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Efforts to improve science education have resulted in proposed innovative teaching methods and changing course sequences such as the inquiry-based Physics First curriculum. This study examined student and alumni perceptions of a Physics First course in a modified curriculum that inverted the traditional course sequence of Biology-Chemistry-Physics (BCP) to an inquiry-based Physics First (PF) curriculum in which students take an inquiry-based physics course as freshman and chemistry as sophomores. This study explored the experiences of students in their ninth grade physics course and how the Physics First curriculum influenced students’ and alumni future STEM course choices and experiences. The qualitative study included a sampling of 16 male students and alumni selected from students currently enrolled and alumni who graduated within five years of the study. All the students interviewed recalled positive, memorable experiences in their Physics-9 course as they explained in their interviews that they enjoyed their Physics-9 course and remembered details about the engaging, hands-on projects as their favorite activities. Since the adoption of the PF curriculum more students were taking honors and AP science courses and over 90% of the students at the site enrolled in four years of science even though only three years were required. Almost all of the students liked science for the first time because of the Physics-9 course.

In light of the expansion of student-centered instructional approaches in mathematics education and a brightening spotlight on virtual teacher supports, I look to Inquiry-Oriented Instruction (IOI) and explore how instructors reflect on and plan for their implementation of IOI in online professional development. I focus specifically on two teachers' comments on their implementation of IOI materials covering Abstract Algebra topics in online work groups developed to support teachers in implementing IOI. I analyze both reflection and enactment through the components of IOI characterized through the Instructional Triangle. Analysis of the teachers' reflections, viewed through their participation in the roles of sense maker, inquirer, and builder, revealed interesting differences in the teachers' approaches to IOI. I detail these two teachers' approaches to IOI and ultimately shed light on the intricacies of IOI and online professional development. Such findings support the growing bodies of research centered around IOI and corresponding professional development. / Master of Science / In light of the expansion of student-centered instructional approaches in mathematics education and a brightening spotlight on virtual teacher supports, I look to Inquiry-Oriented Instruction (IOI) and explore how instructors reflect on and plan for their implementation of IOI in online professional development. I focus specifically on two teachers' comments on their implementation of IOI materials covering Abstract Algebra topics in online work groups developed to support teachers in implementing IOI. I analyze both reflection and enactment through the components of IOI characterized through a framework model called the Instructional Triangle. Analysis of the teachers' reflections, viewed through their participation in the roles of sense maker, inquirer, and builder, revealed interesting differences in the teachers' approaches to IOI. I detail these two teachers' approaches to IOI and ultimately shed light on the intricacies of IOI and online professional development. Such findings support the growing bodies of research centered around IOI and corresponding professional development.

In recent decades, the truth commission has become a mechanism used by states to address historical injustices. However, truth commissions are rarely used in established democracies, where the commission of inquiry model is favoured. I argue that established democracies may be more amenable to addressing historical injustices that continue to divide their populations if they see the truth commission mechanism not as a unique mechanism particular to the transitional justice setting, but as a specialized form of a familiar mechanism, the commission of inquiry. In this framework, truth commissions are distinguished from other commissions of inquiry by their symbolic acknowledgement of historical injustices, and their explicit “social function” to educate the public about those injustices in order to prevent their recurrence. Given that Canada has established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on the Indian Residential Schools legacy, I consider the TRC’s mandate, structure and ability to fulfill its social function, particularly the daunting challenge of engaging the non-indigenous public in its work. I also provide a legal history of a landmark Canadian public inquiry, the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, run by Tom Berger. As his Inquiry demonstrated, with visionary leadership and an effective process, a public inquiry can be a pedagogical tool that promotes social accountability for historical injustices. Conceiving of the truth commission as a form of public inquiry provides a way to consider the transitional justice literature on truth commissions internationally along with the experiences of domestic commissions of inquiry to assemble strategies that may assist the current TRC in its journey.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand how five choral music educators’ life experiences, prior knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs, and understandings surrounding the formation of their musical selves have come to shape their professional practice. A secondary purpose of this research was to examine institutional context and governing ideologies of the choral music discipline. The study involved five choral music educators—including the researcher—of various ages, genders, and cultural backgrounds from Winnipeg, Manitoba. This research is grounded in what Beattie (1995) terms the dialectical and collaborative nature of narrative inquiry, but also looks to reflexive inquiry and life history methodologies (Cole & Knowles, 2000), as well as the practice of collective biography (Davies & Gannon, 2006) to shape its methodological framework. As such, autobiographical forms of self-study research are reconceptualized as collaborative self-study. Data collection methods included journal writing, personal in-depth interviews, and participant observation. In particular, regular focus group sessions, which included peer interviewing, played a central role throughout the research process. This forum allowed participants to share their musical life histories and interrogate each others’ narratives, thereby triggering musical memories and exposing the interconnectivity of musical pasts to current professional practice. Data is re-presented in rich narratives which trace the path of each participant’s musical life history in interaction with theory and relevant literature. Numerous themes, sub-themes, tensions, and epiphanal episodes (Denzin, 1994) are illuminated. Moreover, connections between participants’ experiences and resultant ways of knowing are exposed, and we are confronted with “the unexpectedness of universality” (Hofstadter, 2007, p. 242). Thus, our commonessence is revealed. Participant chapters are followed by a postlude featuring the researcher’s personal narratives, an examination of researcher voice, and questions regarding the practice of choral music education that have surfaced through reflexive analysis of the data. This research strives to be a model for personal professional development among choral music educators, and provides a template for future purposeful discussion in the choral discipline.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand how five choral music educators’ life experiences, prior knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs, and understandings surrounding the formation of their musical selves have come to shape their professional practice. A secondary purpose of this research was to examine institutional context and governing ideologies of the choral music discipline. The study involved five choral music educators—including the researcher—of various ages, genders, and cultural backgrounds from Winnipeg, Manitoba. This research is grounded in what Beattie (1995) terms the dialectical and collaborative nature of narrative inquiry, but also looks to reflexive inquiry and life history methodologies (Cole & Knowles, 2000), as well as the practice of collective biography (Davies & Gannon, 2006) to shape its methodological framework. As such, autobiographical forms of self-study research are reconceptualized as collaborative self-study. Data collection methods included journal writing, personal in-depth interviews, and participant observation. In particular, regular focus group sessions, which included peer interviewing, played a central role throughout the research process. This forum allowed participants to share their musical life histories and interrogate each others’ narratives, thereby triggering musical memories and exposing the interconnectivity of musical pasts to current professional practice. Data is re-presented in rich narratives which trace the path of each participant’s musical life history in interaction with theory and relevant literature. Numerous themes, sub-themes, tensions, and epiphanal episodes (Denzin, 1994) are illuminated. Moreover, connections between participants’ experiences and resultant ways of knowing are exposed, and we are confronted with “the unexpectedness of universality” (Hofstadter, 2007, p. 242). Thus, our commonessence is revealed. Participant chapters are followed by a postlude featuring the researcher’s personal narratives, an examination of researcher voice, and questions regarding the practice of choral music education that have surfaced through reflexive analysis of the data. This research strives to be a model for personal professional development among choral music educators, and provides a template for future purposeful discussion in the choral discipline.

In recent decades, the truth commission has become a mechanism used by states to address historical injustices. However, truth commissions are rarely used in established democracies, where the commission of inquiry model is favoured. I argue that established democracies may be more amenable to addressing historical injustices that continue to divide their populations if they see the truth commission mechanism not as a unique mechanism particular to the transitional justice setting, but as a specialized form of a familiar mechanism, the commission of inquiry. In this framework, truth commissions are distinguished from other commissions of inquiry by their symbolic acknowledgement of historical injustices, and their explicit “social function” to educate the public about those injustices in order to prevent their recurrence. Given that Canada has established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on the Indian Residential Schools legacy, I consider the TRC’s mandate, structure and ability to fulfill its social function, particularly the daunting challenge of engaging the non-indigenous public in its work. I also provide a legal history of a landmark Canadian public inquiry, the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, run by Tom Berger. As his Inquiry demonstrated, with visionary leadership and an effective process, a public inquiry can be a pedagogical tool that promotes social accountability for historical injustices. Conceiving of the truth commission as a form of public inquiry provides a way to consider the transitional justice literature on truth commissions internationally along with the experiences of domestic commissions of inquiry to assemble strategies that may assist the current TRC in its journey.

The goal of improving student achievement is of paramount interest to all public schools. The focus of this research was to determine the difference between inquiry based teaching strategies and student achievement. Additionally, the researcher investigated the origin of inquiry based teaching knowledge and International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) affiliation. IBPYP affiliation was studied due to the nature of the IBPYP as an inquiry based philosophy of teaching. The McGill Strategic Demands of Inquiry Questionnaire (MSDIQ) was used to determine teacher beliefs of inquiry based teaching strategies. Student achievement was measured using Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test 2.0 (FCAT 2.0) levels. Results from the MSDIQ indicated strong beliefs among participants of inquiry based teaching indicators within three domains: planning, enactment, and reflection. The researcher recommended further research into the origin of inquiry based teaching strategies knowledge to determine accurate professional development from districts that require inquiry based teaching strategies in evaluation systems. In addition, further research was recommended to determine the relationship between IBPYP affiliation and student achievement.

Inquiry-based teaching has started to find its way into Swedish classrooms and its quest for answers is believed to engage the students by activating them to discover new facts and discourses through the exploration of specific sources. It has foremost become a model to structure history and civics teaching, but international research shows that inquiry-based teaching, or FDU as it is called in Sweden, can also reinforce learning English as a foreign language, EFL. The purpose of my research is to investigate the possibility of implementing the FDU model as a teaching tool in a Swedish EFL classroom as well as student perception of the model. The research questions aim at investigating student perception of the model and whether there are any particular advantages and disadvantages with FDU. Through and action-based study, the FDU was implemented in an advanced EFL class consisting of 17 senior upper-secondary school students, and their perception was evaluated through a graded scale survey of 1-5, which also included three open-ended questions. Even though the survey revealed quite undistinguished results regarding the positive claims attached to FDU such as motivation, increase of attentiveness, alertness and learning reinforcement, most of the students found the model very helpful at providing them with a clear and comprehensible structure and description of the learning objectives. It was also a good opportunity to cooperate with peers in a varied manner. As an English teacher, I found the FDU very helpful for planning and constructing, as well as executing, my ideas. Even though some students reported disadvantages such as confusion due to the vast amount of information included in the FDU and the connection between the different parts of the final assignment, a clear majority said they would like to work with the model again. In conclusion, according to this study FDU shows potential as a structural and clarifying tool, both for the students as well as the teacher.

Classroom walkthroughs as a means of providing data for inquiry between principals and teachers and between teachers show promise for improving classroom instruction. Using data collected from classroom walkthroughs and through the development of a community of practice where administrators and teachers utilize dialogue and inquiry around these data collected, educators can design and improve instruction. Inquiry, involving both dialogue and reflection, is key to the effective use of these data. A case study of one elementary school embedded in a suburban district is used to investigate this district's implementation of the classroom walkthrough process to inquire through reflection and dialogue. Interviews with a district administrator and all four elementary principals in the district led to the identification of one elementary school with the highest level of implementation. In the third year of the initiative, intensive interviews with the four elementary principals and six teachers were conducted to gain understanding of the scope of the initiative, to determine the process by which the district administrator and school principals supported and implemented classroom walkthroughs, to understand how the principals used the walkthrough data, and to identify how the data informed dialogue and inquiry with teachers. Although the district administrators spent a great deal of attention to the process of collecting data, the initiative seemed to stall at this point. Little evidence of dialogue and inquiry about the classroom walkthrough data was found at the study school. Possible explanations for the stagnated implementation process include: a lack of movement from a focus on the collection of data for documenting the use of teaching strategies to dialogue and inquiry about the data in order to change instruction; an inconsistent purpose and vision for the initiative and communication of that vision; educational policy interference; and lack of agreement on the number of walkthroughs needed prior to engaging in dialogue and inquiry about the data.