ABSTRACT
The Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious awards in the United States for students studying science and mathematics. Although specialized schools for science and mathematics have been implemented in almost every state, and such schools have been widely advocated for their capacity to develop science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent, little is written about the curriculum of these schools. Specialized schools for science and mathematics should emphasize inquiry learning. Inquiry learning has a rich history in science pedagogy, and Tofel-Grehl and C. M. Callahan found inquiry learning to be a prominent theme in their study of specialized STEM schools. Schools designed to foster talent development in science and mathematics should keep three specific outcome goals in mind: fostering romance and passion in science and mathematics, developing psychosocial skills to complement domain-specific expertise and knowledge, and mastering the foundations of science and mathematics.
