Beyond cognitive outcomes, inquiry instruction can have positive general and differentiated affective outcomes. In this exploratory study, teacher-nominated highto low-average achievers in Grades 5 through 9 (N = 272, mean age 11.7 years), in classrooms exhibiting rare, occasional, and frequent inquiry qualities, were assessed on Csikszentmihalyi's construct of flow, following a recent unit and reflecting on their favorite subject. We focused on flow because it addresses education and life in general, and flow and inquiry invoke challenge and persistence. Interviews complemented these data. High-achieving participants reported most flow in inquiry and in their favorite subjects; in both situations, they could participate in determining the content. All students reported greater flow in inquiry-based activities and environments, and in their favorite subjects versus recent units. All preferred challenging over easy work although for different reasons. All highlighted feeling able to succeed and interest in an activity to experience flow.

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Testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) are the end products of neuroendocrine axes that interact with the process of shaping brain structure and function. Relative levels of T:C (TC ratio) may alter prefrontal–amygdala functional connectivity in adulthood. What remains unclear is whether TC-related effects are rooted to childhood and adolescence. We used a healthy cohort of 4–22-year-olds to test for associations between TC ratios, brain structure (amygdala volume, cortical thickness (CTh), and their coordinated growth), as well as cognitive and behavioral development. We found greater TC ratios to be associated with the growth of specific brain structures: 1) parietal CTh; 2) covariance of the amygdala with CTh in visual and somatosensory areas. These brain parameters were in turn associated with lower verbal/executive function and higher spatial working memory. In sum, individual TC profiles may confer a particular brain phenotype and set of cognitive strengths and vulnerabilities, prior to adulthood.