| This ethnographic portraiture case study of a traditional, experienced high school English teacher shows how attempts at encouraging inquiry-writing through professional development influenced a high school English teacher and her students? Theories on learning (Vygotsky), writing instruction (Applebee; Graves) and inquiry strategies (Hillocks; Martinello & Cook; Beach & Myers) guided this study. The participating teacher underwent sustained professional development for learning inquiry strategies for writing instruction and received in-class mentoring.;This project collected data by observations, interviews with the teacher and selected students, a student focus group interview, analysis of student products and the teacher's ranking of professional development opportunities. Data analysis identified the presence of six inquiry strategies proposed by Beach and Myers: immersing, contextualizing, identifying, representing, critiquing and transforming. The case study also found evidence of other important inquiry writing instruction practices: ownership, boundless enthusiasm, collaboration, modeling, authentic research, authentic audience and the opportunity to reflect on the process.;This research study discovered that for this case the most effective professional development program involved a cycle of theory, experience, practice and reflection that appeared to stimulate beneficial changes in teacher practices within writing instruction. The interconnectedness of the three themes of professional development, inquiry and reflection emerged from this case study. |
