Teachers College Record Volume 113, Number 7, July 2011, pp. 1311–1360 Copyright © by Teachers College, Columbia University 0161-4681 Ambitious Pedagogy by Novice Teachers: Who Benefits From Tool-Supported Collaborative Inquiry into Practice and Why? MARK WINDSCHITL JESSICA THOMPSON University of Washington MELISSA BRAATEN University of Wisconsin Background/Context: The collegial analysis of student work artifacts has been effective in advancing the practice of experienced teachers; however, the use of such strategies as a cen- terpiece for induction has not been explored, nor has the development of tool systems to sup- port such activity with novices. Purpose/Objective: We tested the hypothesis that first-year teachers could take up forms of ambitious pedagogy under the following conditions: 1) that reform-based practices intro- duced in teacher preparation would be the focus of collaborative inquiry throughout the first year of teaching, 2) that participants use analyses of their students’ work as the basis of cri- tique and change in practice, and 3) that special tools be employed that help participants hypothesize about relationships between instruction and student performance. Participants: Eleven secondary science teachers engaged in tool-supported collegial analysis of their students’ work over two years, spanning pre-service and in-service contexts. Research Design: We used a qualitative multi-case study approach, incorporating video- tapes of collaborative inquiry (CFG) sessions, classroom observations, student-created arti- facts, interviews, and field notes. The primary cases were of the CFG sessions themselves. Analysis entailed identifying patterns of participation across CFG sessions and changes in classroom practice during induction. Findings: More than one third of the group developed elements of expert-like teaching, with