Teacher collaboration’s influence on inquiry-based science teaching methods

ABSTRACT

Developing inquiry-based science teaching (I.B.S.T.) methods in lower secondary schools challenges many schools and educational bodies. The paper addresses the influence of teacher collaboration on science teachers’ approaches and practices regarding I.B.S.T. The research emphasises three case studies: two science teachers, one expert and one new teacher, attending programmes based on teacher collaboration; one experienced teacher without any specific training on I.B.S.T.. Each of the three teachers was videotaped during one classroom session and interviewed about the video directly after the lesson. Their practices were portrayed in terms of the six crucial dimensions and indicators of I.B.S.T. Differences were seen among the three teachers. The two teachers attending programmes based on teacher collaboration employ teaching approaches and practices with greater emphasis on learning and learners. The isolated teacher’s approaches and practices are more content- and teacher-centred. These findings concurred with quantitative results from the broader sample from which the case study was drawn. Outcomes concerning teacher training are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Science education
• teacher collaboration
• inquiry-based science teaching
• professional knowledge
• activity theory

Acknowledgements

This study was part of the S-TEAM project which has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013, project no. 234870). The authors would particularly like to thank all members of the S-TEAM project who carried out the research, intended to fruitful debates and produced documents which enabled the six-dimensional model of I.B.S.T. to be clarified. We are especially grateful to our students, science teachers, teacher educators and local inspectors for their effective engagement with this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme; (FP7/2007-2013).

Notes on contributors

Céline Lepareur

Céline Lepareur has a Ph.D. in education science and is part of the LaRAC Laboratory at the University Grenoble Alpes. She collaborated in the S-TEAM European project dedicated to foster science teacher education towards inquiry-based learning.

Michel Grangeat

Michel Grangeat is an emeritus professor of educational science at the University of Grenoble Alpes in France. He edited “Understanding science teachers’ professional knowledge growth” and, as part of the European expert group on science education, he contributed to the report “Science education for responsible citizenship”.