ABSTRACT
Far from the common conception of a theory and practice divide in education, Freire (1998) frames teaching and research as intimately connected. He highlights the mutually informing nature of actions that include teach, notice, search, research, intervene, question, educate oneself, communicate, and proclaim. While these actions appear naturally linked for Freire, many teachers benefi t from processes and tools that forge links to connect such actions. Among these processes is teacher inquiry. Grounded in Deweyan perspectives and refl ective practice (Schön, 1983), teacher inquiry typically includes positioning practitioner as researcher rather than object of study, collaboration of participants in formal or informal inquiry communities, systematicity in gathering and analyzing data, and development of an inquiry stance of asking critical questions about practice and schools (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009; Gore & Zeichner, 1991; Goswami, Lewis, Rutherford, & Waff, 2009; Valli et al., 2006). Some models and practices also foreground social justice as an inquiry goal (Fecho & Allen, 2003).
