ABSTRACT
A role refers to the nature of the behaviors and responsibilities that individuals take on within a social group. In the classroom, both the teacher and students have roles to fill to set favorable conditions for participants' communication and learning. In classrooms in which teachers attempt to create an inquiry culture, both teacher and student roles are necessarily more diversified during whole-class or small-group social situations. Attention to roles is an important element in successful approaches to inquiry instruction in the elementary grades. Roles need to be explained and modeled to clarify role expectations for students during a project. Teachers should discuss: Typically, an inquiry project begins with a whole-class, teacher-directed explanation to students outlining: In the first month of school, it is helpful to connect the overall system of classroom management to teacher and student roles for inquiry. A New Zealand educator describes the changing roles of teachers and learners.
