LATVIAN SCIENCE TEACHER EXPERIENCE IN LEARNING TEAM FOR IMPROVEMENT OF INQUIRY TEACHING PRACTICE

As of 2006, the new secondary education standards requiring student scientific inquiry have been introduced in Latvia. Student scientific inquiry is a new approach for science teachers in Latvia. Based on the initial research carried out in Latvia on teacher progress in implementation of scientific inquiry, it may be said with confidence that scientific inquiry has entered the learning process. However, results of the teacher survey, as well as lesson observations by experts, show the contradiction between the real situation in the classroom and teacher own perceptions, confirming that teacher analytical and reflection skills must be significantly improved to equip teachers for effective organization of scientific inquiry. In order to be successful in inquiry teaching, teachers have to be immersed in their performance, take part in discussions, exchange opinions, practice, analyze and reflect on their own and their colleagues' learning. When a teacher, presented with a problematic situation in the classroom, is looking for a solution and developing an understanding of what can be done, it may be useful to test ideas through action research. Action research was chosen as a tool for Teacher Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in order to improve their personal inquiry teaching practices and reflection skills. Teacher learning teams for action research aimed at improving individual inquiry teaching practices and reflection skills were first established in Latvia in 2011. The research poses a question - how does work in teacher learning teams for action research facilitate improvement of inquiry teaching practices and reflection skills? What are the factors that affect teacher work in the learning team for action research? This article describes formation of the learning team for the inquiry teaching improvement model as learning in a team. It is based on action research and has a positive impact on science teacher skills to organize student scientific inquiry. The research also looks into the factors that affect learning in a team.