Character Education and Teacher Inquiry: A Promising Partnership for Enhancing Children's Classrooms.

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    The National Council for the Social Studies Position on Character Education states "At the heart of social studies is the obligation to teach democratic principles and to inspire civic virtue in the young people who will shape our future."(FN1) If in fact this is the social studies teacher's obligation, the question remains, how do teachers fulfill this obligation? How do teachers make sense of character education? How do teachers incorporate, develop, and implement character education within their classrooms? How does this knowledge contribute to children's growth, their own growth, and the growing knowledge base on character education?
    Teacher inquiry is a promising tool for understanding these character education questions since teacher inquiry is embedded in the daily work teachers and children engage in within classrooms and schools.(FN2) Cochran-Smith and Lytle define teacher inquiry as "Systematic, intentional inquiry by teachers."(FN3) Through inquiry teachers gain a better understanding of what they do and this understanding helps teachers make better choices in their classroom practice.(FN4) Involvement in teacher research causes teachers to become more reflective, analytical, and critical of their own teaching leading to self-initiated changes in their practices on behalf of children.(FN5) Thus, developing an inquiry stance toward teaching issues of character and creating a context for character education to unfold offers powerful teacher professional development and presents possibilities for changing character-related classroom experiences for children.
    Teacher inquiry rests on the belief that enhancing teacher personal practical knowledge is of primary influence on teacher behavior.(FN6) By developing an inquiry stance around issues of character in prospective and practicing teachers, the work of character education can move beyond the dependent and independent variables of traditional program evaluation work to engage teachers in self study of how issues of character are embedded in and carried out within their classrooms and schools. By engaging in teacher inquiry, teachers make connections between their own research questions, their students' classroom experience, and the content of character education in ways that move their teaching forward.
    Missing from the literature are the ways that this quiet form of research, teacher inquiry, can impact the way children experience character education in their classrooms. We wondered: 1) What issues of character education do prospective and practicing teachers naturally pose?; 2) How does teacher inquiry impact the children's character-related classroom experiences?; and 3) What does teacher inquiry offer to the field of character education? This article demonstrates how teacher inquiry provides a vehicle for the study and implementation of character education by investigating the content, process, and outcomes of teacher inquiry projects completed by two cohorts of prospective and practicing teachers within a Professional Development School (PDS). We begin with a description of the inquiry process, offer examples of various types of inquiry into character education, and then discuss the utility of teacher inquiry as a tool for investigating character related principles designed to enhance a teacher's character education efforts.

BACKGROUND
    During the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 school years, our Professional Development Schools became "living classrooms" for prospective teachers and practicing teachers to develop themselves professionally by inquiring into the art and science of teaching. As a result, the PDS developed an intensive field based program where learning to teach was accomplished as an intern teamed with a mentor teacher across an entire school year. Two key features of this work were the opportunity for prospective teachers to work side-by-side classroom teachers over the course of an entire school year and the participation in teacher inquiry by both the intern and mentor.
    Since inquiry is a core feature of this Professional Development School's work, each mentor and intern began by exploring the purpose of teacher inquiry by studying examples of completed inquiry work.(FN7) These projects demonstrated how inquiry could help teachers grow professionally and impact the children in their classrooms. Next, the teachers learned the process and tools needed to conduct teacher inquiry by reading The Art of Classroom Inquiry: A Handbook for Teacher Researchers and participating in a teacher inquiry course.(FN8) Finally, teachers conceptualized and focused their inquiry questions. The teachers had complete responsibility for selecting a research question and the only recommendation was that each teacher generates a wondering that he or she felt passionate about exploring.
    While the teachers were provided with support during the various phases of inquiry, interns and teachers individually selected and shaped their wonderings into questions. Since these inquiry questions emerged from their classroom experience, the content of these projects is telling of the issues that teachers most passionately struggle with as a part of their daily work. Inquiry efforts were shared with other PDS participants and general audiences at a Teacher Inquiry Conference held at the end of each school year. The conference serves as a fourm for all members of the Professional Development School community to learn from each other's wonderings and findings.

WHICH CHARACTER EDUCATION PRINCIPLES EMERGED FROM THE TEACHERS' SELF-SELECTED INQUIRIES?
    The methods employed by this study were interpretive since they required the collection and interpretation of qualitative data through document analysis.(FN9) A constructivist epistemology was embodied into the collection and interpretation of the data.(FN10) As a first step, two university teacher educators independently analyzed the forty-seven prospective and practicing teacher inquiry projects conducted over the past two years (fourteen in 1998-1999, and thirty-three in 1999-2000) to identify the projects associated with the eleven principles of character education as defined by Lickona, Schaps, and Lewis.(FN11) As researchers, we acknowledge our initial classification of these inquiry projects was based on our experience working with these teachers as they conducted their inquiries and our interpretation of their work. Further, our personal practical knowledge of how character education plays out in schools guided this analysis. For further triangulation, we asked the teacher researchers to identify which, if any, of the eleven principles related to their inquiry projects. Based on a combination of these two techniques, twenty-four of the forty-seven inquiry projects or 51 percent reflected at least one of the principles of character education.(FN12)
    As a result of these analyses the following eight salient principles of character education naturally emerged across their self-selected inquiries:
    1. Character education promotes core ethical values as the basis of good character. (principle 1)
    2. Character must be comprehensively defined to include thinking, feeling, and behavior. (principle 2)
    3. The school must be a caring community. (principle 4)
    4. To develop character, students need opportunities for moral action. (principle 5)
    5. Effective character education includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners and helps them succeed. (principle 6)
    6. Character education should strive to develop students' intrinsic motivation. (principle 7)
    7. The school must permit parents and community members as all partners in the character-building effort. (principle 10)
    8. Evaluation of character education should assess the character of the school, the school staff's functioning as character educators, and the extent to which students manifest good character. (principle 11)
    Because so many of the teachers' self-selected inquiry topics naturally connected to character education principles, evidence suggests that teachers find studying and addressing issues of character education central to their work.

WHAT DID PROSPECTIVE AND PRACTICING TEACHERS INQUIRE ABOUT?
    In an effort to capture the variety in the teachers' character related questions, we developed the matrix found in Table 1. Across the top of the table are the four types of inquiry that emerged from the teacher research conducted in these PDS classrooms. The rows in the table represent the eight principles of character education that emerged from our analysis. To give the reader a sense of the teacher research projects, within each cell of the table the title of an inquiry project is provided. As shown, inquiries fell into all but three cells.

WHAT ARE THE FOUR TYPES OF INQUIRY?
    Because character education efforts often take the shape of a "program" adopted by a school or teacher (e.g., Giraffe Program, Heartwood, Lion-Quest Curriculum, Responsive Classroom), the natural emergence of four different types of character-related inquiry recognize that teachers think beyond implementation of a "program." The diversity evidenced in the questions acknowledges the complexity of character education. In an effort to capture this complexity, we provide a brief explanation of the four types of wonderings that typically guide these teachers' character-related inquiries portraying this multidimensionality. These include: inquiry into self as teacher, inquiry into context, inquiry into curriculum or instructional strategies, and inquiry into children's thinking.
    The first type of inquiry, inquiry into self as teacher (IST), became the focus of Courtney Clelland's wondering of how her classroom practice either facilitated or inhibited the quality of the relationships developed between her third graders. She wondered, "How do the beliefs of a teacher impact the way he or she engages children in class meetings, and how is the structure of these community meetings a reflection of the teacher?" As a result of this inquiry, Courtney shared:

Over the course of my nine week inquiry I became much more comfortable than I thought I would be removing control from myself (as teacher) and putting it into the hands and minds of the children...I feel comfortable with the children making decisions....(FN13)

    Courtney's beliefs became congruent with her practices. Additionally, Courtney identified tensions around student/teacher control, differing philosophies of classroom management within the school, struggles with student language and voice, and an almost exclusive focus on problem solving during the class meetings. Courtney concluded her inquiry by recognizing these as target areas for her future professional growth.
    As an example of the second type of inquiry, Rebecca Camp conducted an inquiry into her community by posing the question: How can I implement a social studies curriculum to build friendships and a stronger classroom community?(FN14) She began by intensively collecting data targeted at understanding the relationship among children in her third grade classroom. Rebecca used data drawn from multiple sources to determine her children's character related needs. After identifying the need to build community and friendships, Rebecca moved toward using literature in the social studies curriculum as vehicle for developing these concepts.
    A third type of inquiry focused on a third grade social studies curriculum and the teacher's instructional practices. Andrea Hosfeld began her inquiry by wondering what instructional strategies and/or curriculum concepts would help third graders develop respect for others and a sense of social justice. Her inquiry allowed her to explore ways that these goals could be implemented within the constraints of a district's curriculum. As a result of her inquiry, Andrea learned:

In order to implement a curriculum that addresses race, class, and gender, a teacher must not overlook the needs of children within his or her classroom. This involves working toward a fully integrated curriculum that includes an emphasis on skills, content, age appropriate materials/instruction, as well as anti-bias attitudes and beliefs.(FN15)

    Andrea's inquiry allowed her to find space within the curriculum to explore issues of respect and social justice.
    The fourth type of inquiry is evidenced by the work by Mary Beth Amond.(FN16) She conducted an inquiry into children's thinking and ideas as she wondered how she could help a particular student gain self-esteem. Her inquiry sought to investigate one child's understanding of his interactions with peers and teachers. After collecting data from multiple sources and across time, Mary Beth was able to better understand this child's thinking, ideas, and experience of school. Mary Beth then used this understanding to help this child interact and negotiate academic and social settings. As a result Mary Beth helped Sam gain intrinsic control over his behavior.
    These snapshots of character-related inquiry capture four different lenses teachers use in addressing the complexity of their work as character educators.

HOW DOES TEACHER INQUIRY CONTRIBUTE TO THE FIELD OF CHARACTER EDUCATION?
    In the following section of the paper, we provide examples of how teachers' inquiry efforts connect to particular principles of character education. The purpose of these descriptions is not to convince the reader that these excerpts represent each principle since that goes beyond the scope of this paper and would require a complete understanding of the teachers' intentions and details of each inquiry project. However, drawing on the teachers' words, we share the ways in which prospective and practicing teachers made sense of their inquiry and how this sense making connects to the principles of character education.
    Rebecca Camp's inquiry promotes the ethical value of care and respect (principle 1) for others as she identified ways to facilitate her students' learning about kindness and friendship. Upon completing her inquiry she reflects:

Our classroom continues working toward treating each other with kindness and respect. In the past week, I have heard, read, and observed some things that signaled a great deal of progress. For example, in the last friendship journal entry, the responses I read were encouraging. Out of twenty-one students only five said they did not think the atmosphere in the classroom had improved and only five did not feel they had learned any new skills....(FN17)

    Connected to Rebecca's promotion of care, respect, and kindness was the importance of defining character as linking thinking, feeling and behaving (principle 2) as well as students' ability to act on those understandings (principle 5):

When conducting this week's class meeting I heard kind, respectful statements that demonstrated true concern for others. It was a pleasant surprise to hear these ideas expressed by students who were more egocentric at the start of the year. What's more, to date the children have followed through on what they discussed at that class meeting. Finally, and most encouraging of all, Eric, who has treated Jason with cruelty in the past said with a smile, "Miss Camp, I think the activities helped, because I am getting along better with (Jason) now."(FN18)

    Similarly, Mary Beth Amond's inquiry into a highly gifted student's unique academic and social needs also emphasizes the importance of defining character as linking thinking, feeling and behaving (principle 2) as well as students' ability to act on those understandings (principle 5):

Only after he gains control over his behavior will he reach his full potential academically and socially...I think it is more obvious than ever that dealing with a high achiever is not always easy. Although many believe that smart children are easier to work with, this inquiry acknowledges that they can be as great a challenge as those struggling academically. The type of behavior Sam displayed is a cause of concern... That will hurt him academically. His behavior may also hurt him socially. ...Right now Sam has students who will follow his lead. Someday these classmates may get tired of Sam's dominating behavior. When they do not allow him to rule the social scene any longer, what will happen to Sam?(FN19)

    Sarah Fanelli's inquiry into children's interactions at the kindergarten writing table also demonstrates the importance of developing opportunities for children to link thinking, feeling, and behaving in moral ways as well as providing opportunities for moral action (principles 2 and 5):

I feel that my research is a powerful example of the positive benefits of cooperative learning. Natural clements of cooperative learning evolved from the student interactions at our writing table. Individual achievement is de-emphasized in favor of group success at our writing table. I feel that the ultimate goal of all teachers and schools is that every child will be successful in the classroom. If we continue to structure classrooms in a competitive atmosphere, many students will not be given the opportunity to succeed. These types of activities can provide opportunities for children to think and behave in helpful ways while at the same time contributing to academic growth in the classroom.(FN20)

    As a final example, Kate Wagner also offers possibilities for children to engage in moral action and helping children link moral thinking, feeling, and behaving as she uses classroom meetings (principles 2 and 5):

As a beginning teacher, it was a wonderful feeling seeing students take some control in the classroom to make them feel as if it is "their" classroom, as well. A large part of my educational philosophy deals with making the classroom an environment where children want to be, a place where they know they are free to be the people they are, and a place where they can learn and extend their learning and apply their experiences to the real world. This inquiry helped incorporate classroom meetings and develop a democratic classroom where students can practice becoming responsible and active citizens. After inquiring about this student-centered approach of building classroom ownership and responsibility by means of classroom meetings, I realize the power and effectiveness this has on children. Giving children the opportunity to voice their opinion can be a powerful tool for the classroom community environment, as well as a crucial aspect in fostering this sense of ownership and responsibility carry over into the real world.(FN21)

    Other inquiries looked deeply into the ways meaningful and challenging academic curriculum is devised to respect all learners and help them succeed (principle 6). Jennifer Thulin shares her insights after working with a struggling first grade reader:

In the ideal school I envision a classroom where everyone gets individual attention like Meg did. Students learn in a way that is meaningful to them. However, I feel it is impossible to have a classroom like this in the present day schools.... Something about schools has to change. As teachers we are set up for an impossible task.... So we need to take action on our own. We need to make time in our day to get to know students. We need to take this knowledge of our students and use it in our planning and teaching.... We need to create classrooms that acknowledge learning differences, have time built in for teachers to observe and understand these student differences, and includes individualized instruction designed for these differences. This will be a classroom that is on the side of children.(FN22)

    Almost all of the inquiries depicted movement toward making the school a caring community (principle 4). However, Andrea Hosfeld's inquiry assumed a curriculum focus that promoted children's understanding of a civil, caring, and just society. Her inquiry paints a story of possibility:

There is so much responsibility in guiding a classroom of twenty-five children toward building a caring and just society. I believe many teachers feel this same vulnerability about implementing anti-bias curricula that encourages caring and respect of others. How will it fit in? Are my students old enough to understand? Do I know enough to even begin? My research suggests that integrating issues of social justice into the elementary classroom is not an impossible feat.(FN23)

    Meghan Mesaris' inquiry also looked for ways to develop a caring learning community (principle 4). She explored how puppetry helped young children to internalize values and expectations that supported their classroom learning community:

Repeatedly my data revealed evidence that supported various ways puppetry enhanced the classroom community and students' learning in a variety of ways. The data analysis has shown me that puppetry can be an effective way for a beginning teacher to not only motivate students, but also an outlet to teach and demonstrate various concepts and behaviors. This project reinforced much of the literature I read.(FN24)

    Jeff Tranell's inquiry captures what happens when a teacher focuses on developing intrinsic motivation (principle 7) rather than adopting extrinsic motivational techniques:

I realize the effects of using positive approaches to behavior and learning builds self-esteem for both my students and myself. Keeping my focus on fulfilling the child's needs is critical because his/her misbehavior was a result of his/her needs not being met. This has helped me understand how to approach situations... My own self-esteem has grown because I am accepting myself and my students... Finally, I am committed to making every situation positive. How wonderful it is to know that helping myself gain a better self-image is also helping my students become more internally motivated and this helps them fulfill their sense of self as well. Caring attitudes by teachers can help enhance all students' attitudes, motivation, and self-esteem. Since I was more conscious about students' self-esteem, I have been more apt to pay attention to little things that are really big things in the eyes of students.(FN25)

    The key role of parents as full partners in the character efforts (principle 10) also becomes apparent in the reflections of these teacher inquirers:

I feel strongly that effective communication between home and school is the key to a child's success. This communication however, needs to be done differently than the traditional approach. It should encourage the insights of the parents where parents contribute to the image of the child as a learner, instead of receiving the information from the teacher. Dialogue journals worked very well for me to develop a relationship with the parents of my children....(FN26)

    A further example demonstrates how the use of technology can further the goals of creating parents as full partners:

Through the entire process of building the web site and communicating with parents, I have grown. The web site provided an avenue for my mentor and I to discuss, in-depth, the reasoning behind what we are doing in the classroom. Thus, I feel more comfortable talking to parents about the learning community we are because I have built this web site. Parent communication is key in the teaching profession. Without it, the parents are disconnected from their children for the six hours they are in school in more than just the physical sense. A web site can begin to increase parent awareness of what is occurring in their child's classroom and allow them to make connections between home and school.(FN27)

    Finally, Amy Snyder discusses what she learned about partnering with parents on behalf of children:

I should have realized this earlier, but he was telling me something. He wanted attention and he'd do anything to get it, even sit without working all morning. As a teacher, I can help this kind of situation by using a child's strengths to reach them. Every child needs to know they are competent and worthy of being part of the group. Colin's situation worsened and I should have involved his parents sooner. In collaboration with parents a situation like Colin's can be reformed. Teachers need to help students like themselves and appreciate his or her individual qualities. This can be easily done if you have the parent's support and insight.(FN28)

    The eleventh principle, evaluation of character education should assess the character of the school, the school staff's functioning as character educators and the extent to which students manifest good character, clearly connects to the central role that teachers play as teacher researchers into character education. Teachers who inquire into issues of character develop personal practical knowledge fostering character development within their classroom and school. More importantly, they begin to develop a belief system attached to their findings that results in a commitment to carrying out these practices. The following reflections demonstrate the power of inquiry:

Through inquiry I have learned that in the future, the type of activities I have been engaging the children in need to take place from the first day the children walk into the room until the last day of school. It is important, not only to teach children math and reading, but to teach them to live peacefully in a diverse world. I will continue to read about strategies for improving classroom environment and teaching social skills. Aside from that, I will use the activities I have tried with this class with my future classes; all the time, improving those activities, and adding to my repertoire.(FN29)

    Kate Wagner adds:

Students are proud of their contributions in being part of a class community and voicing their opinions. Although being a teacher-researcher is time consuming, the results are powerful and rewarding. It's amazing what changes I can make in the classroom after looking deeper into my wonderings. Teaching should always be constant reflection on the practices I use to teach my students.(FN30)

    Finally, Amy Snyder believes:

Teacher research is very rewarding. It helps identify what you are too busy to notice on an ordinary day and allows time for the school day to be analyzed. The information teacher research provides can help create the classroom community every teacher envisions. Common sense is hard to practice all the time when a teacher is consumed with endless responsibilities. Inquiry allows the time for reflection and common sense practices to occur. My wondering wasn't completely answered but I do realize what it takes to understand a child's behavior. You need time, research, and observation to begin to answer any educational question. I believe Colin is just a child that yearns for attention. I needed to help Colin see that he was deserving of attention at school and find positive aspects to highlight for him to see that.(FN31)

    These excerpts suggest that teacher inquiry serves as an on-going, job-embedded form of evaluation that enhances a teacher or school's character education efforts. Additionally, the multidimensionality of the teachers' inquiry acknowledges the importance of continually assessing students, self, context, and pedagogy if the goal is truly education for character.
    Given the controversial nature of character education, we wondered why teachers did not experience tensions from administration, parents, or colleagues associated with their character related inquiry pursuits. Based on conversations with participants and our own participant observations, we realized that these initiatives were quiet initiatives that emerged from within the classroom context and were basically contained within the classroom context. However, the controversial exception was any inquiry that began to impact district social studies curriculum. As new social studies curriculum ideas began to emerge from the inquiry, other teachers became interested in integrating these concepts and strategies into their own classrooms. As news spread, district curriculum specialists became alarmed that the district developed units of study may lose their intended focus. Based on this analysis, character related inquiry may be less controversial when the teacher studies children, self, or context than when the teacher investigates social studies curriculum.

CONCLUSION
    These inquiry topics emerged from the teachers' own questions and suggests that prospective and practicing teachers believe that issues of character education are important parts of their own classroom practice and worthy of time-intensive self study. The inquiries explored in this paper also suggest the breadth, dimensionality, and promise of teacher research in the area of character education. Given the scope of character education, one can quickly imagine that any one program targeted at enhancing character education is less likely to make the difference. Rather, changes for children will come as a result of teachers who thoughtfully inquire into their own character-related teaching practices, children's thinking, the learning community, and their curriculum/pedagogy.
    Teacher inquiry into character education also captures the stories untold by research with the "Capital R." Teacher inquiry provides the missing stories of teacher personal practical knowledge that can contribute to the work of university based teacher educators by giving insight into the context and sometimes subtle but important challenges associated with character education. Teacher inquiry also offers a powerful vehicle for whole school change that moves toward teachers collectively constructing a context that nurtures character development. Character education needs to go beyond the adoption of a program or programs to the systematic study of what children in a particular classroom or school need, how the work of character education is integrated into the school day, what results from these efforts, and what future goals emerge. This is the cycle of inquiry that offers constructivist professional development for both prospective and practicing teachers leading to improved character education for children.
    Although eight of the eleven principles of effective character education appear in this analysis of the teacher inquiry projects, the absence of the three remaining principles raises the question of what is missing from a teacher inquiry approach to character education. The three principles missing from the teachers' inquiry work include: 1) Effective character education requires an intentional, proactive, and comprehensive approach that promotes the core values in all phases of school life (principle 3), 2) The school staff must become a learning community in which all share responsibility for character education and attempt to adhere to the same core values that guide the education of students (principle 8), and 3) Character education requires moral leadership from both staff and students (principle 9). We have seen the power of teacher inquiry as a grass-roots tool for integrating character education into the lives of teachers and students. However, the three missing principles suggest that in order to develop a strong character education program, this grass-roots approach must be supported and complemented by a whole school commitment to character education. A school where the leadership commits necessary time and resources to character education could complete this picture. Additionally, some evidence suggests that curriculum barriers may prevent teachers from exploring ways to tie character education to social studies curriculum. Based on the inquiries into curriculum described in this study, inquiry can serve as a powerful tool to enhance curriculum around character related principles. More space must be provided for teachers to inquire into the natural ties between the elementary social studies curriculum and character education.
    This article offers teacher inquiry as an integrated way of infusing the principles of character education into a field experience for interns as well as providing job-embedded professional development for practicing teachers that impacts children. Although character education may not appear on the program structure of this Research One Institution's Teacher Education Conceptual Framework or the school district's curriculum, these teachers sought to investigate principles of character education as they studied their classrooms. This differs substantially from adopting a singular character education program. Rather, these teachers have developed an inquiry stance to their teaching undergirded by a natural interest in studying how character education can be "a part of" their work in classrooms. This type of stance should be nurtured in both prospective and practicing teachers since teachers are ultimately the ones who make the difference.
ADDED MATERIAL
    Table 1 Matrix of Character Education Teacher Inquiry Efforts by Principle and Inquiry Type

Inquiry(FNa)/              Inquiry                    Inquiry into              Inquiry into              Inquiry into
Principles(FNb)            into self                  children's                community                 curriculum/
                                                      thinking                  and context               teaching practice
                                                      and ideas
                                               Title of Teacher Inquiry Projects
Character                                             Self-esteem:              How expecta-
Education                                             Intervening               tions influence
promotes core                                         to ensure the             the behavior of
ethical values                                        academic and              a student and
as the basis of                                       social success of         his relationships
good character.                                       a capable child.          with teachers
(Principle 1)                                                                   and classmates.
Character must                                        Meaningful                Inclusion of an           Auditory
be comprehen-                                         melodies:                 ESI. Student              processing
sively defined                                        Reading to                                          disorder: Seeking
to include                                            the beat of a                                       to understand in
thinking, feeling,                                    different                                           order to facilitate
and behavior.                                         drummer.                                            effective writing
(Principle 2)                                                                                             strategies.
The school must            Exploring positive         Enhancing                 Teaching kind-
be a caring                discipline strate-         self-esteem               ness: Using a
community.                 gies for children:         in relation to            social studies
(Principle 4)              Enhancing my               academic and              curriculum to
                           own understand-            social success            build friendships
                           ings and practice.         for a student.            and a stronger
                                                                                classroom
                                                                                community.
To develop                 The impact of a            IST in Action:            Inquiry into              Enhancing
character,                 teacher's values           How particular            the possibilities         classroom
students need              and beliefs on             IST interventions         of student-led            community
opportunities              the structure of           helped a first            literature circles.       and children's
for moral action.          class meetings.            grade student?                                      learning through
(Principle 5)                                                                                             puppetry.
Effective                  Cooperative                An examination            Science tables            What a
character educa-           learning and               of peer influence         in first grade:           wonderful
tion includes a            the "extreme"          at the writing            Promoting con-            world: Anti-bias
meaningful and             learners in                table in a                ceptual science           curriculum and
challenging aca-           my classroom:              kindergarten              learning, scien-          the needs of the
demic curriculum           Bettering my               classroom.                tific inquiry,            elementary
that respects all          understanding                                        and positive              classroom.
learners and helps         and beliefs.                                         attitudes.
them succeed.
(Principle 6)
Character                  Healing the                Self-esteem:              Can you help              Motivating the
education should           wounds:                    Intervening to            me? The impact            Unmotivated:
strive to develop          Increasing a               ensure the aca-           of multiple               Developing
students' intrinsic        child's self-              demic and social          adults in a class-        strategies to
motivation.                esteem.                    success of a              room on student           increase intrinsic
(Principle 7)                                         capable child.            dependence and            motivation for
                                                                                independence.             completing
                                                                                                          homework.
The school must            Building rela-             Classroom                 Children's                Effective
permit teachers,           tionships with             websites                  classroom                 parent-teacher
parents and com-           the parents of             and parent                ownership:                communication:
munity members             at-risk students:          communication.            Nurturing                 Enhancing the
as all partners in         It's a two-way                                       democratic                teaching partner-
the character-             street.                                              practices through         ship between
building effort.                                                                the sharing of            home and
(Principle 10)                                                                  power and                 school.
                                                                                responsibility.
(Principle 11)             Embedded within each of the inquiry projects is a form of data-driven
                           evaluation targeted at understanding the context, the child or children,
                           the curriculum or instructional strategy, or the teacher.

FOOTNOTES
a Four types of inquiry
b Principles of character education

FOOTNOTES
1. Charles Haynes et al., "Fostering Civic Virtue: Character Education in the Social Studies," Social Education 61, no. 4 (1997): 225.
2. N.F. Dana and D.Y. Silva, "Building an Inquiry Oriented PDS: The Journey toward Making Inquiry a Central Part of Mentor Teachers' Work," (State College, PA: Pennsylvania State University: 2000).
3. M. Cochran-Smith and S. Lytle, Inside/Outside: Teacher Research and Knowledge (New York: Teachers College Press, 1993), 5.
4. A. Oberg, "Methods and Meanings in Action Research: The Action Research Journal," Theory into Practice 29, no. 3 (1990).
5. M. Cardelle-Elawar, "The Teacher as Researcher in the Classroom," Action in Teacher Education 15, no. 1 (1993); W. Carr and S. Kemmis, Becoming Critical: Education, Knowledge, and Action Research (London: Falmer, 1986).
6. F.M. Connelly and D.J. Clandinin, Shaping a Professional Identity: Stories of Educational Practice (New York: Teachers College Press, 1999); F.M. Connelly and D.J. Clandinin, "Stories of Experience and Narrative Inquiry," Educational Researcher 19, no. 5 (1990).
7. Dana and Silva, "Building an Inquiry Oriented PDS: The Journey toward Making Inquiry a Central Part of Mentor Teachers' Work;" D.Y. Silva and N.F. Dana, "Reconceptualizing Supervision in the Professional Development School" (paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2000).
8. R.S. Hubbard and B.M. Power, The Art of Classroom Inquiry: A Handbook for Teacher-Researchers (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1993).
9. F. Erickson, ed., Qualitative Methods in Research on Teaching, 3rd Edition ed., Handbook of Research on Teaching (New York: Macmillan, 1986).
10. J. Bruner, Actual Minds, Possible Worlds (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1986).
11. Tom Lickona, Eric Schaps, and Catherine Lewis, "Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education,", (Washington, D.C.: Character Education Partnership, 1996).
12. M. Alekna, "1st in Action: How Particular 1st Interventions Helped a First Grade Student?" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 1999); C. Almquist, "Science Tables in First Grade: Promoting Conceptual Science Learning, Scientific Inquiry, and Positive Attitudes" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); M. Amond, "How Expectations Influence the Behavior of a Student and His Relationships with Teachers and Classmates" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 1999); H. Appold, "Motivating the Unmotivated: Developing Strategies to Increase Intrinsic Motivation" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); K. Bryan, "Inclusion of an Esl Student." (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); M. Bugai, "Cooperative Learning and the "Extreme" Learners in My Classroom: Bettering My Understanding and Beliefs" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquire Conference, State College, PA, 2000); R. Camp, "Teaching Kindness: Using a Social Studies Curriculum to Build Friendships and a Stronger Classroom Community" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); F. Chiappetta, "What Techniques Will Help a Child to Succeed Socially and Academically in the Classroom?" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); C. Clelland, "The Impact of a Teacher's Values and Beliefs on the Structure of Class Meetings" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); S. Fanelli, "An Examination of Peer Influence at the Writing Table in a Kindergarten Classroom" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 1999); S. Feldman, "Building Relationships with the Parents of at-Risk Students: It's a Two-Way Street" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 1999); A. Hosfeld, "What a Wonderful World: Anti-Bias Curriculum and the Needs of the Elementary Classroom" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); C. Humphrey, "Organizing the Primary Learning Environment" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); M. Koziak and S. Abruzzo, "Effective Parent-Teacher Communication: Enhancing the Teaching Partnership between Home and School" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); T. Mangiafico, "Inquiry into the Possibility of Student-Led Literature Circles" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 1999); M. Mesaris, "Enhancing Classroom Community and Children's Learning through Puppetry" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 1999); C. Sapone and B. Hartman, "Healing the Wounds: Increasing a Child's Self Esteem" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); D. Shockey, "Exploring Positive Discipline Strategies for Children: Enhancing My Own Understandings and Practice" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); A. Snyder, "Enhancing Self-Esteem in Relation to Academic and Social Success for a Student" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); J. Thulin, "Meaningful Melodies: Reading to the Beat of a Different Drummer" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); J. Trannel, "Self-Esteem: Intervening to Ensure the Academic and Social Success of a Capable Child" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000); K. Wagner, "Children's Classroom Ownership: Nurturing Democratic Practices through the Sharing of Power and Responsibility" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 1999); M. Wakely, "Classroom Websites and Parent Communication" (paper presented at the Annual State College Area School District/Pennsylvania State University Inquiry Conference, State College, PA, 2000).
13. C. Clelland, "The Impact of a Teacher's Values and Beliefs on the Structure of Class Meetings": 15.
14. R. Camp, "Teaching Kindness: Using a Social Studies Curriculum to Build Friendships and a Stronger Classroom Community": 14.
15. A. Hosfeld, "What a Wonderful World: Anti-Bias Curriculum and the Needs of the Elementary Classroom."
16. M. Amond, "How Expectations Influence the Behavior of a Student and His Relationships with Teachers and Classmates."
17. R. Camp, "Teaching Kindness: Using a Social Studies Curriculum to Build Friendships and a Stronger Classroom Community."
18. Ibid.
19. M. Amond, "How Expectations Influence the Behavior of a Student and His Relationships with Teachers and Classmates."
20. S. Fanelli, "An Examination of Peer Influence at the Writing Table in a Kindergarten Classroom."
21. K. Wagner, "Children's Classroom Ownership: Nurturing Democratic Practices through the Sharing of Power and Responsibility."
22. J. Thulin, "Meaningful Melodies: Reading to the Beat of a Different Drummer."
23. A. Hosfeld, "What a Wonderful World: Anti-Bias Curriculum and the Needs of the Elementary Classroom."
24. M. Mesaris, "Enhancing Classroom Community and Children's Learning through Puppetry."
25. J. Trannel, "Self-Esteem: Intervening to Ensure the Academic and Social Success of a Capable Child."
26. S. Feldman, "Building Relationships with the Parents of at-Risk Students: It's a Two-Way Street."
27. M. Wakely, "Classroom Websites and Parent Communication."
28. A. Snyder, "Enhancing Self-Esteem in Relation to Academic and Social Success for a Student."
29. R. Camp, "Teaching Kindness: Using a Social Studies Curriculum to Build Friendships and a Stronger Classroom Community."
30. K. Wagner, "Children's Classroom Ownership: Nurturing Democratic Practices through the Sharing of Power and Responsibility."
31. A. Synder, "Enhancing Self-Esteem in Relation to Academic and Social Success for a Student."