A Review of Empirical Literature on Inquiry Professional Development: Alignment with Best Practices and a Critique of the Findings
Source: Journal of Science Teacher Education, Volume 23, Issue 3, pp 291-318, April 2012.
The authors present a targeted critical review of research focused specifically on the nature of professional development (PD) programs purported to emphasize inquiry.
The review analyzes the features of each program and critiques the reported outcomes of each study.
The findings suggest a general alignment with recommended features of effective PD as outlined in the literature with a few notable exceptions, including: supporting teachers in developing inquiry-based lesson plans, providing authentic inquiry experiences, and focusing on science content for teachers.
More importantly, this review reveals that no reported study has connected participation in inquiry-based PD with all the desired outcomes of teacher PD: enhanced teacher knowledge, change in beliefs and practice, and enhanced student achievement.