The goal of the Inquiry Synthesis Project was to synthesize findings from research conducted between 1984 and 2002 to address the research question, What is the impact of inquiry science instruction on K-12 student outcomes? The timeframe of 1984 to 2002 was selected to continue a line of synthesis work last completed in 1983 by Bredderman [Bredderman [1983] Review of Educational Research 53: 499-518] and Shymansky, Kyle, and Alport [Shymansky et al. [1983] Journal of Research in Science Teaching 20: 387-404], and to accommodate a practicable cutoff date given the research project timeline, which ran from 2001 to 2006. The research question for the project was addressed by developing a conceptual framework that clarifies and specifies what is meant by ''inquiry-based science instruction,'' and by using a mixed-methodology approach to analyze both numerical and text data describing the impact of instruction on K-12 student science conceptual learning. Various findings across 138 analyzed studies indicate a clear, positive trend favoring inquiry-based instructional practices, particularly instruction that emphasizes student active thinking and drawing conclusions from data. Teaching strategies that actively engage students in the learning process through scientific investigations are more likely to increase conceptual understanding than are strategies that rely on more passive techniques, which are often necessary in the current standardized-assessment laden educational environment. ß

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Elementary schools are under increasing pressure to teach science and teach it well; yet, research documents that classroom teachers must overcome numerous personal and school‐based challenges to teach science effectively at this level, such as access to materials and inadequate instructional time. The elementary science specialist model represents an alternative to the traditional model of classroom teachers providing science instruction. Although changing who teaches science may remove personal challenges, we do not know if the specialist alone can overcome the school‐based challenges to teaching science. This study explored how school supports for science teaching varied across five elementary schools with science specialists through a qualitative comparative case study methodology. Drawing upon theory from organizational studies, school supports were conceptualized as four interrelated dimensions: (1) leadership, (2) resources, (3) culture, and (4) the external environment. Findings indicate that the science specialist model alone is insufficient to overcome school‐based challenges to science teaching. Findings also reveal the potential danger of the specialist model to marginalize science as a content area. Overall, this study clarifies the importance of the principal to provide schoolwide leadership for science and to establish the value of science necessary to support a strong elementary science program.

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