Think you don’t have time to do research? How about professional growth—think that’s out of reach? Let your peers take you on their journeys and inspire you through their stories in Teacher Research. You will gain insight into teacher research—the kind that can take place when you reflect on how one question is leading to another, or on a colleague’s observation that offers a different lens through which to view the classroom, or on a conversation with a student that sheds light on classroom performance issues.

The editors don’t define research rigidly, and the book reads more like a journal than a research report. The chapter authors range from first-year elementary teachers to doctoral candidates. But, even when the authors have not set out to do formal research, they come to see that they’re engaging in exploration that can bring the same insights into better teaching that more formal research provides. They ask questions about practice, collect evidence, make sense of the evidence, and share conclusions.

The book is organized into three sections:

• Part I includes four examples of research in progress by teachers who write to inform their thinking about aspects of integrating science and literacy learning.
• Part II presents inquiries about science learning and teaching at a variety of grade levels.

• Part III features authors who reflect on the process of researching while teaching.

If you’re a science teacher, this collection will show you the paths that others like you have found to deepen their understanding of the philosophy and practice of teacher research. If you’re a science-teacher educator, it will give you examples to share about the many ways in-service teachers can conduct inquiry into their own work. Either way, Teacher Research provides a memorable passage into what its subtitle promises: learning and growth.