Inquiry Based Science: A Constructivist Approach in Teacher Education.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper presents an integrative model for developing collaborative academic structure between education and science/mathematics content departments. The model was developed through active partnerships with selected professional development schools (PDS PreK-12), College of Science and Mathematics faculty, and teacher educators in a professional College of Education. Survey results indicate that joint faculty appointments between academic departments and education, in tandem with clinical faculty appointments for PreK-12 teachers, lead to strong inquiry-based science courses for preservice teacher education candidates. Joint teaching of science courses was aligned with a constructivist approach and resulted in inquiry based science/mathematics courses taught to interns at PDS. Faculty with joint appointments between education, science, and mathematics successfully achieved tenure. (Contains 23 references.) (SM)