1.2. Research or inquiry?
The terms “research” and “inquiry” are either not used when describing teacher education programs or appear to be used interchangeably in the brief presentation of program goals above. Reid (2004) proposes, however, that there are a number of characteristics of research that are not necessarily evident in inquiry, including that research uses appropriate research methods and methodologies, it builds upon the literature in the area being researched, it is an accessible activity open to peer review, and that the knowledge that is produced is applicable to other researchers and research contexts. Sometimes inquiry may meet these requirements, often it will not. Inquiry can be systematic, it can involve investigating literature on the topic being studied, but it needn't be intended to produce results for a wider public that can be tested and reviewed for others. In this sense, inquiry can be described as evidence based or evidence informed practice (Cordingley, 2003).