Designing inquiry-based courses in Mathematics and Physics

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Many elementary and secondary school teachers teach as they have been taught. In may cases, this results in following a given textbook slavishly. Research on learning documents improved retention of course material by students actively involved in the learning process. This project focuses on the development of new curricula in mathematics and science for teacher preparation programs which promotes active student involvement in learning. Integrating the content of mathematics and science, the new curricula teaches pre-service teachers the use and benefits of proven techniques of inquiry-based instruction as an integral part of their teacher education program by example. The project builds on the successful physics and mathematical initiatives nationally and statewide, respectively. The curricula are designed using the results of the pretests to determine prevalent preconceptions and to define topics for inclusion. Course materials are pilot tested in teacher education programs on two campuses of The Ohio State University.