The Reflective Educator′s Guide to Practitioner Inquiry

Transform your teaching and shape education through the power of inquiry. Grounded in real-world examples and more than 30 years of research in professional development, the fifth edition of The Reflective Educator′s Guide to Practitioner Inquiry addresses how inquiry fosters curiosity, reflection, and practical action to enhance effective classroom learning. This latest edition invites educators to view inquiry as a process, a product, and a stance. The book offers new sections on the relationship between AI and teacher inquiry and the ways in which inquiry is changing with the times. Additional features and updates include: A new chapter that provides a step-by-step guide to crafting an intentional, actionable research plan Access exercises, inductive and deductive data analysis worksheets, ethical guidelines, and examples addressing today’s issues in education A discussion of the connections between practitioner inquiry and supporting the academic success of every student The Reflective Educator’s Guide to Practitioner Inquiry, fifth edition, empowers educators at every stage in their careers to investigate their practice, drive sustained professional growth, and harness inquiry’s potential to create classrooms where both students and teachers thrive.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors List of Exhibits and Figures List of AI Moments How to Use the Inquiry Books 1. Teacher Inquiry Defined 2. The Passions That Drive Your Journey: Finding a Wondering 3. Data Collection: Making Inquiry a Part of Your Teaching Practice 4. Developing a Research Plan: Mapping Out Your Inquiry Journey 5. Finding Your Findings: Data Analysis 6. Sharing Your Inquiry Journey: Presenting and Publishing 7. Contributing to the Creation of More Equitable Schools and Classrooms: The Why of Inquiry 8. On Your Way: Becoming the Best Teacher and Researcher You Can Be References Index

About the Author :
Nancy Fichtman Dana is professor of education and distinguished teaching scholar at the University of Florida, Gainesville. She began her career in education as an elementary school teacher in Hannibal Central Schools, New York. Since earning her PhD from Florida State University in 1991, she has been a passionate advocate for teacher inquiry and has worked extensively in supporting schools, districts, and universities in implementing powerful programs of job-embedded professional development through inquiry across the United States and in several countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, China, South Korea, Estonia, Slovenia, Spain, and Portugal. She has published 12 books and more than 100 articles in professional journals and edited books focused on her research exploring teacher and principal professional development and practitioner inquiry. Dana has received many honors for her teaching, research, and writing. Among them are the Association of Teacher Educators Mentoring and Distinguished Research in Teacher Education awards, the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate’s David G. Imig Distinguished Service Award, the National Staff Development Council (now Learning Forward) Book of the Year Award, and was one of three finalist in Baylor University’s prestigious Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching 2020 competition. Before joining the faculty at University of Florida in 2003, she worked at The Pennsylvania State University for 11 years, creating and launching their award-winning inquiry-based Professional Development School program with the State College Area School District. At the University of Florida, she worked to embed inquiry as a signature pedagogy into the undergraduate teacher education program, as well as developed and taught three popular classes on inquiry at the master’s and doctoral levels. In  partnership with the Lastinger Center for Learning, Dana led the development and implementation of inquiry-based professional development for teachers across the state that included  several of the nation’s largest school districts.  Further, she was instrumental in the development of UF’s Teacher Leadership for School Improvement Program and Professional Practice Doctorate in Teachers, Schools, and Society, both national award winning programs that highlight inquiry as a signature program feature and have been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 Online Graduate Education Programs in the nation. Diane Yendol-Hoppey is professor of teacher education in the College of Education and Human Services at the University of North Florida. She has served as dean, associate dean of educator preparation and partnerships, department chair, and center director. She taught for many years at the University of Florida where she was the evaluator of numerous district, state, and national professional development efforts. Before beginning her work in higher education, Yendol-Hoppey spent 13 years as an elementary school teacher in Pennsylvania and Maryland. She holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction from The Pennsylvania State University. Yendol-Hoppey’s current work explores national and international research focusing on teacher education clinical practice, job-embedded professional learning, and teacher leadership. Yendol-Hoppey has received the AERA Division K Early Career Research Award and the ATE Distinguished Teacher Educator Award for her ongoing commitment to researching innovative approaches to teacher learning. She has published six books, more than 60 articles in professional journals, and secured 20 million in external funding to support teacher learning. Logan Rutten is Assistant Professor in the College of Education & Human Development at the University of North Dakota, where he studies and teaches practitioner inquiry as a form of educator professional learning. A graduate of the Bismarck Public Schools and Concordia College, Rutten began his career as a teacher of Latin and music in Minnesota, Montana, and Pennsylvania. He later earned his PhD at The Pennsylvania State University and received the Robert F. Schuck Distinguished Dissertation in Teacher Education Award from the Association of Teacher Educators for his research about inquiry stance among teacher candidates in a Professional Development School. His current scholarship is rooted in sustained collaborations with educators serving K-12 students in rural and Indigenous communities. Rutten is Associate Editor of The Cambridge Handbook of School-University Partnerships and presently serves as Co-Chair of the Research Committee for the National Association for School-University Partnerships. His recent publications appear in journals such as the Journal of Teacher Education, Action in Teacher Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, Teacher Development, Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, and School-University Partnerships.

Review :
"There’s a reason this book is now in its 5th edition. With its many updates that speak to current educational and societal challenges, this book is a must-read for every teacher, teacher educator, and school leader who is interested in how practitioner inquiry enriches professional practice. Highly practical, but also grounded in scholarship, the book offers compelling reflective exercises and a thoughtful step-by-step guide that explore both the ′how′ and, as importantly, the ′why′ of practitioner research." The 5th edition of The Reflective Educator’s Guide to Practitioner Inquiry builds upon the years of "teaching as inquiry" research presented in earlier editions. The authors challenge readers to systemically examine their own practice to transform their teaching and their classrooms. This edition offers a balanced combination of theorical constructs and practical applications including chapter exercises, discussion topics, and online resources. It is a perfect resource for novice and veteran teachers to take a deeper dive into reflective practice and research. "The 5th edition of The Reflective Educator’s Guide to Practitioner Inquiry offers a compelling framework for identifying persistent, contextualized challenges and using systematic, intentional investigation to drive continuous improvement in teaching and learning. Packed with practical tools, real-world examples, and reflections on the inquiry process, this book empowers teachers to approach their work with a mindset of curiosity, adaptability, and lifelong professional growth." "This 5th edition of The Reflective Educator’s Guide to Practitioner Inquiry is posed to make a lasting impact on the field of education as it reframes classroom research to practitioner inquiry, adding agency prominently into the role and practice of reflective educators. Emphasizing the process of inquiry as central to the purpose of practitioner inquiry, Dana, Yendol-Hoppey, and Rutten highlight the interplay of inquiry as a process, a product, and a stance toward knowledge and practice for the education profession. This revised edition provides a framework for engaging the process of inquiry, using the product of inquiry to make an impact on education practice, and living an inquiry stance toward teaching to enable a way of being for reflective educators and transformative educational work."   "The Reflective Educator′s Guide to Practitioner Inquiry is a masterful bridge between research and practice, equipping educators with the tools and mindset to cultivate continuous, data-driven improvements that elevate student-centered teaching." "Since its first edition, I have relied on The Reflective Educator’s Guide as my essential resource for guiding teachers through the inquiry process. Dana, Yendol-Hoppey, and Rutten masterfully scaffold this process, using vivid examples to illuminate each phase of the inquiry cycle and bring it to life. These examples demonstrate how practitioner research can seamlessly integrate into teachers’ daily practice. I am especially thrilled that this edition introduces new content on developing a research plan, offering a detailed roadmap to help teachers navigate inquiry planning stages with greater depth and purpose. The updated examples, addressing timely topics like Artificial Intelligence, make this edition particularly relevant to today’s educators. At a time when external forces increasingly diminish teachers′ autonomy, classroom research offers a powerful means of reclaiming agency and ensuring effective teaching practices for their students." "The fifth edition of The Reflective Educator’s Guide to Practitioner Inquiry highlights the transformative power of practitioner inquiry in education, serving as both a guide and inspiration for educators seeking to deepen their impact. By fostering curiosity, reflection, and action, it equips teachers to navigate complexities, elevate their practice, and champion equity in classrooms and communities." "As an instructional coach, I’ve used The Reflective Educator’s Guide to Practitioner Inquiry to guide my own action research as well as facilitate the professional development of others. Learning how to systematically investigate my own practice through inquiry has been transformative. A powerful and impactful learning experience always results." "The 5th edition is more than an update. Dana, Yendol-Hoppey, and Rutten’s latest is a manifesto for teacher inquiry: laying out its history, describing the dramatic changes to the contexts of teaching since the 4th edition, and providing the purpose for teacher inquiry as a tool to create more just and more equitable schooling experiences. I predict this edition will become a seminal work in our field." "This book, coupled with its extensive online resources for each chapter, makes coaching, facilitating, and teaching inquiry a truly enriching experience. I have used this book with teacher candidates, teacher leaders, administrators, and graduate students because it provides step-by-step guidance on planning an inquiry and walks readers through the process, providing real-world examples and guides for all audiences." "The fifth edition of The Reflective Educator′s Guide to Practitioner Inquiry has me eager to work alongside teachers as they engage in inquiry! Its progression is sequenced in such a way that allows for teachers to inquiry independently or within a community of practitioners. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to address difficult (and sometimes contested) issues in the classroom while also developing in professional practice."