ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. The book discusses particular forms and functions of narrative inquiry for teaching and learning from early childhood through elementary school. It emphasizes the power of narrative inquiry for observing student learning and engagement; reflecting on one's teaching philosophies and practices; promoting teacher agency and voice; and creating transformative communities of teachers, students, and families. The book also discusses the place of narrative inquiry in educational research, basic tenets of narrative inquiry, connections to practice, links to content standards, and the value of narrative inquiry for professional growth and development. The art of teaching and learning is essentially the continual unfolding of the small micro level narratives enacted between children, teachers, families all the micro interactions and activities of classroom life that are set against the larger, macro stories of institutional and professional traditions, expectations, and power structures.
