Teacher Roles in Inquiry

The role of early childhood teachers who are committed to guiding inquiry (their own and that of the children they teach) is informed by their beliefs about young children’s competencies, rights, and passions for learning. Moreover, teacher inquirers are by nature hungry to continually learn new ways to engross children in engaging everyday experiences that embody important questions, ideas, and actions and provoke negotiations toward new meanings. There is no curriculum or single method for teachers to follow. Rather, teacher inquirers embrace a reflexive stance and demonstrate mindful skills characterized by “pedagogical thoughtfulness and tact” that “converts incidence into significance” (van Manen, 1991, p. 187). This entry considers (a) how the image of the child is manifested in teachers’ inquiry-oriented practice; (b) how teachers’ beliefs, ...