Learning to Take an Inquiry Stance in Teacher Research: An Exploration of Unstructured Thought-Partner Spaces

Abstract

This article explores a research partnership between a university-based researcher and a middle school science teacher. Our partnership began with project-based inquiry and continued with unstructured thought-partner spaces: meetings with no agenda where we wrestled with problems of practice. Framed as incubation periods, these meetings allowed us to focus not on solution-oriented talk, but open grappling. Within these spaces, we found markers indicative of developing an inquiry stance, such as increased risk–taking and deepening self-reflection.

Key words:

• inquiry stance
• professional development
• teacher research
• university–school partnerships
• urban schools

ORCID

Nastasia Lawton-Sticklor http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4847-7938