Limited research has been conducted on inquiry based teaching strategies on language arts and mathematics instruction. The research problem at the study site was the lack of research-based findings on the effectiveness of traditional and inquiry based teaching strategies on language arts and mathematics instruction. The purpose of this case study was to provide administrators at the study site with empirical evidence on didactic instruction and inquiry-based instruction in terms of improving the quality of teaching and learning in elementary schools. This study was grounded in the inquiry-based teaching theory supported by Jean Jacques Rousseau, John Dewey, and Jerome Bruner. The research question that guided this study investigated the differential impact of didactic instruction as compared to inquiry-based instruction on student achievement in language arts and mathematics within an urban elementary classroom. The participants were 66 fourth-grade students. Pre/posttests included student achievement assessments to examine differential efficacy of traditional and inquiry-based teaching strategies, as well as student perceptions of expected and actual outcomes for learning. No significant difference in performance in the traditional and inquiry-based classrooms was found using an independent sample "t" test. Chi-square test for independence also was used to demonstrate no association linking classrooms strategies to either student perceptions of expected or actual outcomes for learning. The findings indicated no overall difference in the traditional and inquiry-based classrooms strategies. This study could contribute to positive social change by providing teachers with instructional strategies designed to meet the needs of all learners, thus equipping them with skills needed to excel on high school graduation test and college entrance exams. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]