The paper presents a study that aimed to reveal the process quality descriptors of an argument-based inquiry approach. Process quality signifies whether a teacher is a better or unsatisfactory implementer of a version of in-class science inquiry. An experienced middle school science teacher was the participant. Based on the initial analysis…

Enhancing the effectiveness of short-duration teacher workshops is critical for improving science teaching and learning, particularly in the developing world. While project-based learning is known to enhance knowledge usability, its feasibility and optimal design within short-duration teacher workshops in the developing world is unclear. This…

This qualitative case study investigated the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) by sixth-grade teachers in diverse educational settings within the Central Valley of California. The research focused on identifying the practical successes and ongoing challenges faced by educators in elementary and middle school…

Project-based learning (PjBL) instruction is an inquiry-based method that is beneficial to student achievement and their exploration of 21st-century learning skills, but there is a gap in the literature about how Grades 6 to 8 teachers feel about PjBL and its implementation. The research problem was science teachers in the United States were not…

Background: Science teachers represent the critical link to the development of a scientifically literate citizenry who is capable of addressing societal problems and global challenges in ways that positively affect the quality of life. Purpose: We investigated how a long-term, inquiry-based professional development program could be utilized to…

This Mixed-Method Action Research study aimed to implement an extended Project-Based Learning professional development series with middle school science teachers. The professional development series took place during the teachers' Communities of Practice, offering them high-quality support, active participation, and content-specific conversations.…

This paper examines three in-service science teachers' use of argument-driven inquiry (ADI) instructional model in an urban school district. We explore the basis for teachers' adaptation of the ADI model. The data were collected through teacher interviews and classroom observations from three science teachers. Data analysis indicated that three…

Teaching science through inquiry-based methodologies has been advocated by several governmental and professional organizations (National Research Council [NRC], 2000; NGSS Lead States, 2013); however, their use is not widespread. Why is this? What science teachers do in their classrooms is shaped by their beliefs, especially their beliefs about…

This study explored a middle school science teacher's curricular sensemaking in interaction with their use of an educative storyline curriculum, aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards, that was intentionally designed for more opportunities for students' scientific sensemaking. Using a phenomenological case study methodology, we examined…

Georgia adopted science standards encouraging teachers to use inquiry-based instruction in science instruction in 2016 to improve science exam scores. The problem was a lack of improvement in science exam scores in middle school and high school students in a small rural school district in South Georgia since inquiry-based standards have been put…

This study aimed to reveal the experiences of science teachers conducting a science fair project for the first time. The research used quantitative data based on an online assessment survey for science fair projects. There are twenty-one questions (one of them is open-ended, the others are Likert type) developed by the researcher. The…

School districts choose programs based on limited data, word of mouth, or cost-effectiveness. STEM-based schools often choose project-based learning (PBL) programs to deliver curricula through limited research and word of mouth effectiveness. This study evaluated one PBL program implementation in the context of a suburban Texas middle school by…

This study sought to examine whether teachers' and educational administrators' conceptions of inquiry promote or constrain inquiry-based science teaching in junior high schools. The study also explored any connections between participants' conceptions of scientific inquiry, inquiry teaching, and inquiry learning. Multiple-case study involving…

Smart teaching is an essential skill for teachers to effectively transform their classrooms into active learning environments. However, teachers need to have specific abilities to apply the smart teaching approach which comprised of pedagogy, technology, and classroom management. This research was conducted based on the Khon Kaen University Smart…

The purpose of this research study was to investigate West Virginia middle school science teachers' perceptions regarding inquiry-based instruction.Teacher efficacy level, extent of use, and supports and obstacles in regard to inquiry-based instruction were considered. In addition, demographic relationships were explored in comparison with…