The pedagogy of facilitation: teacher inquiry as professional development in a Florida elementary school

Abstract

Teacher inquiry is a powerful professional development method for teachers to direct their own learning and focus on the particular needs of their own classroom. Yet, the study of effective professional development must broaden its focus beyond what skills and content teachers must acquire to consider how to best facilitate teachers' learning and empower them as professionals. This qualitative study examines the pedagogy of facilitation by following the experiences of six first‐time teacher inquirers and the veteran facilitator that guided them through the inquiry process. The results shed light on the various stages of participants' experiences and the facilitation methods that proved effective at each stage.