Teachers of bachelors lab courses collaborating to promote open inquiry: a case study

TL;DR

This case study explores how university teachers collaborating in a Networked Faculty Learning Community effectively shared and developed open inquiry lab courses, fostering professional growth and a common understanding of didactical methods.

Contribution

It demonstrates the organic development of a collaborative community that enhances open inquiry teaching through shared documentation and communication.

Findings

Community learning occurs even without explicit professional development goals.

Collaborative efforts lead to a shared definition of open inquiry.

Documentation and communication are key to effective collaboration.

Abstract

A group of university bachelors teachers of open inquiry lab courses in science subjects collaborated in a Networked Faculty Learning Community (NFLC) with the final goal to share their course materials publicly. In this paper we describe their collaborative process, communication on the topic and their road to a common definition of open inquiry as a didactical method. The study emerged organically during the collaboration of this NFLC as the group increasingly recognized the value of documenting their endeavours, allowing others to learn and grow as they did. We can conclude that learning takes place in such a community, even though professional development was not the NFLC s intention.