SCientific inquiry book Contributors

Robert E. Yager, PHD

Dr. Robert Yager is professor emeritus of science education at The University of Iowa, where he also earned two graduate degrees. He has di­rected over 100 National Science Foundation projects and has served as chair for nearly 130 doctoral students. Yager has served as president for seven national professional organizations, including the National Association for Research in Science Teaching and the National Science Teachers Association, and has authored over 600 research reports, chapters, monographs, and books. Dr. Yager continues to edit the Exemplary Science Programs (ESP) monograph series for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). The ESP volumes provide Special Conference sessions at the three regional NSTA conferences each fall and the national conference each spring.  Efforts are underway to produce ESP counterparts in Turkey, Indonesia, and Jordon.

Dr. Yager’s graduate work in plant physiology was completed at The University of Iowa, where he also developed one of the largest graduate programs in science education in the U.S. He has directed numerous grants totaling $15 million. Yager’s current research focus, interests and teaching are involved with science, technology, and society (STS), es­pecially in terms of it as an instructional reform effort and the other visions outlined in the National Science Education Standards (NSES) and the current Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). He continues to identify Exemplary Science Programs across the world.

Yager was recently president of the National Association of Science-Technology-Society and has been involved internationally with special ongoing projects in promoting research and staff development focusing on STS in Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Estonia, Turkey, and Germany. Dr. Yager developed the Iowa Chautauqua Program, a staff development model for K-12 science teachers. The program, which has been transported to over a dozen other states and nations, received national recognition from the National Diffusion Network, National Staff Development Council, and the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.

Dr. Yager has received numerous awards including the Jose Vasconcelos World Award and the Robert H. Carleton Award for Distinguished Service.

Carrie Bashaw

Carrie Bashaw was first introduced to scientific inquiry during the latter part of her 21 year teaching career. She quickly learned to leverage this strategy to enhance student learning and motivation - especially with her Special Education students.

Ms. Bashaw earned her BA degree in Business Administration, AA degree in accounting, MA degree in Geography, and holds teaching certificates in Social Studies and Special Education.

She has taught for 17 years in the public school system, during summers in private schools, and 4 years at the university level. At the high school Grades 9-12 level, she has taught Special Education Physical, Environmental, and General Science; Art; Geography; Marine Biology; mathematics; U.S. History; World History; and General Education Chemistry and Physical Science. Her university teaching positions include an adjunct professorship during which she taught Human Geography. She also served as mentor of students for state science bowls.

Ms. Bashaw presented papers at the National Science Teachers Association’s National Conference on Science Education in Boston, MA in 2008 and Philadelphia, PA in 2010. 

Donna Chrisman

Thirty-three year teaching veteran Donna Chrisman was first introduced to scientific inquiry-based instruction just a few years ago. Her first classroom implementation with this approach involved student learning of non-science content as much as science content and this proved to be an eye-opener for her.

She holds a BS degree and completed further graduate studies in Elementary Education. Her teaching experience includes Grades 1 through mathematics, reading, language arts, social studies, science, and art; and Grade 6 mathematics, language arts, and reading.

Throughout her grade level teaching experiences, she has taught Special Education Program students, including Gifted, Emotionally Disturbed, Speech/Language students, Resource Room students-minimal to moderate support, and students from the Bilingual Programs.

She is a three-time recipient of the Farmington Municipal School District’s Red Apple Award, Farmington, NM (2001, 2003, and 2010).

Crystal Doi

From the start of her teaching career, Crystal Doi began applying scientific inquiry as a core strategy for developing and implementing her classroom instructional techniques for herself and curriculum for her students. She currently uses scientific inquiry to teach content in all areas.

Ms. Doi earned her BS degree in Education and an AA degree in Liberal Arts. Her 8-year teaching experience includes Grades 1 through 3 and Grade 6.

Ms. Doi coauthored a presentation delivered to the National Science Teachers Association’s 2010 National Conference on Science Education in Philadelphia, PA.

Barbara Enzensperger

Teacher of 24 years, Barbara Enzensperger invited scientific inquiry into her teaching pedagogy for social studies and language arts content during the latter part of her teaching career and found it to have a powerful impact on herself, her colleagues, and her students.

Ms. Enzensperger holds a BS degree in Education. Her teaching experience includes Grade 7 history and language arts, Grades 10 and 11 English, history, economics and Civics; and Grade 6 social studies, reading and language arts. Ms. Enzensperger’s teaching career also included Special Education in Grades 6, 10 and 11 language arts and history.

Brenna Enzensperger

Brenna Enzensperger first encountered scientific inquiry near the start of her 6-year teaching career. She immediately took a liking to how decision making was based on mathematics in the Research Investigation Process (RIP®) model and how the entire scientific inquiry process could be used to foster the development of thinking in her students. Both she and her students enjoyed immediate success learning through scientific inquiry.

Ms. Enzensperger holds BA and MA degrees in Elementary Education. Her teaching experience includes Grade 8 science, reading, and social studies. She also teaches Grade 8 Special Education Gifted students.

Maki Fullerton

Maki Fullerton has used her 9 years of elementary school teaching to become proficient at engaging her students in scientific practices to facilitate learning content across the curriculum.

She earned a BA degree in Psychology and Elementary Education Certification. Maki is bilingual in Japanese and English. Her teaching experience includes all Grade 3 subjects and Grade 5 science.

Ms. Fullerton serves as a fifth grade faculty coach for the First LEGO League.

Wendy Gonsalves

Wendy Gonsalves’ 8 years of teaching third and fourth graders really pays off as she uses her proficiency with scientific practices to support her students as they design and conduct investigations on topics that directly affect their lives. She is equally concerned with development of student content knowledge and thinking and uses scientific inquiry to foster these skills.

She earned her BBA degree in Hotel Management and BA degree in Elementary Education.

Her teaching experience includes teaching all subjects to Grades 3 and 4.

Ms. Gonsalves coauthored a presentation at the 2008 National Science Teachers Association’s National Conference on Science Education held in Boston, MA in 2008.

Kyle Haws

Kyle Haws first implemented scientific inquiry into his classroom about halfway into his relatively young teaching career. As the science hub of an interdisciplinary investigation involving social studies, language arts, and science with three other teachers, he experienced firsthand how a school-wide inquiry-based approach can foster professional relationships across disciplines as well as stimulate student involvement in curriculum development and learning.

Mr. Haws earned his MA degree in Elementary Education. His 9 years of teaching experience include Grade 6 reading, language arts, and science. He also teaches Special Education science for Grade 6.

Susan Kamida

With 33 years of teaching experience, Susan Kamida has instructed special education students from preschool through Grade 12. She specializes in working with the deaf and hard of hearing student. Kamida uses scientific inquiry to provide her students with empowerment as learners. Her students apply scientific practices as they engage in learning standards-based content through their investigations.

She earned a BS degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology and MA degree in Communicative Disorders - specializing in Education of the Deaf.

Ms. Kamida’s teaching experience includes Pre-K; Kindergarten through Grade 6 language arts and mathematics; Grades 7 and 8 language arts, mathematics, and social studies; Grades 9 and 10 English, general mathematics; and Grades 10 through 12 biology, social studies, and sign language. She also teaches Special Education for the Hearing Impaired and Deaf for Pre-K and Grades Kindergarten through12.

Susan Kamida’s professional presentations include a talk delivered to the National Science Teacher’s Association’s National Conference on Science Education held in Anaheim, CA in 2006.

Irene Kamimura

Irene Kamimura is a standards-based resource teacher who provides instructional professional development assistance to grades K-12 teachers across content areas. She earned her BA degree and a Professional Diploma in General Education with a minor in Psychology.

Her 25 year career in the field of education has included teaching elementary Grades 2 through 5. She has also taught a number of special programs, including English Language Learners (ELL) for Grades K-6, Enrichment Mathematics for Grade 4, and Language Arts Intervention for Grades 5 and 6.

Ms. Kamimura has presented talks and workshop sessions at numerous education and science education conferences at both the national and state levels, including talks at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Conference on Science Education in Anaheim, CA in 2006, Boston, MA in 2008 (2 talks) and Indianapolis, IN in 2012; the New Jersey Science Convention; and the International Conference on Critical Thinking at Sonoma State University, CA in 2002 and 2003.

Ms. Kamimura was named the Concord School District Distinguished Educator in 1996 and the Concord School District Ambassador for Regional Central New Hampshire in 1997.

Lori LoRusso

Lori LoRusso is a Grades K and 2 classroom teacher with 22 years of teaching experience. She enjoys turning “traditional” lessons into scientific inquiry-based investigations through which she then guides her students. Some of her best experiences have been those in which she chose to frame the inquiry around an activity that had captivated her students’ attention when introduced into her classroom curriculum in previous years.

She holds a BA degree and Professional Diploma in Elementary Education and has taught for 22 years. Her teaching experience includes Kindergarten and Grade 2, both covering all content areas.

Ms. LoRusso delivered a talk to the National Science Education Association’s National Conference on Science Education in Anaheim, CA in 2006.

Joyce Luka

Joyce Luca has become proficient in stimulating student interest through her use of scientific inquiry-based instruction, especially with a population of typically low- motivated underachieving students.

Her 29 years of teaching experience include Kindergarten through middle school levels. She holds a BA degree and a Professional Diploma in Education. Ms. Luca’s teaching experiences include Grades K through 7 and elementary and middle school computers. She has also taught in the Gifted and Talented program and managed a science club for Grades 2 through 5.

She coauthored a presentation at the 2008 National Science Teachers Association’s National Conference on Science Education held in Boston, MA in 2008.

Ms. Luca received a Lucy Enos Scholarship Award in Space Science in 2005 from the Space Foundation, Colorado Springs, Colorado and a Tom Adams Award -Good Ideas Grant in 2013 from the Public Schools Hawaii Foundation, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Anne McKnight

Anne McKnight has 28 years of classroom teaching experience. She uses a challenging curriculum based on students engaging in scientific practices focusing on real world issues directly relevant to their lives. McKnight leverages a local university partnership for subjects, supplies, and background information that her secondary students will use in their investigations.

McKnight holds a BA degree in Chinese and an MAT degree in Communication. Her teaching experience includes Grade 6 science, art, drama, and Title I reading; Grade 7 science, mathematics, social studies, and Title I reading; and Grade 8 science, social studies, Title I reading, and drama. She has also taught freshman English Composition at the university level and English Language Learners (ELL) at the Grades K through 6 and university levels.

Ms. Mcknight presented a paper at the National Science Teachers Association’s National Conference on Science Education in Boston, MA in 2008.

Glendene Otake

Glendene Otake, with her 23 years of preschool to fifth grade teaching experience, focuses her attention to detail on aspects of daily school life with which her young students concern themselves that can become part of the “teachable” themes contained in scientific investigations that carry important content. In this way, she is able to harness her multiethnic general education and English Language Learner (ELL) kindergartner’s experiences and link student interests to relevant concepts to be learned.

Ms. Otake holds a BS degree and Professional Diploma in Education. Her teaching experience includes Kindergarten Early Childhood Development, and all subjects in Grades 1, 2, 4, and 5. She has also served as a Language Arts Resource Teacher for Grades K-6.

She presented a session at the 2006 National Science Teachers Association’s National Conference on Science Education in Anaheim, CA.

Ms. Otake was recognized with the distinction of Highly Qualified Teacher in 2006.