Inquiry Seminar
What is Inquiry Seminar about?
Inquiry Seminar is unique in contemporary teacher education in that it prepares teacher candidates (TCs) to be self-directed learners and professionals rather than teachers who rely on a script. Generally speaking, the seminar helps TCs learn to do a modified type of research in their own classroom contexts. They identify a question about their practice that influences pupil learning and investigate this practice throughout the semester. They are required to use a social justice lens when choosing their questions/topics. The steps of the inquiry process involve self reflection, research on the chosen pedagogical practice, lesson planning, teaching lessons, gathering and analyzing data, and using this information to improve throughout various cycles of teaching. Much of the seminar time is devoted to workshopping parts of this process with other students and the instructor. The pupil learning data gathered is anonymous and used only for purposes of reflective practice and professional growth.
Inquiry Seminar Overview
Who completes Inquiry Seminar and when?
All teacher candidates complete Inquiry during their full-practicum semester. There are three Inquiry seminars: Senior Inquiry, Grad Inquiry I, and Grad Inquiry II. A Program Supervisor (PS) or Supervising Practitioner (SP) could have teacher candidates in any one of these courses during a given semester. Requirements and deadlines vary depending on the course. PSs and SPs will likely have no involvement in Grad Inquiry I.
What are the deadlines for teacher candidates?
Various steps of the process are spread throughout the full prac semester. Please see the relevant course pacing guides here:
Senior Inquiry
Grad Inquiry II
What is the role of the Program Supervisor and Supervising Practitioner throughout the Inquiry process?
Inquiry instructors are responsible for the teacher candidates’ work throughout this process. PSs and SPs may assist in helping teacher candidates generate ideas for their inquiry questions at the beginning of the semester. A helpful structure to use when forming a question for the class is: “What happens to students’ X (pupil learning) when I do Y (pedagogical practice)?”
PSs and SPs may also give feedback on lesson plans that will be used during the inquiry process. Since there is overlap between Practicum expectations and Inquiry coursework, teacher candidates are encouraged to “double dip” and turn in the same lesson plans for evaluation on the CAP and their Inquiry coursework. However, this is not required. TCs may ask their PSs or SPs for assistance in making sure that the lessons they designed help answer their Inquiry question.
Program Supervisors and Supervising Practitioners who have questions about Inquiry Seminar work may contact Dr. Annie Homza at anne.homza@bc.edu.