Barriers to Inquiry-Based Instruction: A Longitudinal Study of History Teachers

Abstract

While there has been an increased focus on inquiry-based learning in teacher preparation programs, little is known about the influences of these programs on teacher development over time. Using activity theory as its theoretical framework, the researcher employed a longitudinal interpretative case study design to examine the development of three history teachers’ conceptual and practical tools from their methods course through their fifth year or exit from the classroom. The findings revealed that, while the teachers had inquiry-aligned beliefs and developed inquiry-related conceptual tools, a lack of practical tools and support during teacher preparation and within their eventual communities of practice had a major impact on their ability to frequently implement inquiry in their classrooms. Recommendations are offered for teacher preparation and inservice professional development programs.

Illuminating the Black Hole: Examining Middle Grade Social Studies Teacher Education Pathways and Student Achievement

“…The persistence of this type of instruction over 40 years later is complicated by the experiences and preparation of social studies instruction. In a case study of novice high school history teachers, Martell (2019) noted “barriers” to teaching from inquiry-driven pedagogical stance. The teachers, all of whom completed a traditional teacher education program and expressed an interest in disciplinary thinking, regressed toward the teacher-centered instruction of their own schooling when they could not figure out how to present a particular concept from an inquiry perspective.…”

Unravelling the interplay of primary school teachers’ topic-specific epistemic beliefs and their conceptions of inquiry-based learning in history and science

“…On the other hand, even though there is an equivalent interest in applying IBL in history education (Levy et al, 2013;Martell, 2020), research on teachers' conceptions of IBL is very scarce (see Voet & De Wever, 2016); especially with regard to primary school teachers, no relevant study was detected in the literature. Specifically, Voet and De Wever (2016) explored in-service secondary history teachers' beliefs about the nature of history and teaching history, their interplay, and further potential contextual influences in order to gain a greater overview of teachers' conceptions of IBL.…”

“…Therefore, teacher education programmes should take care of including such crucial elements, both explicitly through the content of the courses provided, and implicitly through teacher educators' practices (Greene & Yu, 2016;Guilfoyle et al, 2020;Voet & De Wever, 2016;Sinatra & Hofer, 2016). Within such educational contexts, pre-service teachers can be triggered to reflect on their epistemic beliefs and conceptions of IBL, and their interconnections (Fives et al, 2015), and acquire determining experiences of planning and implementing IBL in action (Ireland et al, 2012;Levy et al, 2013;Martell, 2020). At the same time, in-service teachers should be supported in similar ways through their participation in professional development programmes, after having taken further care of their more established beliefs and conceptions, due to their long teaching experience (Fives & Buehl, 2012.…”

A Case Study on the Use of Inquiry-Based Instruction to Improve Science Learning in Junior High Schools in Ghana

“…The connection between the method of teaching and learning achievement is established in scientific research (Aslan, 2019;Boxall, Boxall & Lucas, 2010). The inquiry method occupies a significant position among the various methodologies (Martell, 2020;Cetin, 2021;Vorholzer & von Aufschnaiter, 2019;Dostál, 2015). In recent times, Inquiry-Based learning has been incorporated into science teaching systems in schools to improve the teaching and learning of scientific concepts ( However, there are few empirical studies in the context of Africa to support such claims.…”