Craig, Cheryl J.2013-07-162013-07-16May 20112011-05http://hdl.handle.net/10657/451The focus of this inquiry was to further the understanding of what happens to science teachers’ beliefs about inquiry-based science instruction, as well as their ability to conduct inquiry-based lessons, as they are systematically immersed in professional development designed to model teaching science as inquiry. Additionally, barriers that prevent science teachers’ abilities to teach science as inquiry were explored. Study participants were rural school science teachers who were part of a Texas Teacher Quality Grant and who completed a 45-hour graduate course and 60 hours of professional development over 8 months. As part of the grant activities, the teachers participated as learners in authentic, inquiry-based science activities which focused on physics principles; explored inquiry as a pedagogical approach to teaching science; and developed inquiry-based lesson plans to teach in their classrooms. The narrative inquiry research method, a collaborative approach involving mutual storytelling and restorying as the research proceeds (Connelly & Clandinin, 1990) was utilized. Two teacher participants’ stories were expressed through journaling, interviews, conversations, and the researcher’s observations. The research stories generated from the experiences of the three teachers will inform how science instruction in the teachHOUSTON program will unfold in the future as well as the knowledge base concerning how and what teachers learn through inquiry-based teacher professional development.application/pdfengThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).InquiryScience as inquiryProfessional developmentInquiry-based professional developmentPre-service learningScience--Study and teachingEducation Research Methodology--TexasInquiry-based learning--Texas2013-07-16Thesisborn digital