,
how?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes