Sparking the Flame: Research as Inquiry for Aspiring Educators

Year 2025, Volume: 14 Issue: 3, 201 - 217, 31.12.2025

Madeline Grimes , Erik Byker

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe and report on the implementation of an inquiry-based module for future educators. Research consistently highlights a gap between the academic expectations of secondary school and the requirements of higher education, particularly concerning inquiry and research skills. While College-Career Ready (CCR) standards (Green et al., 2023) aim to bridge this divide, many first-year undergraduate students including preservice teachers, still struggle with the shift toward inquiry and critical analysis. This study investigated the efficacy of an intensive, year-long inquiry-based learning (IBL) program called "Pathways for Success" (PFS), which was designed to foster research skills among 229 (n=229) first-year and transfer undergraduates interested in teaching. A mixed-methods survey research design (Goodfellow, 2023) was used to answer the following research questions: 1) What is the Research as Inquiry Module and how was it implemented? 2) What were the undergraduate students’ perceptions of the process of research and its application to their future? 3) What did the undergraduate students perceive as the challenges about engaging in research? Findings reveal that students held positive perceptions of the module and its professional applications, yet they also identified key challenges, including formulating research questions and managing their time.

Keywords

clinical experiences , college-career ready , inquiry-based learning , inquiry processing cycle , teacher education

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