Assessment of Inquiry Skills in the SAILS Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Chris

2014-01-01

Inquiry provides both the impetus and experience that helps students acquire problem solving and lifelong learning skills. Teachers on the Strategies for Assessment of Inquiry Learning in Science Project (SAILS) strengthened their inquiry pedagogy, through focusing on seeking assessment evidence for formative action. This paper reports on both the…

3Hs Education: Examining hands-on, heads-on and hearts-on early childhood science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeynep Inan, Hatice; Inan, Taskin

2015-08-01

Active engagement has become the focus of many early childhood science education curricula and standards. However, active engagement usually emphasizes getting children engaged with science solely through hands-on activities. Active engagement by way of hands, heads, and hearts are kept separate and rarely discussed in terms of getting all to work together, although inquiry-based education and student interest have been accepted as important in science education. The current study is an inquiry-based research. It aims to describe and examine projects and activity stations for preschoolers in a Turkish preschool classroom bringing together the pieces of the puzzle of science education, called here 'Hands-Heads-Hearts-on Science Education'. The study, conducted from a qualitative-interpretivist paradigm, reveals that activity stations and projects create a context for hands-on (active engagement), heads-on (inquiry based or mental-engagement), and hearts-on (interest based) science education. It is found that activity stations and projects, when maintained by appropriate teacher-support, create a playful context in which children can be actively and happily engaged in science-related inquiry.

What Students Really Think about Doing Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernard, Warren

2011-01-01

There are many types of inquiry activities out there: Demonstrations, guided or scaffolded inquiry labs, open- or free-inquiry labs, and problem-based or project-based learning activities are all staples in science education. The importance of inquiry is highlighted in such documents as the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996) and the…

Using the Communication in Science Inquiry Project Professional Development Model to Facilitate Learning Middle School Genetics Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Dale R.; Lewis, Elizabeth B.; Uysal, Sibel; Purzer, Senay; Lang, Michael; Baker, Perry

2011-01-01

This study describes the effect of embedding content in the Communication in Inquiry Science Project professional development model for science and language arts teachers. The model uses four components of successful professional development (content focus, active learning, extended duration, participation by teams of teachers from the same school…

Exploring English Language Learners (ELL) experiences with scientific language and inquiry within a real life context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Algee, Lisa M.

English Language Learners (ELL) are often at a distinct disadvantage from receiving authentic science learning opportunites. This study explored English Language Learners (ELL) learning experiences with scientific language and inquiry within a real life context. This research was theoretically informed by sociocultural theory and literature on student learning and science teaching for ELL. A qualitative, case study was used to explore students' learning experiences. Data from multiple sources was collected: student interviews, science letters, an assessment in another context, field-notes, student presentations, inquiry assessment, instructional group conversations, parent interviews, parent letters, parent homework, teacher-researcher evaluation, teacher-researcher reflective journal, and student ratings of learning activities. These data sources informed the following research questions: (1) Does participation in an out-of-school contextualized inquiry science project increase ELL use of scientific language? (2) Does participation in an out-of-school contextualized inquiry science project increase ELL understanding of scientific inquiry and their motivation to learn? (3) What are parents' funds of knowledge about the local ecology and does this inform students' experiences in the science project? All data sources concerning students were analyzed for similar patterns and trends and triangulation was sought through the use of these data sources. The remaining data sources concerning the teacher-researcher were used to inform and assess whether the pedagogical and research practices were in alignment with the proposed theoretical framework. Data sources concerning parental participation accessed funds of knowledge, which informed the curriculum in order to create continuity and connections between home and school. To ensure accuracy in the researchers' interpretations of student and parent responses during interviews, member checking was employed. The findings suggest that participation in an out-of-school contextualized inquiry science project increased ELL use of scientific language and understanding of scientific inquiry and motivation to learn. In addition, parent' funds of knowledge informed students' experiences in the science project. These findings suggest that the learning and teaching practices and the real life experiential learning contexts served as an effective means for increasing students' understandings and motivation to learn.

Project LITE: Light Inquiry Through Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brecher, Kenneth

2007-06-01

"Project LITE: Light Inquiry Through Experiments" is a science education project aimed at developing interactive hands-on and eyes-on curriculum, software and materials about light and optics. These are being developed for use in undergraduate astronomy courses, but they can also be used to advantage in physics, chemistry, Earth science and psychology courses throughout the K-12 and undergraduate curriculum.

Creating contextually authentic science in a low-performing urban elementary school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxton, Cory A.

2006-09-01

This article reports on a 2-year collaborate project to reform the teaching and learning of science in the context of Mae Jemison Elementary, the lowest performing elementary school in the state of Louisiana. I outline a taxonomy of authentic science inquiry experiences and then use the resulting framework to focus on how project participants interpreted and enacted ideas about collaboration and authenticity. The resulting contextually authentic science inquiry model links the strengths of a canonically authentic model of science inquiry (grounded in the Western scientific canon) with the strengths of a youth-centered model of authenticity (grounded in student-generated inquiry), thus bringing together relevant content standards and topics with critical social relevance. I address the question of how such enactments may or may not promote doing science together and consider the implications of this model for urban science education.

Partners in Inquiry: A Collaborative Life Science Investigation with Preservice Teachers and Kindergarten Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckhoff, Angela

2017-01-01

This article documents a collaborative project involving preservice early childhood education students' development of inquiry-based learning experiences alongside kindergarten students within a science methods course. To document this project, I utilized a multiple methods approach and data included classroom observations, transcripts from lesson…

Urban schools' teachers enacting project-based science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tal, Tali; Krajcik, Joseph S.; Blumenfeld, Phyllis C.

2006-09-01

What teaching practices foster inquiry and promote students to learn challenging subject matter in urban schools? Inquiry-based instruction and successful inquiry learning and teaching in project-based science (PBS) were described in previous studies (Brown & Campione, [1990]; Crawford, [1999]; Krajcik, Blumenfeld, Marx, Bass, & Fredricks, [1998]; Krajcik, Blumenfeld, Marx, & Solloway, [1994]; Minstrell & van Zee, [2000]). In this article, we describe the characteristics of inquiry teaching practices that promote student learning in urban schools. Teaching is a major factor that affects both achievement of and attitude of students toward science (Tamir, [1998]). Our involvement in reform in a large urban district includes the development of suitable learning materials and providing continuous and practiced-based professional development (Fishman & Davis, in press; van Es, Reiser, Matese, & Gomez, [2002]). Urban schools face particular challenges when enacting inquiry-based teaching practices like those espoused in PBS. In this article, we describe two case studies of urban teachers whose students achieved high gains on pre- and posttests and who demonstrated a great deal of preparedness and commitment to their students. Teachers' attempts to help their students to perform well are described and analyzed. The teachers we discuss work in a school district that strives to bring about reform in mathematics and science through systemic reform. The Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools (LeTUS) collaborates with the Detroit Public Schools to bring about reform in middle-school science. Through this collaboration, diverse populations of urban-school students learn science through inquiry-oriented projects and the use of various educational learning technologies. For inquiry-based science to succeed in urban schools, teachers must play an important role in enacting the curriculum while addressing the unique needs of students. The aim of this article is to describe patterns of good science teaching in urban school.

Reading, Writing, and Conducting Inquiry about Science in Kindergarten

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patrick, Helen; Mantzicopoulos, Panayota; Samarapungavan, Ala

2009-01-01

Over the past three years, the authors have worked with kindergarten teachers to develop study units with sequences of integrated science inquiry and literacy activities appropriate for kindergartners. Their work, which is part of the Scientific Literacy Project, has been very successful. The success of the Scientific Literacy Project (SLP) is in…

Impact of problem finding on the quality of authentic open inquiry science research projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labanca, Frank

2008-11-01

Problem finding is a creative process whereby individuals develop original ideas for study. Secondary science students who successfully participate in authentic, novel, open inquiry studies must engage in problem finding to determine viable and suitable topics. This study examined problem finding strategies employed by students who successfully completed and presented the results of their open inquiry research at the 2007 Connecticut Science Fair and the 2007 International Science and Engineering Fair. A multicase qualitative study was framed through the lenses of creativity, inquiry strategies, and situated cognition learning theory. Data were triangulated by methods (interviews, document analysis, surveys) and sources (students, teachers, mentors, fair directors, documents). The data demonstrated that the quality of student projects was directly impacted by the quality of their problem finding. Effective problem finding was a result of students using resources from previous, specialized experiences. They had a positive self-concept and a temperament for both the creative and logical perspectives of science research. Successful problem finding was derived from an idiosyncratic, nonlinear, and flexible use and understanding of inquiry. Finally, problem finding was influenced and assisted by the community of practicing scientists, with whom the students had an exceptional ability to communicate effectively. As a result, there appears to be a juxtaposition of creative and logical/analytical thought for open inquiry that may not be present in other forms of inquiry. Instructional strategies are suggested for teachers of science research students to improve the quality of problem finding for their students and their subsequent research projects.

Project CUES: A New Middle-School Earth System Science Curriculum Being Developed by the American Geological Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. C.; Smith, M. J.; Lederman, N.; Southard, J. B.; Rogers, E. A.; Callahan, C. N.

2002-12-01

Project CUES is a middle-school earth systems science curriculum project under development by the American Geological Institute (AGI) and funded by the National Science Foundation (ESI-0095938). CUES features a student-centered, inquiry pedagogy and approaches earth science from a systems perspective. CUES will use the expanded learning cycle approach of Trowbridge and Bybee (1996), known as the 5E model (engage-explore-explain-elaborate-evaluate). Unlike AGI's Investigating Earth Systems (IES) curriculum modules, CUES will include a single hard-bound textbook, and will take one school-year to complete. The textbook includes a prologue that addresses systems concepts and four main units: Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, and Biosphere. Each eight-week unit takes students through a progression from guided inquiry to open-ended, student-driven inquiry. During first 4 to 5 weeks of each unit, students explore important earth science phenomena and concepts through scripted investigations and narrative reading passages written by scientists as "inquiry narratives". The narratives address the development of scientific ideas and relay the personal experiences of a scientist during their scientific exploration. Aspects of the nature of science will be explicitly addressed in investigations and inquiry narratives. After the guided inquiry, students will develop a research proposal and conduct their own inquiry into local or regional scientific problems. Each unit culminates with a science conference at which students present their research. CUES will be the first NSF-funded, comprehensive earth systems textbook for middle school that is based on national standards. CUES will be pilot tested in 12 classrooms in January 2003, with a national field test of the program in 50 classrooms during the 2003-2004 school year.

Experimental comparison of inquiry and direct instruction in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobern, William W.; Schuster, David; Adams, Betty; Applegate, Brooks; Skjold, Brandy; Undreiu, Adriana; Loving, Cathleen C.; Gobert, Janice D.

2010-04-01

There are continuing educational and political debates about 'inquiry' versus 'direct' teaching of science. Traditional science instruction has been largely direct but in the US, recent national and state science education standards advocate inquiry throughout K-12 education. While inquiry-based instruction has the advantage of modelling aspects of the nature of real scientific inquiry, there is little unconfounded comparative research into the effectiveness and efficiency of the two instructional modes for developing science conceptual understanding. This research undertook a controlled experimental study comparing the efficacy of carefully designed inquiry instruction and equally carefully designed direct instruction in realistic science classroom situations at the middle school grades. The research design addressed common threats to validity. We report on the nature of the instructional units in each mode, research design, methods, classroom implementations, monitoring, assessments, analysis and project findings.

Teaching Inquiry using NASA Earth-System Science: Lessons Learned for Blended, Scaffolded Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, T. D.; TeBockhorst, D.

2013-12-01

Teaching Inquiry using NASA Earth-System Science (TINES) is a NASA EPOESS funded program exploring blended professional development for pre- and in-service educators to learn how to conduct meaningful inquiry lessons and projects in the K-12 classroom. This project combines trainings in GLOBE observational protocols and training in the use of NASA Earth Science mission data in a backward-faded scaffolding approach to teaching and learning about scientific inquiry. It also features a unique partnership with the National Science Teachers Association Learning Center to promote cohort building and blended professional development with access to NSTA's collection of resources. In this presentation, we will discuss lessons learned in year one and two of this program and how we plan to further develop this program over the next two years.

How Science Fairs Foster Inquiry Skills and Enrich Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paul, Jürgen; Groß, Jorge

2017-01-01

Science competitions have continuing relevance for schools. The aim of the German youth science fair "Jugend forscht" is to encourage scientific thinking and inquiry methods such as experimentation. Three concrete examples of participating projects are given. We summarise the current state of research related to science competitions,…

Undergraduate Student Attitudes and Perceptions toward Low- and High-Level Inquiry Exercise Physiology Teaching Laboratory Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henige, Kim

2011-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to compare student attitudes toward two different science laboratory learning experiences, specifically, traditional, cookbook-style, low-inquiry level (LL) activities and a high-inquiry level (HL) investigative project. In addition, we sought to measure and compare students' science-related attitudes and…

Collaboration in teacher workshops and citizen science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibbs, M. G.; Buxner, S.; Gay, P.; Crown, D. A.; Bracey, G.; Gugliucci, N.; Costello, K.; Reilly, E.

2013-12-01

The Moon and Earth system is an important topic for elementary and middle school science classrooms. Elementary and middle school teachers are challenged to keep current in science. The Planetary Science Institute created a program titled Workshops in Science Education and Resources (WISER): Planetary Perspectives to assist in-service K-12 teachers with their knowledge in earth and space science, using up-to-date science and inquiry activities to assist them in engaging their students. To augment the science and add a new aspect for teacher professional development, PSI is working in a new partnership collaborating with the Cosmoquest project in engaging teachers in authentic inquiry of the Moon. Teachers now learn about the Moon from PSI scientists and education staff and then engage in inquiry of the Moon using CosmoQuest's online citizen science project MoonMappers and its accompanying classroom curriculum TerraLuna. Through MoonMappers, teachers and students explore the lunar surface by viewing high-resolution pictures from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and marking craters and other interesting features. In addition, TerraLuna provides a unit of inquiry-based activities that bring MoonMappers and its science content into the classroom. This program addresses standards teachers need to teach and helps them not only teach about the Moon but also engage their students in authentic inquiry of the lunar surface.

Teaching Science with Web-Based Inquiry Projects: An Exploratory Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Aubree M.; Knight, Stephanie L.; Wu, X. Ben; Schielack, Jane F.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research is to explore a new computer-based interactive learning approach to assess the impact on student learning and attitudes toward science in a large university ecology classroom. A comparison was done with an established program to measure the relative impact of the new approach. The first inquiry project, BearCam, gives…

Science Teacher Efficacy and Extrinsic Factors Toward Professional Development Using Video Games in a Design-Based Research Model: The Next Generation of STEM Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Annetta, Leonard A.; Frazier, Wendy M.; Folta, Elizabeth; Holmes, Shawn; Lamb, Richard; Cheng, Meng-Tzu

2013-02-01

Designed-based research principles guided the study of 51 secondary-science teachers in the second year of a 3-year professional development project. The project entailed the creation of student-centered, inquiry-based, science, video games. A professional development model appropriate for infusing innovative technologies into standards-based curricula was employed to determine how science teacher's attitudes and efficacy where impacted while designing science-based video games. The study's mixed-method design ascertained teacher efficacy on five factors (General computer use, Science Learning, Inquiry Teaching and Learning, Synchronous chat/text, and Playing Video Games) related to technology and gaming using a web-based survey). Qualitative data in the form of online blog posts was gathered during the project to assist in the triangulation and assessment of teacher efficacy. Data analyses consisted of an Analysis of Variance and serial coding of teacher reflective responses. Results indicated participants who used computers daily have higher efficacy while using inquiry-based teaching methods and science teaching and learning. Additional emergent findings revealed possible motivating factors for efficacy. This professional development project was focused on inquiry as a pedagogical strategy, standard-based science learning as means to develop content knowledge, and creating video games as technological knowledge. The project was consistent with the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) framework where overlapping circles of the three components indicates development of an integrated understanding of the suggested relationships. Findings provide suggestions for development of standards-based science education software, its integration into the curriculum and, strategies for implementing technology into teaching practices.

Meaningful Science: Teachers Doing Inquiry + Teaching Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kielborn, Terrie L., Ed.; Gilmer, Penny J., Ed.

This publication relates the experiences of seven K-8 teachers who participated in a science education doctoral cohort group during which each of the teachers engaged in a different real-world scientific research project. The idea was to immerse teachers in scientific research so that they could experience inquiry in science first-hand and become…

Improving Student Science Literacy through an Inquiry-Based, Integrated Science Curriculum and Review of Science Media.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bardeen, Karen

This project studied the effects of an inquiry-based, integrated science course on student science literacy. The course was aligned to state and national science standards. The target population consisted of sophomore, junior, and senior high-school students in an upper-middle class suburb of a major Midwestern city. Questionnaires, tests, and…

Teacher Use of Evidence to Customize Inquiry Science Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerard, Libby F.; Spitulnik, Michele; Linn, Marcia C.

2010-01-01

This study investigated how professional development featuring evidence-based customization of technology-enhanced curriculum projects can improve inquiry science teaching and student knowledge integration in earth science. Participants included three middle school sixth-grade teachers and their classes of students (N = 787) for three consecutive…

The Use of Wikis in a Science Inquiry-Based Project in a Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Wilfred W. F.; Lui, Vicky; Chu, Samuel K. W.

2017-01-01

This study explored the use of wikis in a science inquiry-based project conducted with Primary 6 students (aged 11-12). It used an online wiki-based platform called PBworks and addressed the following research questions: (1) What are students' attitudes toward learning with wikis? (2) What are students' interactions in online group collaboration…

Mobile Inquiry Learning in Sweden: Development Insights on Interoperability, Extensibility and Sustainability of the LETS GO Software System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogel, Bahtijar; Kurti, Arianit; Milrad, Marcelo; Johansson, Emil; Müller, Maximilian

2014-01-01

This paper presents the overall lifecycle and evolution of a software system we have developed in relation to the "Learning Ecology through Science with Global Outcomes" (LETS GO) research project. One of the aims of the project is to support "open inquiry learning" using mobile science collaboratories that provide open…

Which Type of Inquiry Project Do High School Biology Students Prefer: Open or Guided?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeh, Irit; Zion, Michal

2012-10-01

In teaching inquiry to high school students, educators differ on which method of teaching inquiry is more effective: Guided or open inquiry? This paper examines the influence of these two different inquiry learning approaches on the attitudes of Israeli high school biology students toward their inquiry project. The results showed significant differences between the two groups: Open inquiry students were more satisfied and felt they gained benefits from implementing the project to a greater extent than guided inquiry students. On the other hand, regarding documentation throughout the project, guided inquiry students believed that they conducted more documentation, as compared to their open inquiry peers. No significant differences were found regarding `the investment of time', but significant differences were found in the time invested and difficulties which arose concerning the different stages of the inquiry process: Open inquiry students believed they spent more time in the first stages of the project, while guided inquiry students believed they spent more time in writing the final paper. In addition, other differences were found: Open inquiry students felt more involved in their project, and felt a greater sense of cooperation with others, in comparison to guided inquiry students. These findings may help teachers who hesitate to teach open inquiry to implement this method of inquiry; or at least provide their students with the opportunity to be more involved in inquiry projects, and ultimately provide their students with more autonomy, high-order thinking, and a deeper understanding in performing science.

Synthesis and Hydrogenation of Disubstituted Chalcones: A Guided-Inquiry Organic Chemistry Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohrig, Jerry R.; Hammond, Christina Noring; Schatz, Paul F.; Davidson, Tammy A.

2009-01-01

Guided-inquiry experiments offer the same opportunities to participate in the process of science as classical organic qualitative analysis used to do. This three-week guided-inquiry project involves an aldol-dehydration synthesis of a chalcone chosen from a set of nine, followed by a catalytic transfer hydrogenation reaction using ammonium formate…

Transfer of Analytical Skills From Subject to Subject - Reality or Fiction?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Oliveira, G.; Murray, D. P.; Veeger, A.; Caulkin, J.; Brand, S.; Fogleman, J.; Dooley, H.

2013-12-01

The Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science (RITES) Project is a partnership aimed at improving science education in Rhode Island. Most of the school districts in the state and five institutions of higher education participate in it. RITES was funded by the NSF Math and Science Partnership program, to a large extent because a statewide partnership would elucidate strategies that could be implemented in a diversity of environments throughout the country. The project has become an authentic and equal partnership that benefits both K-12 and higher education institutions; it has succeeded in improving science education by several measures, including gains in teacher content knowledge and in student performance on standardized exams. One of the centerpieces of the project is a professional development (PD) program, which has engaged more than 65% of the middle and secondary levels science teachers in the state. In this presentation we discuss outcomes of the PD, which shed light on questions of general interest to science educators. It is widely held that inquiry skills should be transferrable from one scientific domain to another regardless of content, and this premise was central to the original design philosophy of RITES PD. Nevertheless, although many educators embrace this view, it is a hypothesis that has been mostly untested. That is because there are few environments where an appropriate tool is in place to measure inquiry skills. RITES was uniquely positioned to measure the impact of its PD on student inquiry skills, and whether those skills would translate to topics not covered in classroom activities. New England has a multi-state consortium with a common assessment program, which measures inquiry skills in addition to content knowledge. Inquiry tasks on the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) may use any science topic. RITES offers technology-based classroom investigations for all areas of science, but it is nigh impossible to match inquiry opportunities during the academic year with the content of the NECAP inquiry tasks, as the latter continually change. An analysis of the NECAP inquiry assessment shows that students of RITES teachers do significantly better than others on inquiry. Moreover, no correlation has been found between the topics of the PDs and the NECAP inquiry tasks. These results will be discussed in this presentation along with insights from pre/post assessments of content knowledge specific to RITES investigations.

Designing Summer Research Experiences for Teachers and Students That Promote Classroom Science Inquiry Projects and Produce Research Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, L. A.; Parra, J.; Rao, M.; Offerman, L.

2007-12-01

Research experiences for science teachers are an important mechanism for increasing classroom teachers' science content knowledge and facility with "real world" research processes. We have developed and implemented a summer scientific research and education workshop model for high school teachers and students which promotes classroom science inquiry projects and produces important research results supporting our overarching scientific agenda. The summer training includes development of a scientific research framework, design and implementation of preliminary studies, extensive field research and training in and access to instruments, measurement techniques and statistical tools. The development and writing of scientific papers is used to reinforce the scientific research process. Using these skills, participants collaborate with scientists to produce research quality data and analysis. Following the summer experience, teachers report increased incorporation of research inquiry in their classrooms and student participation in science fair projects. This workshop format was developed for an NSF Biocomplexity Research program focused on the interaction of urban climates, air quality and human response and can be easily adapted for other scientific research projects.

Four Tools for Science Fair Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sherry Weaver; Messmer, Barbara; Storm, Bill; Weaver, Cheryl

2007-01-01

These teacher-tested ideas will guide students in creating true inquiry-based projects. Two of the ideas, the Topic Selection Wizard and Science Project Timeline, are appropriate for all science fair programs, even new ones. For existing programs, the Black Box of Project Improvement and After-School Project Clinic improve project quality and…

Students Dig Deep in the Mystery Soil Lab: A Playful, Inquiry-Based Soil Laboratory Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thiet, Rachel K.

2014-01-01

The Mystery Soil Lab, a playful, inquiry-based laboratory project, is designed to develop students' skills of inquiry, soil analysis, and synthesis of foundational concepts in soil science and soil ecology. Student groups are given the charge to explore and identify a "Mystery Soil" collected from a unique landscape within a 10-mile…

WISE Science: Web-based Inquiry in the Classroom. Technology, Education--Connections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slotta, James D.; Linn, Marcia C.

2009-01-01

This book shares the lessons learned by a large community of educational researchers and science teachers as they designed, developed, and investigated a new technology-enhanced learning environment known as WISE: The Web-Based Inquiry Science Environment. WISE offers a collection of free, customizable curriculum projects on topics central to the…

Science Inquiry into Local Animals: Structure and Function Explored through Model Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rule, Audrey C.; Tallakson, Denise A.; Glascock, Alex L.; Chao, Astoria

2015-01-01

This article describes an arts- and spatial thinking skill--integrated inquiry project applied to life science concepts from the Next Generation Science Standards for fourth grade students that focuses on two unifying or crosscutting themes: (1) structure (or "form") and function and (2) use of models. Students made observations and…

Using Mobile Phones in Support of Student Learning in Secondary Science Inquiry Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoo, Elaine; Otrel-Cass, Kathrin

2017-01-01

This paper reports on findings from a research project concerned with how electronic networking tools (e-networked tools), such as the Internet, online forums, and mobile technologies, can support authentic science inquiry in junior secondary classrooms. It focuses on three qualitative case studies involving science teachers from two high schools…

The Use of the "Indoor-Outdoor-Indoor" Approach to Teaching Science Conservation with Concentration on Methods of Inquiry and Emphasis on Processes of Science, Grades K-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Busch, Phyllis S.

Contained are instructional materials developed by the Science Project Related to Upgrading Conservation Education. The lesson plans given are intended to demonstrate the "indoor-outdoor-indoor" approach to teaching science conservation, with concentration on methods of inquiry and emphasis on processes of science. Four subject areas are…

Impact of Initiatives to Implement Science Inquiry: A Comparative Study of the Turkish, Israeli, Swedish and Czech Science Education Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heinz, Jana; Enghag, Margareta; Stuchlikova, Iva; Cakmakci, Gultekin; Peleg, Ran; Baram-Tsabari, Ayelet

2017-01-01

This empirical study investigates factors that influence the implementation of science inquiry in the education systems of Turkey, Israel, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Data was collected by means of recordings of science experts' discussions as part of an EU-funded project called Science-Teacher Education Advanced Methods (2009-2012). Results of…

Inquiry-based science education: towards a pedagogical framework for primary school teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Uum, Martina S. J.; Verhoeff, Roald P.; Peeters, Marieke

2016-02-01

Inquiry-based science education (IBSE) has been promoted as an inspiring way of learning science by engaging pupils in designing and conducting their own scientific investigations. For primary school teachers, the open nature of IBSE poses challenges as they often lack experience in supporting their pupils during the different phases of an open IBSE project, such as formulating a research question and designing and conducting an investigation. The current study aims to meet these challenges by presenting a pedagogical framework in which four domains of scientific knowledge are addressed in seven phases of inquiry. The framework is based on video analyses of pedagogical interventions by primary school teachers participating in open IBSE projects. Our results show that teachers can guide their pupils successfully through the process of open inquiry by explicitly addressing the conceptual, epistemic, social and/or procedural domain of scientific knowledge in the subsequent phases of inquiry. The paper concludes by suggesting further research to validate our framework and to develop a pedagogy for primary school teachers to guide their pupils through the different phases of open inquiry.

Teachers Learning to Research Climate: Development of hybrid teacher professional development to support climate inquiry and research in the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odell, M. R.; Charlevoix, D. J.; Kennedy, T.

2011-12-01

The GLOBE Program is an international science and education focused on connecting scientists, teachers and students around relevant, local environmental issues. GLOBE's focus during the next two years in on climate, global change and understanding climate from a scientific perspective. The GLOBE Student Climate Research Campaign (SCRFC) will engage youth from around the world in understanding and researching climate through investigations of local climate challenges. GLOBE teachers are trained in implementation of inquiry in the classroom and the use of scientific data collection protocols to develop inquiry and research projects of the Earth System. In preparation for the SCRC, GLOBE teachers will need additional training in climate science, global change and communicating climate science in the classroom. GLOBE's reach to 111 countries around the world requires development of scalable models for training teachers. In June GLOBE held the first teacher professional development workshop (Learning to Research Summer Institute) in a hybrid format with two-thirds of the teachers participating face-to-face and the remaining teachers participating virtually using Adobe Connect. The week long workshop prepared teachers to integrate climate science inquiry and research projects in the classrooms in the 2011-12 academic year. GLOBE scientists and other climate science experts will work with teachers and their students throughout the year in designing and executing a climate science research project. Final projects and research results will be presented in May 2012 through a virtual conference. This presentation will provide the framework for hybrid teacher professional development in climate science research and inquiry projects as well as summarize the findings from this inaugural session. The GLOBE Program office, headquartered in Boulder, is funded through cooperative agreements with NASA and NOAA with additional support from NSF and the U.S. Department of State. GLOBE is supported in countries around the world through bi-lateral agreements between U.S. Department of state and national governments.

Using Technology to Engage Preservice Elementary Teachers in Learning about Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Loretta L.; MacArthur, James R.; Akaygün, Sevil

2011-01-01

Elementary teachers are often required to teach inquiry in their classrooms despite having had little exposure to inquiry learning themselves. In a capstone undergraduate science course preservice elementary teachers experience scientific inquiry through the completion of group projects, activities, readings and discussion, in order to develop a…

Using Science and the Internet as Everyday Classroom Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mandel, Eric

1999-01-01

The Everyday Classroom Tools project developed a K-6 inquiry-based curriculum to bring the tools of scientific inquiry, together with the Internet, into the elementary school classroom. Our curriculum encourages students and teachers to experience the adventure of science through investigation of the world around us. In this project, experts in computer science and astronomy at SAO worked closely with teachers and students in Massachusetts elementary schools to design and model activities which are developmentally appropriate, fulfill the needs of the curriculum standards of the school district, and provide students with a chance to experience for themselves the joy and excitement of scientific inquiry. The results of our efforts are embodied in the Threads of Inquiry, a series of free-flowing dialogues about inquiry-inspiring investigations that maintain a solid connection with our experience and with one another. These investigations are concerned with topics such as the motion of the Earth, shadows, light, and time. Our work emphasizes a direct hands-on approach through concrete experience, rather than memorization of facts.

"We Found the 'Black Spots' on Campus on Our Own": Development of Inquiry Skills in Primary Science Learning with BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Yanjie

2016-01-01

This paper reports on a study situated in a one-year project "Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) for Mobile Knowledge Building," aiming at investigating how primary school students developed their inquiry skills in science learning in BYOD-supported learning environments. Student perceptions of the BYOD-supported inquiry experience were also…

Challenges and Support When Teaching Science Through an Integrated Inquiry and Literacy Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ødegaard, Marianne; Haug, Berit; Mork, Sonja M.; Ove Sørvik, Gard

2014-12-01

In the Budding Science and Literacy project, we explored how working with an integrated inquiry-based science and literacy approach may challenge and support the teaching and learning of science at the classroom level. By studying the inter-relationship between multiple learning modalities and phases of inquiry, we wished to illuminate possible dynamics between science inquiry and literacy in an integrated science approach. Six teachers and their students were recruited from a professional development course for the current classroom study. The teachers were to try out the Budding Science teaching model. This paper presents an overall video analysis of our material demonstrating variations and patterns of inquiry-based science and literacy activities. Our analysis revealed that multiple learning modalities (read it, write it, do it, and talk it) are used in the integrated approach; oral activities dominate. The inquiry phases shifted throughout the students' investigations, but the consolidating phases of discussion and communication were given less space. The data phase of inquiry seems essential as a driving force for engaging in science learning in consolidating situations. The multiple learning modalities were integrated in all inquiry phases, but to a greater extent in preparation and data. Our results indicate that literacy activities embedded in science inquiry provide support for teaching and learning science; however, the greatest challenge for teachers is to find the time and courage to exploit the discussion and communication phases to consolidate the students' conceptual learning.

Inquiry-Based Science Instruction--What Is It and Does It Matter? Results from a Research Synthesis Years 1984 to 2002

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minner, Daphne D.; Levy, Abigail Jurist; Century, Jeanne

2010-01-01

The goal of the Inquiry Synthesis Project was to synthesize findings from research conducted between 1984 and 2002 to address the research question, "What is the impact of inquiry science instruction on K-12 student outcomes?" The timeframe of 1984 to 2002 was selected to continue a line of synthesis work last completed in 1983 by Bredderman…

Focusing on the Processes of Science Using Inquiry-oriented Astronomy Labs for Learning Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speck, Angela; Ruzhitskaya, L.; Whittington, A.; Witzig, S.

2010-01-01

The U.S. National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science through inquiry, where students actively develop their understanding of science by combining scientific knowledge with reasoning and thinking skills. Inquiry activities include reading scientific literature, generating hypotheses, designing and carrying out investigations, interpreting data, and formulating conclusions. Inquiry-based instruction emphasizes questions, evidence, and explanation, the essential features of inquiry. We present two projects designed to develop learning materials for laboratory experiences in an undergraduate astronomy course. First, we engage students in inquiry-based learning by using "mini-journal” articles that follow the format of a scientific journal article, including a title, authors, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion and citations to peer-reviewed literature. The mini-journal provides a scaffold and serves as a springboard for students to develop and carry out their own follow-up investigation. They then present their findings in the form of their own mini-journal. This mini-journal format more directly reflects and encourages scientific practice. We use this technique in both introductory and upper level courses. The second project develops 3D virtual reality environments to help students interact with scientific constructs, and the use of collaborative learning tools to motivate student activity, deepen understanding and support knowledge building.

Digging into Inquiry-Based Earth Science Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultz, Bryan; Yates, Crystal; Schultz, Jayne M.

2008-01-01

To help eighth-grade students experience the excitement of Earth science research, the authors developed an inquiry-based project in which students evaluated and cataloged their campus geology and soils. Following class discussions of rock-weathering and soil-forming processes, students worked in groups to excavate multiple soil pits in the school…

Inquiry in the Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanes, Jena; Sadler, Troy D.

2005-01-01

Projects based in the community give students the opportunity to engage in investigation as scientists and apply their work to make a difference at home. Community-based projects allow for easy implementation of high-end inquiry in the science classroom. When students become involved in research based in authentic community problems they gain a…

The Minnesota Case Study Collection: New Historical Inquiry Case Studies for Nature of Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allchin, Douglas

2012-01-01

The new Minnesota Case Study Collection is profiled, along with other examples. They complement the work of the HIPST Project in illustrating the aims of: (1) historically informed inquiry learning that fosters explicit NOS reflection, and (2) engagement with faithfully rendered samples of Whole Science.

Research and Teaching: WikiED--Using Web 2.0 Tools to Teach Content and Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frisch, Jennifer K.; Jackson, Paula C.; Murray, Meg C.

2013-01-01

WIKIed Biology is a National Science Foundation Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics interdisciplinary project in which the authors developed and implemented a model for student centered, inquiry-driven instruction using Web 2.0 technologies to increase inquiry and conceptual understanding in…

Inquiry science as a discourse: New challenges for teachers, students, and the design of curriculum materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzou, Carrie Teh-Li

Science education reform emphasizes learning science through inquiry as a way to engage students in the processes of science at the same time that they learn scientific concepts. However, inquiry involves practices that are challenging for students because they have underlying norms with which students may be unfamiliar. We therefore cannot expect students to know how to engage in such practices simply by giving them opportunities to do so, especially if the norms for inquiry practices violate traditional classroom norms for engaging with scientific ideas. Teachers therefore play a key role in communicating expectations for inquiry. In this dissertation, I present an analytical framework for characterizing two teachers' enactments of an inquiry curriculum. This framework, based on Gee's (1996) notion of Discourses, describes inquiry practices in terms of three dimensions: cognitive, social, and linguistic. I argue that each of these dimensions presents challenges to students and, therefore, sites at which teachers' support is important for students' participation in inquiry practices. I use this framework to analyze two teachers' support of inquiry practices as they enact an inquiry-based curriculum. I explore three questions in my study: (1) what is the nature of teachers' support of inquiry practices? (2) how do teachers accomplish goals along multiple dimensions of inquiry?, and (3) what aspects of inquiry are in tension and how can we describe teachers' practice in terms of the tradeoff spaces between elements of inquiry in tension? In order to study these questions, I studied two eighth grade teachers who both enacted the same inquiry-based science curriculum developed by me and others in the context of a large design-based research project called IQWST (Investigating and Questioning my World through Science and Technology. I found that the teachers provided support for inquiry along all three dimensions, sometimes in ways in which the dimensions were synergistic and sometimes in ways in which the dimensions were in tension. These findings have implications for the design of inquiry science learning environments and for our understanding of what it means for teachers to be "cultural brokers" between students' everyday experiences and classroom science inquiry.

Education for sustainable development - Resources for physics and sciences teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miličić, Dragana; Jokić, Ljiljana; Blagdanić, Sanja; Jokić, Stevan

2016-03-01

With this article we would like to stress science teachers must doing practical work and communicate on the basis of scientific knowledge and developments, but also allow their students opportunity to discover knowledge through inquiry. During the last five years Serbian project Ruka u testu (semi-mirror of the French project La main á la pâte), as well as European FIBONACCI and SUSTAIN projects have offered to our teachers the wide-scale learning opportunities based on Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Our current efforts are based on pedagogical guidance, several modules and experimental kits, the website, exhibitions, and trainings and workshops for students and teachers.

MICHIGAN SCIENCE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT. (TITLE SUPPLIED).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VAN DEVENTER, W.C.

REPORTED ARE THE RESULTS OF A CURRICULUM RESEARCH PROJECT OF THE MICHIGAN SCIENCE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT FOR USE IN TEACHING JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL UNIFIED SCIENCE. THE COMMITTEE USED PREVIOUS RESEARCH DATA, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF INSTRUCTION AND INQUIRY TRAINING, TO DEVELOP 13 UNITS INCLUDING 55 OPEN-ENDED LABORATORY…

ScienceVision: An Inquiry-Based Videodisc Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, George

As a result of declining scores, the National Science Foundation has funded numerous materials-development grants. Largest among these is the Interactive Media Science (IMS) Project at Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee. This project's mandate is to design, develop, and produce six level III interactive videodisc programs for middle…

Increasing Bellevue School District's elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science: Using ideas from contemporary learning theory to inform professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maury, Tracy Anne

This Capstone project examined how leaders in the Bellevue School District can increase elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science through the use of professional learning activities that are grounded in ideas from human learning theory. A framework for professional development was constructed and from that framework, a set of professional learning activities were developed as a means to support teacher learning while project participants piloted new curriculum called the Isopod Habitat Challenge. Teachers in the project increased their understanding of the learning theory principles of preconceptions and metacognition. Teachers did not increase their understanding of the principle of learning with understanding, although they did articulate the significance of engaging children in student-led inquiry cycles. Data from the curriculum revision and professional development project coupled with ideas from learning theory, cognition and policy implementation, and learning community literatures suggest Bellevue's leaders can encourage peer-to-peer interaction, link professional development to teachers' daily practice, and capitalize on technology as ways to increase elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science. These lessons also have significance for supporting teacher learning and efficacy in other subject areas and at other levels in the system.

The experiences of science teachers' particpation in an inquiry-based professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Emily A.

Once a leader in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, the United States (U.S.) is now far behind many countries. There is growing concern that the U.S. is not preparing a sufficient number of students in the areas of STEM. Despite advancement of inquiry learning in science, the extent to which inquiry learning has been implemented on a classroom level falls short. The purpose of this study was to learn about the experiences of science teachers' participation in an inquiry-based professional development. A mixed method research design was used for this study to collect data from ten Project MISE participants. The qualitative data was collected using semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews, focus group interviews, observations, and document analysis of teacher portfolios and analyzed using constant comparative method. The quantitative data were collected through administration of a pretest and posttest instrument that measures the content knowledge of the science teachers and analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-test. The participants of this mixed methods study provided compelling evidence that Project MISE has a profound impact on their instructional practice, networking abilities, opportunities for reflection, and content knowledge.

Students talk about energy in project-based inquiry science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrer, Benedikt W.; Flood, Virginia J.; Wittmann, Michael C.

2013-01-01

We examine the types of emergent language eighth grade students in rural Maine middle schools use when they discuss energy in their first experiences with Project-Based Inquiry Science: Energy, a research-based curriculum that uses a specific language for talking about energy. By comparative analysis of the language used by the curriculum materials to students' language, we find that students' talk is at times more aligned with a Stores and Transfer model of energy than the Forms model supported by the curriculum.

The Impact of a Multi-Year, Multi-School District K-6 Professional Development Programme Designed to Integrate Science Inquiry and Language Arts on Students' High-Stakes Test Scores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shymansky, James A.; Wang, Tzu-Ling; Annetta, Leonard A.; Yore, Larry D.; Everett, Susan A.

2013-04-01

This paper is a report of a quasi-experimental study on the impact of a systemic 5-year, K-6 professional development (PD) project on the 'high stakes' achievement test scores of different student groups in rural mid-west school districts in the USA. The PD programme utilized regional summer workshops, district-based leadership teams and distance delivery technologies to help teachers learn science concepts and inquiry teaching strategies associated with a selection of popular science inquiry kits and how to adapt inquiry science lessons in the kits to teach and reinforce skills in the language arts-i.e. to teach more than science when doing inquiry science. Analyses of the school district-level pre-post high-stakes achievement scores of 33 school districts participating in the adaptation of inquiry PD and a comparative group of 23 school districts revealed that both the Grade 3 and Grade 6 student-cohorts in the school districts utilizing adapted science inquiry lessons significantly outscored their student-cohort counterparts in the comparative school districts. The positive school district-level high-stakes test results, which serve as the basis for state and local decision making, suggest that an inquiry adaptation strategy and a combination of regional live workshop and distance delivery technologies with ongoing local leadership and support can serve as a viable PD option for K-6 science.

The inquiry continuum: Science teaching practices and student performance on standardized tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jernnigan, Laura Jane

Few research studies have been conducted related to inquiry-based scientific teaching methodologies and NCLB-required state testing. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the strategies used by seventh-grade science teachers in Illinois and student scores on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) to aid in determining best practices/strategies for teaching middle school science. The literature review defines scientific inquiry by placing teaching strategies on a continuum of scientific inquiry methodologies from No Inquiry (Direct Instruction) through Authentic Inquiry. Five major divisions of scientific inquiry: structured inquiry, guided inquiry, learning cycle inquiry, open inquiry, and authentic inquiry, have been identified and described. These five divisions contain eight sub-categories: demonstrations; simple or hands-on activities; discovery learning; variations of learning cycles; problem-based, event-based, and project-based; and student inquiry, science partnerships, and Schwab's enquiry. Quantitative data were collected from pre- and posttests and surveys given to the participants: five seventh grade science teachers in four Academic Excellence Award and Spotlight Award schools and their 531 students. Findings revealed that teachers reported higher inquiry scores for themselves than for their students; the two greatest reported factors limiting teachers' use of inquiry were not enough time and concern about discipline and large class size. Although the correlation between total inquiry and mean difference of pre- and posttest scores was not statistically significant, the survey instrument indicated how often teachers used inquiry in their classes, not the type of inquiry used. Implications arose from the findings that increase the methodology debate between direction instruction and inquiry-based teaching strategies; teachers are very knowledgeable about the Illinois state standards, and various inquiry-based methods need to be stressed in undergraduate methods classes. While this study focused on the various types of scientific inquiry by creating a continuum of scientific inquiry methodologies, research using the continuum needs to be conducted to determine the various teaching styles of successful teachers.

How Select Groups of Preservice Science Teachers with Inquiry Orientations View Teaching and Learning Science through Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Peggy

Although hailed as a powerful form of instruction, in most teaching and learning contexts, inquiry-based instruction is fraught with ambiguous and conflicting definitions and descriptions. Yet little has been written about the experiences preservice science teacher have regarding their learning to teach science through inquiry. This project sought to understand how select preservice secondary science teachers enrolled in three UTeach programs in Arkansas conceptualize inquiry instruction and how they rationalize its value in a teaching and learning context. The three teacher education programs investigated in this study are adoption sites aligned with the UTeach Program in Austin, TX that distinguishes itself in part by its inquiry emphasis. Using a mixed method investigation design, this study utilized two sources of data to explore the preservice science teachers' thinking. In the first phase, a modified version of the Pedagogy of Science teaching Tests (POSTT) was used to identify select program participants who indicated preferences for inquiry instruction over other instructional strategies. Secondly, the study used an open-ended questionnaire to explore the selected subjects' beliefs and conceptions of teaching and learning science in an inquiry context. The study also focused on identifying particular junctures in the prospective science teachers' education preparation that might impact their understanding about inquiry. Using a constant comparative approach, this study explored 19 preservice science teachers' conceptions about inquiry. The results indicate that across all levels of instruction, the prospective teachers tended to have strong student-centered teaching orientations. Except subjects in for the earliest courses, subjects' definitions and descriptions of inquiry tended toward a few of the science practices. More advanced subjects, however, expressed more in-depth descriptions. Excluding the subjects who have completed the program, multiple subjects tended to associate inquiry learning exclusively in terms of exploring before lecture, getting a single correct answer. Additionally, various subjects at multiple levels, described inquiry in terms of the 5E Model of Instruction, which is emphasized in the Arkansas UTeach lesson design. Implications of these findings and suggestions for program improvement at the course levels are suggested.

Fostering Students' Science Inquiry through App Affordances of Multimodality, Collaboration, Interactivity, and Connectivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beach, Richard; O'Brien, David

2015-01-01

This study examined 6th graders' use of the VoiceThread app as part of a science inquiry project on photosynthesis and carbon dioxide emissions in terms of their ability to engage in causal reasoning and their use of the affordances of multimodality, collaboration, interactivity, and connectivity. Students employed multimodal production using…

Information Fluency for Undergraduate Biology Majors: Applications of Inquiry-based Learning in a Developmental Biology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gehring, Kathleen M.; Eastman, Deborah A.

2008-01-01

Many initiatives for the improvement of undergraduate science education call for inquiry-based learning that emphasizes investigative projects and reading of the primary literature. These approaches give students an understanding of science as a process and help them integrate content presented in courses. At the same time, general initiatives to…

Teachers' Views on Implementing Storytelling as a Way to Motivate Inquiry Learning in High-School Chemistry Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peleg, Ran; Yayon, Malka; Katchevich, Dvora; Mamlok-Naaman, Rachel; Fortus, David; Eilks, Ingo; Hofstein, Avi

2017-01-01

Educational research and policy suggest inquiry as one of the most prominent ways of promoting effective science education. However, traditional approaches towards inquiry learning are not always sufficiently motivating for all learners. The EU-funded project, TEMI--Teaching Enquiry with Mysteries Incorporated, suggests that mysterious scientific…

Using Educative Assessments to Support Science Teaching for Middle School English-Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buxton, Cory A.; Allexsaht-Snider, Martha; Suriel, Regina; Kayumova, Shakhnoza; Choi, Youn-jeng; Bouton, Bobette; Baker, Melissa

2013-01-01

Grounded in Hallidayan perspectives on academic language, we report on our development of an educative science assessment as one component of the language-rich inquiry science for English-language learners teacher professional learning project for middle school science teachers. The project emphasizes the role of content-area writing to support…

An educational ethnography of teacher-developed science curriculum implementation: Enacting conceptual change-based science inquiry with Hispanic students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunsell, Eric Steven

An achievement gap exists between White and Hispanic students in the United States. Research has shown that improving the quality of instruction for minority students is an effective way to narrow this gap. Science education reform movements emphasize that science should be taught using a science inquiry approach. Extensive research in teaching and learning science also shows that a conceptual change model of teaching is effective in helping students learn science. Finally, research into how Hispanic students learn best has provided a number of suggestions for science instruction. The Inquiry for Conceptual Change model merges these three research strands into a comprehensive yet accessible model for instruction. This study investigates two questions. First, what are teachers' perceptions of science inquiry and its implementation in the classroom? Second, how does the use of the Inquiry for Conceptual Change model affect the learning of students in a predominantly Hispanic, urban neighborhood. Five teachers participated in a professional development project where they developed and implemented a science unit based on the Inquiry for Conceptual Change model. Three units were developed and implemented for this study. This is a qualitative study that included data from interviews, participant reflections and journals, student pre- and post-assessments, and researcher observations. This study provides an in-depth description of the role of professional development in helping teachers understand how science inquiry can be used to improve instructional quality for students in a predominantly Hispanic, urban neighborhood. These teachers demonstrated that it is important for professional development to be collaborative and provide opportunities for teachers to enact and reflect on new teaching paradigms. This study also shows promising results for the ability of the Inquiry for Conceptual Change model to improve student learning.

The Distant Exploration of Wolves: Using Technology to Explore Student Questions about Wolves

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Todd

2006-01-01

Radio telemetry data available via the internet are used to facilitate long-term inquiry projects. Through these projects, students gain a deeper understanding of scientific inquiry and the nature of science, while developing their own questions and procedures and carrying out those procedures before sharing their findings with peers. (Contains 1…

Analysis of the project synthesis goal cluster orientation and inquiry emphasis of elementary science textbooks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staver, John R.; Bay, Mary

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine selected units of commonly used elementary science texts, using the Project Synthesis goal clusters as a framework for part of the examination. An inquiry classification scheme was used for the remaining segment. Four questions were answered: (1) To what extent do elementary science textbooks focus on each Project Synthesis goal cluster? (2) In which part of the text is such information found? (3) To what extent are the activities and experiments merely verifications of information already introduced in the text? (4) If inquiry is present in an activity, then what is the level of such inquiry?Eleven science textbook series, which comprise approximately 90 percent of the national market, were selected for analysis. Two units, one primary (K-3) and one intermediate (4-6), were selected for analysis by first identifying units common to most series, then randomly selecting one primary and one intermediate unit for analysis.Each randomly selected unit was carefully read, using the sentence as the unit of analysis. Each declarative and interrogative sentence in the body of the text was classified as: (1) academic; (2) personal; (3) career; or (4) societal in its focus. Each illustration, except those used in evaluation items, was similarly classified. Each activity/experiment and each miscellaneous sentence in end-of-chapter segments labelled review, summary, evaluation, etc., were similarly classified. Finally, each activity/experiment, as a whole, was categorized according to a four-category inquiry scheme (confirmation, structured inquiry, guided inquiry, open inquiry).In general, results of the analysis are: (1) most text prose focuses on academic science; (2) most remaining text prose focuses on the personal goal cluster; (3) the career and societal goal clusters receive only minor attention; (4) text illustrations exhibit a pattern similar to text prose; (5) text activities/experiments are academic in orientation, almost to the exclusion of other goal clusters; (6) end-of-chapter sentences are largely academic; (7) inquiry is absent or present only in limited forms in text activities/experiments; and (8) texts allocate only a minor portion of space to activities/experiments. Detailed findings are given as numeral, percentage, and decimal values. Discussion focuses on the implications of the results and a comparison of NSTA recommendations with the results of this analysis.

Inquiring minds: Case studies of two middle school science teachers as they include inquiry and graphing in their curricula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scarano, Grace Hotchkiss

2000-10-01

Current reform documents in science and mathematics call for teachers to include inquiry and data analysis in their teaching. This interpretive quasi-ethnographic case study examined two middle school science teachers as they planned and implemented inquiry and graphing in their science curricula. The focus question for this research was: What are middle school science teachers' experiences as they include graphing and inquiry-based student research projects in their curricula? How is teaching these areas different from usual teaching? The research examined two teachers teaching their favorite unit, parts of other familiar units, graphing, and student inquiry. Four main types of data were gathered: (1) observations of teachers' instruction, (2) interviews and meetings with the teachers, (3) curricular artifacts, and (4) questionnaires and other written material. The study took place over a seven-month period. The findings revealed that these two teachers had different ideologies of schooling and that these ideologies shaped the teachers' planning and implementation of their usual content as well as graphing and inquiry. One teacher's ideology was technical, and the other's was constructive. Six themes emerged as salient features of their teaching: (1) the role of developing a vision for curricular implementation, (2) curricular decisions: internal and external authority, (3) views of knowing and learning, (4) perceptions of the nature of science, (5) attending to a personal concern in teaching, and (6) reflection. The textures of these themes varied between the two teachers, and formed a coherent yet dynamic system within which each teacher maneuvered. This study found that both teachers found it challenging to include inquiry in their curricula, even though both had attended workshops designed to help teachers use student inquiry. The constructive teacher's implementation was more in line with the notions that are central to constructivism and current non-traditional views of the nature of science than was that of the technical teacher. The teacher with a technical ideology relied on the scientific method to organize student projects and implemented inquiry as a technique to increase student-centered work. It is proposed that teachers with technical ideologies need to undergo an ideological shift toward constructive ideologies of schooling in order to teach graphing and inquiry in ways that are aligned with current reform efforts.

Comparing Design Constraints to Support Learning in Technology-Guided Inquiry Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Applebaum, Lauren R.; Vitale, Jonathan M.; Gerard, Elizabeth; Linn, Marcia C.

2017-01-01

Physical design projects are a way to motivate and engage students in authentic science and engineering practices. Web-based tools can support design projects to ensure that students address and reflect upon critical science concepts during the course of the project. In addition, by specifying challenging design goals that require students to…

Evaluation of a High School Fair Program for Promoting Successful Inquiry-based Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betts, Julia Nykeah

The success of inquiry-based learning (IBL) in supporting science literacy can be challenged when students encounter obstacles in the absence of proper support. This research is intended to evaluate the effectiveness of an Oregon public school district's regional science fair coaching program in promoting inquiry skills and positive attitudes toward science in participating high school students. The purpose of this study was to better understand students' perception of program support, obstacles or barriers faced by students, and potential benefits of IBL facilitated by the science fair program. Data included responses to informal and semi-structured interviews, an anonymous survey, a Skills assessment of final project displays, and an in-depth case study on three students' experiences. Results suggest that the science fair program can properly engage participants in authentic IBL. However, when assessing the participant's final project displays, I found that previous fair experience did not significantly increase mean scores as identified by the official Oregon Department of Education (ODE) scoring guides. Based on results from the case study, it is suggested that participants' low science self-concept, poor understanding of inquiry skills, and inability to engage in reflective discourse may reduce students' abilities to truly benefit. Recommendations to address this discrepancy include identifying specific needs of students through a pre--fair survey to develop more targeted support, and providing new opportunities to develop skills associated with science-self concept, understanding of inquiry and reflective discourse. In addition, results suggest that students would benefit from more financial support in the form of grants, and more connections with knowledgeable mentors.

Unraveling the Motivational Effects and Challenges of Web-Based Collaborative Inquiry Learning across Different Groups of Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raes, Annelies; Schellens, Tammy

2015-01-01

This study deals with the implementation of a web-based collaborative inquiry (WISE) project in secondary science education and unravels the contribution and challenges of this learning approach to foster students' motivation to learn science, and its relation with student and class-level characteristics. An empirical mixed methods study in 13…

Can participation in a school science fair improve middle school students' attitudes toward science and interest in science careers?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finnerty, Valerie

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether participation in a school-based science fair affects middle school students' attitudes toward science and interest in science and engineering careers. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare students' pre- and posttest attitudes toward and interest in science. Forty-eight of the 258 participants completed a school-based science fair during the study. In addition, twelve middle school science teachers completed an online survey. Both the Survey of Science Attitudes and Interest I and II (SSAI-I and II) measured students' attitudes toward and interest in science and science and mathematics self-efficacy, asked about classroom inquiry experiences and gathered demographic information. An online survey gathered qualitative data about science teachers' perceptions of school science fairs. The results showed no significant interactions among completion of a science fair project and attitudes toward and interest in science, science and mathematics self-efficacy or gender. There were significant differences at both pre- and posttest in attitudes between the students who did and did not complete a science fair project. All participating teachers believed that participation in science fairs could have a positive effect on students' attitudes and interest, but cited lack of time as a major impediment. There was significant interaction between level of classroom inquiry and attitudes and interest in science; students who reported more experiences had higher scores on these measures. Classroom inquiry also interacted with the effects of a science fair and participants' pre- and posttest attitude scores. Finally, the amount and source of assistance on a science fair project had a significant impact on students' posttest measures. Major limitations which affect the generalization of these findings include the timing of the administration of the pretest, the number of participants in the experimental group and differences in the science fair procedures at the participating schools. Embedded in a curriculum that includes the teaching of inquiry practices, science fairs may play a role in the inspiration of future scientists, but more research needs to be done on the quality of students' experiences, including amount and type of classroom instruction before and during the science fair process.

Inquiring with Geoscience Datasets: Instruction and Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zalles, D.; Quellmalz, E.; Gobert, J.

2005-12-01

This session will describe a new NSF-funded project in Geoscience education, Inquiring with Geoscience Data Sets. The goals of the project are to (1) Study the impacts on student learning of Web-based supplementary curriculum modules that engage secondary-level students in inquiry projects addressing important geoscience problems using an Earth System Science approach. Students will use technologies to access real data sets in the geosciences and to interpret, analyze, and communicate findings based on the data sets. The standards addressed will include geoscience concepts, inquiry abilities in NSES and Benchmarks for Science Literacy, data literacy, NCTM standards, and 21st-century skills and technology proficiencies (NETTS/ISTE). (2) Develop design principles, specification templates, and prototype exemplars for technology-based performance assessments that provide evidence of students' geoscientific knowledge and inquiry skills (including data literacy skills) and students' ability to access, use, analyze, and interpret technology-based geoscience data sets. (3) Develop scenarios based on the specification templates that describe curriculum modules and performance assessments that could be developed for other Earth Science standards and curriculum programs. Also to be described in the session are the project's efforts to differentiate among the dimensions of data literacy and scientific inquiry that are relevant for the geoscience discplines, and how recognition and awareness of the differences can be effectively channelled for the betterment of geoscience education.

Inquiry-Based Integrated Science Education: Implementation of Local Content “Soil Washing” Project To Improve Junior High School Students’ Environmental Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syifahayu

2017-02-01

The study was conducted based on teaching and learning problems led by conventional method that had been done in the process of learning science. It gave students lack opportunities to develop their competence and thinking skills. Consequently, the process of learning science was neglected. Students did not have opportunity to improve their critical attitude and creative thinking skills. To cope this problem, the study was conducted using Project-Based Learning model through inquiry-based science education about environment. The study also used an approach called Sains Lingkungan and Teknologi masyarakat - “Saling Temas” (Environmental science and Technology in Society) which promoted the local content in Lampung as a theme in integrated science teaching and learning. The study was a quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest control group design. Initially, the subjects were given a pre-test. The experimental group was given inquiry learning method while the control group was given conventional learning. After the learning process, the subjects of both groups were given post-test. Quantitative analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U-test and also a qualitative descriptive. Based on the result, environmental literacy skills of students who get inquiry learning strategy, with project-based learning model on the theme soil washing, showed significant differences. The experimental group is better than the control group. Data analysis showed the p-value or sig. (2-tailed) is 0.000 <α = 0.05 with the average N-gain of experimental group is 34.72 and control group is 16.40. Besides, the learning process becomes more meaningful.

JELL-O and Detergents: A Successful Inquiry Recipe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Patrick; Friedrichsen, Patricia

2006-01-01

This article presents an activity for early-in-the-year parents' night. The beginning of a new school year is an exciting time. The authors, as teachers, like to capture that excitement by engaging their 10th-grade biology students in an inquiry project demonstrating the nature of science and scientific inquiry. They developed the Next Step…

The Poet in the Warehouse. Creative Writing as Inquiry: Using Imaginative Writing To Explore Other Disciplines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCue, Frances

This master's project contains two essays and a long poem, examining the possibilities of creative writing as a tool of inquiry in mathematics, history, science, film, art, and architecture. The project's first essay, "The Poet in the Warehouse," introduces a brief history of imaginative writing and an argument for its inclusion in…

An interpretative study of elementary school teachers' conceptions of the nature of inquiry and of their roles while participating in an inquiry based science curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stucke, Ann Hancock

The problem. Recent reform efforts in science education have culminated in National Science Education Standards (NSES), which include the theme of inquiry across all grade levels. Consideration must be given to teachers' conceptions of inquiry, and their perceived roles, as they implement the processes of inquiry in the science classroom. Because of the change in pedagogy required by the standards, research efforts must address these areas. Research questions. The following research questions guided this study. (1) What are teachers' conceptions of inquiry? (2) What do the teachers consider important aspects of their roles when providing inquiry experiences for their students? (3) What do the teachers consider important aspects of the students' roles as inquirers? Research paradigm and methodology. The research paradigm that grounded this investigation is the constructivist paradigm proposed by Guba and Lincoln (1989). Participants were three elementary school teachers participating in the Elementary School Education Partners project. Qualitative methodology techniques used in the study included focus group discussion, semi-structured interviews, classroom observation with videotaping, teacher reflections, and fieldnotes. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method as provided by Glaser and Strauss (1967). A case study format was used to discuss the results of themes that emerged. Results. Themes that emerged from the data were (a) inquiry is viewed as a teaching strategy; (b) the teachers' perceptions of the nature of inquiry are different from one another's; (c) there are differences in the degree of fit with the NSES description of inquiry; (d) the manner in which they see themselves as facilitators originates in their own educational experiences and varies from that of a guide, to a monitor, to one who models; and (e) teachers see the role of students as active participants in their learning but the teachers' perceptions of students' roles, as inquirers falls short of students' pursuing answers to their own questions. Conclusions. The themes that emerged from the data suggest that practicing teachers involved in a project using inquiry-based kits don't have an adequate concept of the nature of science and of inquiry in particular as reflected by the NSES and this seems to influence their concepts of their students' roles as inquirers.

Investigating the Impact of NGSS-Aligned Professional Development on PreK-3 Teachers' Science Content Knowledge and Pedagogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuttle, Nicole; Kaderavek, Joan N.; Molitor, Scott; Czerniak, Charlene M.; Johnson-Whitt, Eugenia; Bloomquist, Debra; Namatovu, Winnifred; Wilson, Grant

2016-11-01

This pilot study investigates the impact of a 2-week professional development Summer Institute on PK-3 teachers' knowledge and practices. This Summer Institute is a component of [program], a large-scale early-childhood science project that aims to transform PK-3 science teaching. The mixed-methods study examined concept maps, lesson plans, and classroom observations to measure possible changes in PK-3 teachers' science content knowledge and classroom practice from 11 teachers who attended the 2014 Summer Institute. Analysis of the concept maps demonstrated statistically significant growth in teachers' science content knowledge. Analysis of teachers' lesson plans demonstrated that the teachers could design high quality science inquiry lessons aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards following the professional development. Finally, examination of teachers' pre- and post-Summer Institute videotaped inquiry lessons showed evidence that teachers were incorporating new inquiry practices into their teaching, especially regarding classroom discourse. Our results suggest that an immersive inquiry experience is effective at beginning a shift towards reform-aligned science and engineering instruction but that early elementary educators require additional support for full mastery.

Pre-Service Teacher as Researcher: The Value of Inquiry in Learning Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hohloch, Janice M.; Grove, Nathaniel; Lowery Bretz, Stacey

2007-09-01

A pre-service science and mathematics teacher participated in an action research project to reform a chemistry course required of elementary and middle childhood pre-service teachers. Activities to emphasize a hands-on approach to learning chemistry and to model teaching science through inquiry for these pre-service teachers are described. The value of a research experience for pre-service teachers, both upon their student teaching and as a classroom teacher, is discussed.

The Philosophy and Approach on Which the PROFILES Project Is Based

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holbrook, Jack; Rannikmäe, Miia

2014-01-01

This article sets out to describe the PROFILES project, a European Commission FP7 science and society project, addresses problems and issues in science education by guiding teachers to embrace a range of teaching factors, such as a context-based approach, motivational constructivist learning; student centred inquiry teaching; enhancing cognitive…

Characteristics of Abductive Inquiry in Earth and Space Science: An Undergraduate Teacher Prospective Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramalis, T. R.; Liliasari; Herdiwidjaya, D.

2016-08-01

The purpose this case study was to describe characteristic features learning activities in the domain of earth and space science. Context of this study is earth and space learning activities on three groups of student teachers prospective, respectively on the subject of the shape and size of Earth, land and sea breeze, and moon's orbit. The analysis is conducted qualitatively from activity data and analyze students doing project work, student worksheets, group project report documents, note and audio recordings of discussion. Research findings identified the type of abduction: theoretical models abduction, factual abduction, and law abduction during the learning process. Implications for science inquiry learning as well as relevant research were suggested.

Student goal orientation in learning inquiry skills with modifiable software advisors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimoda, Todd A.; White, Barbara Y.; Frederiksen, John R.

2002-03-01

A computer support environment (SCI-WISE) for learning and doing science inquiry projects was designed. SCI-WISE incorporates software advisors that give general advice about a skill such as hypothesizing. By giving general advice (rather than step-by-step procedures), the system is intended to help students conduct experiments that are more epistemologically authentic. Also, students using SCI-WISE can select the type of advice the advisors give and when they give advice, as well as modify the advisors' knowledge bases. The system is based partly on a theoretical framework of levels of agency and goal orientation. This framework assumes that giving students higher levels of agency facilitates higher-level goal orientations (such as mastery or knowledge building as opposed to task completion) that in turn produce higher levels of competence. A study of sixth grade science students was conducted. Students took a pretest questionnaire that measured their goal orientations for science projects and their inquiry skills. The students worked in pairs on an open-ended inquiry project that requires complex reasoning about human memory. The students used one of two versions of SCI-WISE - one that was modifiable and one that was not. After finishing the project, the students took a posttest questionnaire similar to the pretest, and evaluated the version of the system they used. The main results showed that (a) there was no correlation of goal orientation with grade point average, (b) knowledge-oriented students using the modifiable version tended to rate SCI-WISE more helpful than task-oriented students, and (c) knowledge-oriented pairs using the nonmodifiable version tended to have higher posttest inquiry skills scores than other pair types.

Students' attitude-related responses to inquiry learning in undergraduate kinesiology laboratory instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henige, Kimberly Ann

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the student attitudes are impacted when teaching methods in an undergraduate Kinesiology lab course shift from a traditional, cookbook-style, low inquiry-level to an investigative, high inquiry-level approach. Students participated in five weeks of Level 0-1 (low) inquiry activities, followed by five weeks of a Level 3 (high) inquiry project. The same Likert-scale survey was administered to students before and after each 5-week period. The attitudes measured by the survey included students' (a) attitude to scientific inquiry, (b) adoption of scientific attitudes, (c) enjoyment of science lessons, and (d) motivation in science. Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed no significant change in any of the attitude measures when the survey results from the different time points were compared. An open-ended qualitative survey was given to the students at the end of the semester and provided more insight. When asked to compare the low and high-level inquiry experiences, most students reported enjoying the higher level of inquiry more. On the other hand, most students felt they learned more during the low inquiry-level activities. The reported level of motivation in lab was about the same for both levels. When asked what they liked most about the high-level inquiry project, students favored aspects such as the independence, responsibility, and personal relevance. When asked what they liked the least, most students said there was nothing they disliked. Of the minority of students who did not like the high-level of inquiry, most claimed to be uncomfortable with the lack of structure and guidance. Other findings were that many students expressed a new or increased respect and appreciation for what scientists do. Some students experienced a decrease in their reliance on science to be true and correct. While some students thought the high-level inquiry was harder, others perceived it as being easier. These findings illustrate how students enrolled in the same course can have very different experiences with inquiry. In general, the effect of high-level inquiry was not negative, and in fact, was found to have some desirable effects on students.

Professional development in inquiry-based science for elementary teachers of diverse student groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Okhee; Hart, Juliet E.; Cuevas, Peggy; Enders, Craig

2004-12-01

As part of a larger project aimed at promoting science and literacy for culturally and linguistically diverse elementary students, this study has two objectives: (a) to describe teachers' initial beliefs and practices about inquiry-based science and (b) to examine the impact of the professional development intervention (primarily through instructional units and teacher workshops) on teachers' beliefs and practices related to inquiry-based science. The research involved 53 third- and fourth-grade teachers at six elementary schools in a large urban school district. At the end of the school year, teachers reported enhanced knowledge of science content and stronger beliefs about the importance of science instruction with diverse student groups, although their actual practices did not change significantly. Based on the results of this first year of implementation as part of a 3-year longitudinal design, implications for professional development and further research are discussed.

Exploring prospective secondary science teachers' understandings of scientific inquiry and Mendelian genetics concepts using computer simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cakir, Mustafa

The primary objective of this case study was to examine prospective secondary science teachers' developing understanding of scientific inquiry and Mendelian genetics. A computer simulation of basic Mendelian inheritance processes (Catlab) was used in combination with small-group discussions and other instructional scaffolds to enhance prospective science teachers' understandings. The theoretical background for this research is derived from a social constructivist perspective. Structuring scientific inquiry as investigation to develop explanations presents meaningful context for the enhancement of inquiry abilities and understanding of the science content. The context of the study was a teaching and learning course focused on inquiry and technology. Twelve prospective science teachers participated in this study. Multiple data sources included pre- and post-module questionnaires of participants' view of scientific inquiry, pre-posttests of understandings of Mendelian concepts, inquiry project reports, class presentations, process videotapes of participants interacting with the simulation, and semi-structured interviews. Seven selected prospective science teachers participated in in-depth interviews. Findings suggest that while studying important concepts in science, carefully designed inquiry experiences can help prospective science teachers to develop an understanding about the types of questions scientists in that field ask, the methodological and epistemological issues that constrain their pursuit of answers to those questions, and the ways in which they construct and share their explanations. Key findings included prospective teachers' initial limited abilities to create evidence-based arguments, their hesitancy to include inquiry in their future teaching, and the impact of collaboration on thinking. Prior to this experience the prospective teachers held uninformed views of scientific inquiry. After the module, participants demonstrated extended expertise in their understandings of following aspects of scientific inquiry: (a) the iterative nature of scientific inquiry; (b) the tentativeness of specific knowledge claims; (c) the degree to which scientists rely on empirical data, as well as broader conceptual and metaphysical commitments, to assess models and to direct future inquiries; (d) the need for conceptual consistency; (e) multiple methods of investigations and multiple interpretations of data; and (f) social and cultural aspects of scientific inquiry. This research provided evidence that hypothesis testing can support the integrated acquisition of conceptual and procedural knowledge in science. Participants' conceptual elaborations of Mendelian inheritance were enhanced. There were qualitative changes in the nature of the participants' explanations. Moreover, the average percentage of correct responses improved from 39% on the pretest to 67% on the posttest. Findings also suggest those prospective science teachers' experiences as learners of science in their methods course served as a powerful tool for thinking about the role of inquiry in teaching and learning science. They had mixed views about enacting inquiry in their teaching in the future. All of them stated some kind of general willingness to do so; yet, they also mentioned some reservations and practical considerations about inquiry-based teaching.

Verbal and social interaction patterns among elementary students during self-guided "I Wonder Projects"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huziak, Tracy Lynn

National standards for science teaching stress the use of inquiry teaching methods. One example of inquiry teaching is the I Wonder Project, which has been used in the Madison, WI Metropolitan School District for over ten years. The purpose of the I Wonder Project is to promote scientific discourse among elementary students through the publication of their research in a journal, similar in some ways to the scientific discourse within a community of scientists. This research study utilizes the I Wonder Project method to encourage student communication and self-guided project work. Approximately fifteen students ages 6--12 participated in a six-week self-guided inquiry project called I Wonder. Students worked as a cohort to learn science process skills and to build a scientific community. During this time, each student designed and carried out a self-guided inquiry project and wrote an article about their findings, which was presented on the last day of summer camp. A mixed method approach was used conduct this study. Participants were given a pretest and a posttest to determine the changes in scientific process skills as a result of participation in the project. The students were interviewed to determine their ideas about science and how those ideas changed over the time of participation in summer camp. Also the students were observed by the researchers, as well as audio- and video-taped to capture the verbal conversations and debates that take place as a result of discussion of ideas during the program. Students participated in this study as individuals and group members. Teacher and student interactions were noted to follow three main interaction styles: structured, guided and open-ended. These interactions work much like the inquiry levels described in the literature. Students also interacted with each other in three different ways: independently, dependently, and multifunctioning. Some students wished to work alone, while others preferred others to contribute to their work as well. Finally, there were five main types of science talk described by this study based on Gee's (1997) four types of science talk: design and debate, anomaly talk, everyday speculation talk, and explanation talk. What was also noted was an overwhelming amount of prior experience talk. Because students were given free choice in their topics of study, many chose to study topics that they had some interest or prior experience with. This led to a comparison of current findings to those they had already anticipated or expected. This study shows that self-guided inquiry projects require a range of interaction styles between students and also teachers. Many students need differing levels of support in order to be successful. In addition, it is important that students have an opportunity to select a topic of choice so that they have the opportunity to build on their scientific knowledge from their prior experiences.

Using Nikola Tesla's Story and His Experiments as Presented in the Film "The Prestige" to Promote Scientific Inquiry: A Report of an Action Research Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadzigeorgiou, Yannis; Garganourakis, Vassilios

2010-01-01

This paper reports on an action research project undertaken with the primary aim of investigating the extent to which situations that evoke a sense of wonder can promote scientific inquiry. Given the intense interest, curiosity, and wonder that some students had begun to develop after seeing the film "The Prestige", a science teacher…

Barriers Inhibiting Inquiry-Based Science Teaching and Potential Solutions: Perceptions of Positively Inclined Early Adopters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitzgerald, Michael; Danaia, Lena; McKinnon, David H.

2017-07-01

In recent years, calls for the adoption of inquiry-based pedagogies in the science classroom have formed a part of the recommendations for large-scale high school science reforms. However, these pedagogies have been problematic to implement at scale. This research explores the perceptions of 34 positively inclined early-adopter teachers in relation to their implementation of inquiry-based pedagogies. The teachers were part of a large-scale Australian high school intervention project based around astronomy. In a series of semi-structured interviews, the teachers identified a number of common barriers that prevented them from implementing inquiry-based approaches. The most important barriers identified include the extreme time restrictions on all scales, the poverty of their common professional development experiences, their lack of good models and definitions for what inquiry-based teaching actually is, and the lack of good resources enabling the capacity for change. Implications for expectations of teachers and their professional learning during educational reform and curriculum change are discussed.

Integrating Inquiry-Based Science and Education Methods Courses in a "Science Semester" for Future Elementary Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madsen, J.; Fifield, S.; Allen, D.; Brickhouse, N.; Dagher, Z.; Ford, D.; Shipman, H.

2001-05-01

In this NSF-funded project we will adapt problem-based learning (PBL) and other inquiry-based approaches to create an integrated science and education methods curriculum ("science semester") for elementary teacher education majors. Our goal is to foster integrated understandings of science and pedagogy that future elementary teachers need to effectively use inquiry-based approaches in their classrooms. This project responds to calls to improve science education for all students by making preservice teachers' experiences in undergraduate science courses more consistent with reforms at the K-12 level. The involved faculty teach three science courses (biology, earth science, physical science) and an elementary science education methods course that are degree requirements for elementary teacher education majors. Presently, students take the courses in variable sequences and at widely scattered times. Too many students fail to appreciate the value of science courses to their future careers as teachers, and when they reach the methods course in the junior year they often retain little of the science content studied earlier. These episodic encounters with science make it difficult for students to learn the content, and to translate their understandings of science into effective, inquiry-based teaching strategies. To encourage integrated understandings of science concepts and pedagogy we will coordinate the science and methods courses in a junior-year science semester. Traditional subject matter boundaries will be crossed to stress shared themes that teachers must understand to teach standards-based elementary science. We will adapt exemplary approaches that support both learning science and learning how to teach science. Students will work collaboratively on multidisciplinary PBL activities that place science concepts in authentic contexts and build learning skills. "Lecture" meetings will be large group active learning sessions that help students understand difficult concepts, make connections between class activities, and launch and wrap-up PBL problems. Labs will include activities from elementary science kits as launching points for in-depth investigations that demonstrate the continuity of science concepts and pedagogies across age levels. In the methods course, students will critically explore the theory and practice of elementary science teaching, drawing on their shared experiences of inquiry learning in the science courses. Field placements in elementary classrooms will allow students to ground their studies of science and pedagogy in actual practice.

Tides, Krill, Penguins, Oh My!: Scientists and Teachers Partner in Project CONVERGE to Bring Collaborative Antarctic Research, Authentic Data, and Scientific Inquiry into the Hands of NJ and NY Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunter-thomson, K. I.; Kohut, J. T.; Florio, K.; McDonnell, J. D.; Ferraro, C.; Clark, H.; Gardner, K.; Oliver, M. J.

2016-02-01

How do you get middle and high school students excited about scientific inquiry? Have them join a collaborative research team in Antarctica! A comprehensive education program brought ocean science, marine ecology, and climate change impact research to more than 950 students in 2014-15 to increase their exposure to and excitement of current research. The program was integrated into a collaborative research project, involving five universities, that worked to characterize the connection between ocean circulation, plankton distribution, penguin foraging behavior, and climate change around Palmer Station, Antarctica. The scientists and education team co-led a weeklong workshop to expose 22 teachers to the research science, build relationships among the teachers and scientists, and refine the program to most effectively communicate the research to their students. In the fall, teachers taught NGSS-aligned, hands-on, data-focused classroom lessons to provide their students the necessary content to understand the project hypotheses using multiple science practices. Through a professional science blog and live video calls from Antarctica, students followed and discussed the science teams work while they were in the field. To apply the science practices the students had learned about, they designed, conducted, and analyzed their own ocean-related, inquiry-based research investigation as the culminating component of the program (results were presented at a Student Research Symposium attended by the science team). Of their own choosing, roughly half of the students used raw data from the CONVERGE research (including krill, CODAR, penguin, and glider data) for their investigations. This presentation will focus on the evaluation results of the education program to identify the aspects that successfully engaged teachers and students with scientific inquiry, science practices, and authentic data as well as the replicability of this integrated scientist-teacher partnership and education program.

Impact of initiatives to implement science inquiry: a comparative study of the Turkish, Israeli, Swedish and Czech science education systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinz, Jana; Enghag, Margareta; Stuchlikova, Iva; Cakmakci, Gultekin; Peleg, Ran; Baram-Tsabari, Ayelet

2017-09-01

This empirical study investigates factors that influence the implementation of science inquiry in the education systems of Turkey, Israel, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Data was collected by means of recordings of science experts' discussions as part of an EU-funded project called Science-Teacher Education Advanced Methods (2009-2012). Results of the qualitative analysis reveal that the following general indicators provide insight into the extent of implementation of inquiry-based science education (IBSE): (1) curriculum (2) assessment (3) policy and (4) teacher professionalization systems. In a second step comparative analyses of the four countries' education systems were conducted with regard to these indicators. To compare these factors we refer to both the framework of neo-institutional theories that explore the emergence of isomorphic educational models and to results from comparative studies emphasizing the influence of the countries' individual structure and cultural practices on modifying global pressure to convergence. Results show that in each of the countries these indicators influence the implementation of science inquiry to varying degrees. Moreover, as a result of the comparative analyses further country specific factors important for implementing science inquiry were found: (5) the need to improve existing teaching methods, (6) predominant teaching patterns, (7) infrastructure that enables changes in education and (8) education system's general goals that correlate with reforms.

Effects of gender and role selection in cooperative learning groups on science inquiry achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Affhalter, Maria Geralyn

An action research project using science inquiry labs and cooperative learning groups examined the effects of same-gender and co-educational classrooms on science achievement and teacher-assigned or self-selected group roles on students' role preferences. Fifty-nine seventh grade students from a small rural school district participated in two inquiry labs in co-educational classrooms or in an all-female classroom, as determined by parents at the beginning of the academic year. Students were assigned to the same cooperative groups for the duration of the study. Pretests and posttests were administered for each inquiry-based science lab. Posttest assessments included questions for student reflection on role assignment and role preference. Instruction did not vary and a female science teacher taught all class sections. The same-gender classroom and co-ed classrooms produced similar science achievement scores on posttests. Students' cooperative group roles, whether teacher-assigned or self-selected, produced similar science achievement scores on posttests. Male and female students shared equally in favorable and unfavorable reactions to their group roles during the science inquiry labs. Reflections on the selection of the leader role revealed a need for females in co-ed groups to be "in charge". When reflecting on her favorite role of leader, one female student in a co-ed group stated, "I like to have people actually listen to me".

Inquiry Science: The Gateway to English Language Proficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwiep, Susan Gomez; Straits, William J.

2013-12-01

This paper presents findings from a 4-year project that developed and implemented a blended inquiry science and English Language Development (ELD) program in a large urban California school district. The sample included over 2,000 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Participating students' English and science achievement was compared to a similar group of students who were using the district's established English language development curriculum. Student performance on statemandated English and science assessments were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests for overall performance and by number of years of treatment. Modest but statistically significant improvement was found for students who participated in the blended program. Results from this study suggest that restricting instructional minutes for science to provide additional time for ELD and English language arts may be unnecessary. Rather, allowing consistent time for science instruction that incorporates ELD instruction along with inquiry science experiences may provide the authentic and purposeful context students need to develop new language without restricting access to science content.

Scientific Inquiry, Digital Literacy, and Mobile Computing in Informal Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marty, Paul F.; Alemanne, Nicole D.; Mendenhall, Anne; Maurya, Manisha; Southerland, Sherry A.; Sampson, Victor; Douglas, Ian; Kazmer, Michelle M.; Clark, Amanda; Schellinger, Jennifer

2013-01-01

Understanding the connections between scientific inquiry and digital literacy in informal learning environments is essential to furthering students' critical thinking and technology skills. The Habitat Tracker project combines a standards-based curriculum focused on the nature of science with an integrated system of online and mobile computing…

Yesterday's Students in Today's World—Open and Guided Inquiry Through the Eyes of Graduated High School Biology Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorfman, Bat-Shahar; Issachar, Hagit; Zion, Michal

2017-12-01

Educational policy bodies worldwide have argued that practicing inquiry as a part of the K-12 curriculum would help prepare students for their lives as adults in today's world. This study investigated adults who graduated high school 9 years earlier with a major in biology, to determine how they perceive the inquiry project they experienced and its contribution to their lives. We characterized dynamic inquiry performances and the retrospective perceptions of the inquiry project. Data was collected by interviews with 17 individuals—nine who engaged in open inquiry and eight who engaged in guided inquiry in high school. Both groups shared similar expressions of the affective point of view and procedural understanding criteria of dynamic inquiry, but the groups differed in the expression of the criteria changes occurring during inquiry and learning as a process. Participants from both groups described the contribution of the projects to their lives as adults, developing skills and positive attitudes towards science and remembering the content knowledge and activities in which they were involved. They also described the support they received from their teachers. Results of this study imply that inquiry, and particularly open inquiry, helps develop valuable skills and personal attributes, which may help the students in their lives as future adults. This retrospective point of view may contribute to a deeper understanding of the long-term influences of inquiry-based learning on students.

Impact of Including Authentic Inquiry Experiences in Methods Courses for Pre-Service Secondary Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, T. F.; Elfring, L.; Novodvorsky, I.; Talanquer, V.; Quintenz, J.

2007-12-01

Science education reform documents universally call for students to have authentic and meaningful experiences using real data in the context of their science education. The underlying philosophical position is that students analyzing data can have experiences that mimic actual research. In short, research experiences that reflect the scientific spirit of inquiry potentially can: prepare students to address real world complex problems; develop students' ability to use scientific methods; prepare students to critically evaluate the validity of data or evidence and of the consequent interpretations or conclusions; teach quantitative skills, technical methods, and scientific concepts; increase verbal, written, and graphical communication skills; and train students in the values and ethics of working with scientific data. However, it is unclear what the broader pre-service teacher preparation community is doing in preparing future teachers to promote, manage, and successful facilitate their own students in conducting authentic scientific inquiry. Surveys of undergraduates in secondary science education programs suggests that students have had almost no experiences themselves in conducting open scientific inquiry where they develop researchable questions, design strategies to pursue evidence, and communicate data-based conclusions. In response, the College of Science Teacher Preparation Program at the University of Arizona requires all students enrolled in its various science teaching methods courses to complete an open inquiry research project and defend their findings at a specially designed inquiry science mini-conference at the end of the term. End-of-term surveys show that students enjoy their research experience and believe that this experience enhances their ability to facilitate their own future students in conducting open inquiry.

The Learning Portal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staudt, Carolyn; Hanzlick-Burton, Camden; Williamson, Carol; McIntyre, Cynthia

2015-01-01

The Innovative Technology in Science Inquiry (ITSI) project is a learning portal with hundreds of free, customizable science, math, and engineering activities funded by the National Science Foundation at the Concord Consortium, a nonprofit research and development organization dedicated to transforming education through technology. The project…

Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roach, Linda E., Ed.

This document contains the following papers on science instruction and technology: "A 3-D Journey in Space: A New Visual Cognitive Adventure" (Yoav Yair, Rachel Mintz, and Shai Litvak); "Using Collaborative Inquiry and Interactive Technologies in an Environmental Science Project for Middle School Teachers: A Description and…

Kindergarten students' explanations during science learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Karleah

The study examines kindergarten students' explanations during science learning. The data on children's explanations are drawn from videotaped and transcribed discourse collected from four public kindergarten science classrooms engaged in a life science inquiry unit on the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. The inquiry unit was implemented as part of a larger intervention conducted as part of the Scientific Literacy Project or SLP (Mantzicopoulos, Patrick & Samarapungavan, 2005). The children's explanation data were coded and analyzed using quantitative content analysis procedures. The coding procedures involved initial "top down" explanation categories derived from the existing theoretical and empirical literature on scientific explanation and the nature of students' explanations, followed by an inductive or "bottom up" analysis, that evaluated and refined the categorization scheme as needed. The analyses provide important descriptive data on the nature and frequency of children's explanations generated in classroom discourse during the inquiry unit. The study also examines how teacher discourse strategies during classroom science discourse are related to children's explanations. Teacher discourse strategies were coded and analyzed following the same procedures as the children's explanations as noted above. The results suggest that, a) kindergarten students have the capability of generating a variety of explanations during inquiry-based science learning; b) teachers use a variety of classroom discourse strategies to support children's explanations during inquiry-based science learning; and c) The conceptual discourse (e.g., asking for or modeling explanations, asking for clarifications) to non-conceptual discourse (e.g., classroom management discourse) is related to the ratio of explanatory to non-explanatory discourse produced by children during inquiry-based science learning.

Factors Affecting Construction of Science Discourse in the Context of an Extracurricular Science and Technology Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Horace P.

2009-01-01

Doing and learning science are social activities that require certain language, activities, and values. Both constitute what Gee (2005) calls Discourses. The language of learning science varies with the learning context (Lemke, 2001,1990). "Science for All Americans" (AAAS, 1990) and "Inquiry and the National Science Education…

Marine Debris Clean-Ups as Meaningful Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stepath, Carl M.; Bacon, Joseph Scott

2010-01-01

This seven to eight week hands-on Marine Debris Clean-up Project used a service project to provide an introduction of marine science ecology, watershed interrelationships, the scientific method, and environmental stewardship to 8th grade middle school students. It utilized inquiry based learning to introduce marine debris sources and impacts to…

Science Teacher Efficacy and Extrinsic Factors toward Professional Development Using Video Games in a Design-Based Research Model: The Next Generation of STEM Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annetta, Leonard A.; Frazier, Wendy M.; Folta, Elizabeth; Holmes, Shawn; Lamb, Richard; Cheng, Meng-Tzu

2013-01-01

Designed-based research principles guided the study of 51 secondary-science teachers in the second year of a 3-year professional development project. The project entailed the creation of student-centered, inquiry-based, science, video games. A professional development model appropriate for infusing innovative technologies into standards-based…

Evaluating RITES, a Statewide Math and Science Partnership Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, D. P.; Caulkins, J. L.; Burns, A. L.; de Oliveira, G.; Dooley, H.; Brand, S.; Veeger, A.

2013-12-01

The Rhode Island Technology-Enhanced Science project (RITES) is a NSF-MSP Program that seeks to improve science education by providing professional development to science teachers at the 5th through 12th grade levels. At it's heart, RITES is a complex, multifaceted project that is challenging to evaluate because of the nature of its goal: the development of a large, statewide partnership between higher education and K12 public school districts during a time when science education strategies and leadership are in flux. As a result, these difficulties often require flexibility and creativity regarding evaluation, study design and data collection. In addition, the research agenda of the project often overlaps with the evaluator's agenda, making collaboration and communication a crucial component of the project's success. In it's 5th year, RITES and it's evaluators have developed a large number of instruments, both qualitative and quantitative, to provide direction and feedback on the effectiveness of the project's activities. RITES personnel work closely with evaluators and researchers to obtain a measure of how RITES' 'theory-of-action' affects both student outcomes and teacher practice. Here we discuss measures of teacher and student content gains, student inquiry gains, and teacher implementation surveys. Using content questions based on AAAS and MOSART databases, teachers in the short courses and students in classrooms showed significant normalized learning gains with averages generally above 0.3. Students of RITES-trained teachers also outperformed their non-RITES peers on the inquiry-section of the NECAP test, and The results show, after controlling for race and economic status, a small but statistically significant increase in test scores for RITES students. Technology use in the classroom significantly increased for teachers who were 'expected implementers' where 'expected implementers' are those teachers who implemented RITES as the project was designed. This result suggests that RITES teachers, when implementing RITES as designed, used significantly more technology in their classroom after one year of participation than prior to project participation. In addition, the majority of teachers reported retrospectively that RITES participation increased the level of inquiry in their instructional practice in the development and delivery of lessons, and within student assessments. Teachers also reported that RITES increased their collaboration with colleagues and with higher education faculty members. Most telling, teachers noted that RITES rejuvenated their excitement for science and improved their ability to teach the science standards. Teachers noted that the RITES summer short courses, investigations, and technology resources were key program components to supporting their inquiry practices.

Project Learning in Science: 6th Graders' Scientific Investigations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shea, Mary; Shea, Brian

2013-01-01

This article presents rationale for an enhanced inquiry approach to science education that authentically integrates content knowledge and application skills in a middle school science curriculum. Such pedagogy ensures students' attainment of national and state standards for learning science and multiple literacies (e.g. language arts and…

Hampshire College Center for Science Education. Final Report on Activities Supported by the Department of Energy Grant No. DE-FG02-06ER64256

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stillings, Neil; Wenk, Laura

Hampshire College's Center for Science Education (Center) focuses on teacher professional development, curriculum development, and student enrichment programs. The Center also maintains research programs on teacher change, student learning and instructional effectiveness. The Center's work promotes learning that persists over time and transfers to new situations in and out of school. The projects develop the implications of the increasing agreement among teachers and researchers that effective learning involves active concept mastery and consistent practice with inquiry and critical thinking. The Center's objective is to help strengthen the pipeline of U.S. students pursuing postsecondary study in STEM fields. The Center achievesmore » this by fostering an educational environment in which science is taught as an active, directly experienced endeavor across the K-16 continuum. Too often, young people are dissuaded from pursuing science because they do not see its relevance, instead experiencing it as dry, rote, technical. In contrast, when science is taught as a hands-on, inquiry-driven process, students are encouraged to ask questions grounded in their own curiosity and seek experimental solutions accordingly. In this way, they quickly discover both the profound relevance of science to their daily lives and its accessibility to them. Essentially, they learn to think and act like real scientists. The Center’s approach is multi-faceted: it includes direct inquiry-based science instruction to secondary and postsecondary students, educating the next generation of teachers, and providing new educational opportunities for teachers already working in the schools. Funding from the Department of Energy focused on the last population, enabling in-service teachers to explore and experience the pedagogy of inquiry-based science for themselves, and to take it back to their classrooms and students. The Center has demonstrated that the inquiry-based approach to science learning is compatible with existing state curriculum frameworks and produces students who understand and are positively inclined toward science. Funds from this Department of Energy grant supported three projects that involved K-16 science outreach: 1. Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology (TIEE). TIEE a peer-reviewed online journal and curriculum resource for postsecondary science teachers. 2. The Collaboration for Excellence in Science Education (CESE). CESE is a partnership with the Amherst, Massachusetts school system to foster the professional development of science teachers, and to perform research on student learning in the sciences and on teacher change. The project draws on Hampshire's long experience with inquiry-oriented and interdisciplinary education, as well as on its unique strengths in cognitive science. The project is run as design research, working with teachers to improve their practices and studying student and/or teacher outcomes. 3. Day in the Lab. Grant funds partially supported the expansion of the ongoing science outreach activities of the School of Natural Science. These activities are focused on local districts with large minority enrollments, including the Amherst, Holyoke and Springfield Public School Districts, and the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School (PVPA). Each of the three projects supported by the grant met or exceeded its goals. In part, the successes we met were due to continuity and communication among the staff of the programs. At the beginning of the CESE project, a science outreach coordinator was recruited. He worked throughout the grant period along with a senior researcher and the project's curriculum director. Additionally, the director and an undergraduate student conducted research on teacher change. The science outreach coordinator acted as a liaison among Hampshire College, the school districts, and a number of local businesses and agencies, providing organizational support, discussion facilitation, classroom support for teachers, and materials purchase. His presence in the schools kept teachers engaged and supported. He also brought the PVPA Charter School into the project. He worked closely with the educational outreach coordinator at Hampshire who oversaw the Day in the Lab program. Together, they have ensured the continuity of support to the schools through the use and placement of student interns. Finally, the director and coordinators worked with the Hitchock Center for the Environment to bring the two science professional development efforts in Amherst together. The joint development of workshops for elementary teachers was extremely successful. A major reason for the successes of the CESE program was the strength of the teacher outreach team and the sheer number of hours spent building relationships, talking about teaching and learning, planning projects, developing curriculum, and working with experts throughout the Pioneer Valley.« less

Representational Practices in Extra-Curricular Science Inquiry Projects: A Study with Asian Primary Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

So, Winnie W. M.

2016-01-01

Data collection, organization, and analysis are indispensable means of seeking solutions during the process of inquiry. Representations (called inscriptions by some educators) including graphs, tables, photographs, and equations are powerful ways of arranging and displaying data in visual form. This study aims to analyze quantitatively the use of…

Decay and Renewal. Student Edition. Cornell Scientific Inquiry Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trautmann, Nancy M.; Krasny, Marianne E.; Carlsen, William S.; Cunningham, Christine M.; Canning, Harry; Carroll, Patricia; Johnson, Mark; Khandar, Alpa; Olynciw, Elaina; Kottler, Bennett; Penningroth, Stephen; Welman, Adam

This student guide is part of the Environmental Inquiry (EI) curriculum series developed at Cornell University to enable high school students to conduct authentic environmental science research. The goals of EI are for students to: (1) develop research skills; (2) use their newly acquired skills to conduct research projects of their own design,…

System-Wide Factors in Sustaining Technology-Based Inquiry Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Laura M. W.

This paper suggests the importance of considering factors outside of the classroom in accounting for the presence of inquiry, and identifies some of these factors. The conclusions are based upon a study of staff developers and teachers who took part in the Bank Street College Mathematics, Science and Technology Teacher Education project.…

Inquiry-based science in the middle grades: Assessment of learning in urban systemic reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marx, Ronald W.; Blumenfeld, Phyllis C.; Krajcik, Joseph S.; Fishman, Barry; Soloway, Elliot; Geier, Robert; Tali Tal, Revital

2004-12-01

Science education standards established by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Research Council (NRC) urge less emphasis on memorizing scientific facts and more emphasis on students investigating the everyday world and developing deep understanding from their inquiries. These approaches to instruction challenge teachers and students, particularly urban students who often have additional challenges related to poverty. We report data on student learning spanning 3 years from a science education reform collaboration with the Detroit Public Schools. Data were collected from nearly 8,000 students who participated in inquiry-based and technology-infused curriculum units that were collaboratively developed by district personnel and staff from the University of Michigan as part of a larger, district-wide systemic reform effort in science education. The results show statistically significant increases on curriculum-based test scores for each year of participation. Moreover, the strength of the effects grew over the years, as evidenced by increasing effect size estimates across the years. The findings indicate that students who historically are low achievers in science can succeed in standards-based, inquiry science when curriculum is carefully developed and aligned with professional development and district policies. Additional longitudinal research on the development of student understanding over multiple inquiry projects, the progress of teacher enactment over time, and the effect of changes in the policy and administrative environment would further contribute to the intellectual and practical tools necessary to implement meaningful standards-based systemic reform in science.

The Proof of the Pudding?: A Case Study of an "At-Risk" Design-Based Inquiry Science Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chue, Shien; Lee, Yew-Jin

2013-12-01

When students collaboratively design and build artifacts that require relevant understanding and application of science, many aspects of scientific literacy are developed. Design-based inquiry (DBI) is one such pedagogy that can serve these desired goals of science education well. Focusing on a Projectile Science curriculum previously found to be implemented with satisfactory fidelity, we investigate the many hidden challenges when using DBI with Grade 8 students from one school in Singapore. A case study method was used to analyze video recordings of DBI lessons conducted over 10 weeks, project presentations, and interviews to ascertain the opportunities for developing scientific literacy among participants. One critical factor that hindered learning was task selection by teachers, which emphasized generic scientific process skills over more important cognitive and epistemic learning goals. Teachers and students were also jointly engaged in forms of inquiry that underscored artifact completion over deeper conceptual and epistemic understanding of science. Our research surfaced two other confounding factors that undermined the curriculum; unanticipated teacher effects and the underestimation of the complexity of DBI and of inquiry science in general. Thus, even though motivated or experienced teachers can implement an inquiry science curriculum with good fidelity and enjoy school-wide support, these by themselves will not guarantee deep learning of scientific literacy in DBI. Recommendations are made for navigating the hands- and minds-on aspects of learning science that is an asset as well as inherent danger during DBI teaching.

Sims for Science: Powerful Tools to Support Inquiry-Based Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perkins, Katherine K.; Loeblein, Patricia J.; Dessau, Kathryn L.

2010-01-01

Since 2002, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado has been working to provide learning tools for students and teachers. The project has developed over 85 interactive simulations--or sims--for teaching and learning science. Although these sims can be used in a variety of ways, they are specifically designed to make…

Creative Little Scientists: Exploring Pedagogical Synergies between Inquiry-Based and Creative Approaches in Early Years Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cremin, Teresa; Glauert, Esme; Craft, Anna; Compton, Ashley; Stylianidou, Fani

2015-01-01

In the light of the European Union's interest in creativity and innovation, this paper, drawing on data from the EU project Creative Little Scientists (2011-2014), explores the teaching and learning of science and creativity in Early Years education. The project's conceptual framework, developed from detailed analysis of relevant literatures,…

ERESE: An online forum for research-based earth science inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Symons, C. M.; Koppers, A.; Helly, M.; Staudigel, H.; Miller, S. P.

2007-12-01

The Enduring Resources for Earth Science Education (ERESE) Project bridges the gap between earth science research and science education by providing a forum for electronic collaboration between practicing scientists and classroom teachers. By combining the resources of Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and the expertise of educators, ERESE leverages a wide variety of assets to provide state-of-the-art, online digital resources through two National Science Digital Library collections: Earthref.org (http://www.Earthref.org/ERESE) and SIOExplorer (http://SIOExplorer.ucsd.edu). Earthref.org provides a wealth of plate tectonic-related content appropriate for designing and enacting inquiry lessons. The SIOExplorer Digital Library houses marine geophysical data from over 800 research cruises each containing a variety of data types from meteorological, to oceanographic, geophysical and navigational data. Built on successful collaboration between scientists and middle and high school teachers from across the country beginning in 2004, ERESE has expanded into a multifaceted repository for thought-provoking earth science data and images, virtual field trips and inquiry lessons designed by our partner teachers. More than static interfaces, both Earthref.org and SIOExplorer introduce users to current topics in science, seeking to answer outstanding questions about the earth, its processes, formation, and future. To provide a starting point for new users to design and contribute lessons to Earthref.org we have created a basic inquiry lesson plan template that models the process of investigating a real scientific problem. The template is designed on the basis of our five-stage model of inquiry adapted to the National Science Education Standards. As with all inquiry lessons, our model focuses on the shift of power from the teacher at the outset of the lesson to the students upon completion of the lesson.

An early start to STEM education among year 1 primary students through project-based inquiry learning in the context of a magnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safiee, N.; Jusoh, Z. M.; Noor, A. M. H. M.; Tek, O. E.; Salleh, S. M.

2018-01-01

For the needs of the 21st century, the Government of Malaysia has conceptualized the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 which embodies 11 strategic and operational shifts. In Shift 1, it is emphasized that the quality of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education will be enhanced. This study employed the mixed-method approach using the “one-group pre-test and post-test design”. Accordingly, this paper describes the pedagogical practice of Project-based Inquiry Learning (PIL) which promotes STEM Education among Year 1 students in the move to progress in tandem with Shift 1. Specifically, using the context of a magnet which has been stipulated in the Primary School Standard Curriculum, Year 1 students experienced the STEM Education through the STEM Pedagogy in which they raised questions upon the presentation of a relevant stimulus (Inquiry Phase), explored the ways in which a train carriage or coach could be assembled by means of recycled materials and magnets (Exploration Phase), designed a train carriage (Design Phase), and ultimately reflected on their inventions (Reflection Phase). The cognitive and affective impacts through the use of this Project-based Inquiry Learning are presented. Implications for the teaching and learning of science are discussed within the context of STEM Education.

A Scientist's Guide to Achieving Broader Impacts through K-12 STEM Collaboration.

PubMed

Komoroske, Lisa M; Hameed, Sarah O; Szoboszlai, Amber I; Newsom, Amanda J; Williams, Susan L

2015-03-01

The National Science Foundation and other funding agencies are increasingly requiring broader impacts in grant applications to encourage US scientists to contribute to science education and society. Concurrently, national science education standards are using more inquiry-based learning (IBL) to increase students' capacity for abstract, conceptual thinking applicable to real-world problems. Scientists are particularly well suited to engage in broader impacts via science inquiry outreach, because scientific research is inherently an inquiry-based process. We provide a practical guide to help scientists overcome obstacles that inhibit their engagement in K-12 IBL outreach and to attain the accrued benefits. Strategies to overcome these challenges include scaling outreach projects to the time available, building collaborations in which scientists' research overlaps with curriculum, employing backward planning to target specific learning objectives, encouraging scientists to share their passion, as well as their expertise with students, and transforming institutional incentives to support scientists engaging in educational outreach.

Science FEST: Preservice Teachers link Math and Science in Astronomy Lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeMuth, N. H.; Kasabian, J.; Hacking, P. B.

2005-12-01

Funded by the National Science Foundation and corporate sponsored by Northrop Grumman, Science FEST (Science for Future Elementary School Teachers) aims to develop the science content and pedagogy for project participants by connecting their college coursework to the science they will eventually teach. Working individually and in pairs, future elementary and secondary school teachers design a comprehensive module in astronomy that is inquiry-based and reflects national and state science standards. Project participants then teach their module in local elementary or middle school classrooms. Science FEST project participants report gaining a deep understanding of the science they are teaching, learning to engage all students to explore science concepts, and reflecting on their teaching and how it can be improved. The project's website can be found at www.science-fest.org.

Supporting Teachers' Use of a Project-Based Learning Environment in Ocean Science: Web-Based Educative Curriculum Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Ravit Golan; El-Moslimany, Hebbah; McDonnell, Janice; Lichtenwalner, Sage

2011-01-01

The development of inquiry and project-based materials is challenging in many ways, not the least of which is the design of supports for teachers implementing such materials. We report on the design of educative and just-in-time teacher supports for an online project-based unit in ocean science. The teacher supports were visible as tabs on the…

Cross-Cultural Inquiry in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spires, Hiller A.; Himes, Marie; Wang, Lisa

2016-01-01

This compilation of articles describes three projects aimed at offering students authentic opportunities to develop global competencies. The first article describes Out of Eden Learn, an initiative from Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of Education. The project engages students in learning journeys that follow Pulitzer Prize-winning…

Citizen Science as a REAL Environment for Authentic Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Nathan J.; Scott, Siri; Strauss, Andrea Lorek; Nippolt, Pamela L.; Oberhauser, Karen S.; Blair, Robert B.

2014-01-01

Citizen science projects can serve as constructivist learning environments for programming focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for youth. Attributes of "rich environments for active learning" (REALs) provide a framework for design of Extension STEM learning environments. Guiding principles and design strategies…

in the wind clothes dance on a line. Performative inquiry: A (re)search methodology. Possibilities and absences within a space-moment of imagining a universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fels, Lynn Margaret

in the wind clothes dance on a line is the conceptualization and articulation of performative inquiry as a research methodology within the field of education. Performative inquiry invites innovative and non-linear investigations, playing upon the multiple realities and interpretations of co-evolving worlds realized and recognized through creative action and interaction between researcher/teacher and participants/students within individual and shared, existing and imagined environments through motivating (im)pulse(s) of inquiry. Performative inquiry is elusively and momentarily balanced on the "edge of chaos" within the interstices of enactivism, complexity, interpretation, and performance. In articulating an ecological-cognitive reading of performance, I am in company with curricular theorists who envision curriculum as a journey and expression of students' and teachers' shared investigations within co-evolving landscapes of action and interaction. in the wind clothes dance on a line is a playful response to current conversations among researchers seeking recognition and articulation of arts-based processes as legitimate site(s) and praxis of research. Performative inquiry offers researchers---in drama education, in particular, and in education, in general---a theoretical and practical venue to investigate their fields of inquiry through an integrated vehicle of body, mind and imagination. This dissertation is informed by a three year science education research project (1995--1997) conducted with science educator, Karen Meyer. Our research investigated the teaching and learning of science education through drama and storytelling, culminating in a performance piece, Light Sound Movin' Around: What Are Monsters Made Of? Follow-up interviews with pre-service teachers speak eloquently to the possibility and power of performative inquiry as a research tool and learning vehicle in science education. in the wind clothes dance on a line has been imagined "in the air" through moments realized and recognized during the science education research project and through my work as a performing arts educator. And it is these moments that set the clothes dancing in the wind. in the wind clothes dance on a line is a conceptual piece, a performative work through which the reader will hopefully realize and recognize his or her own imaginings and understandings of possible universes within education.

"We Learn How to Predict and Be a Scientist": Early Science Experiences and Kindergarten Children's Social Meanings about Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mantzicopoulos, Panayota; Samarapungavan, Ala; Patrick, Helen

2009-01-01

We examine kindergarten children's emerging social meanings about science as a function of their participation in integrated science inquiry and literacy activities associated with the Scientific Literacy Project (SLP). We describe changes in 123 SLP kindergarten children's narrative accounts of learning science in school during three different…

Student's social interaction in inquiry-based science education: how experiences of flow can increase motivation and achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellwood, Robin; Abrams, Eleanor

2017-02-01

This research investigated how student social interactions within two approaches to an inquiry-based science curriculum could be related to student motivation and achievement outcomes. This qualitative case study consisted of two cases, Off-Campus and On-Campus, and used ethnographic techniques of participant observation. Research participants included eight eighth grade girls, aged 13-14 years old. Data sources included formal and informal participant interviews, participant journal reflections, curriculum artifacts including quizzes, worksheets, and student-generated research posters, digital video and audio recordings, photographs, and researcher field notes. Data were transcribed verbatim and coded, then collapsed into emergent themes using NVIVO 9. The results of this research illustrate how setting conditions that promote focused concentration and communicative interactions can be positively related to student motivation and achievement outcomes in inquiry-based science. Participants in the Off-Campus case experienced more frequent states of focused concentration and out performed their peers in the On-Campus case on 46 % of classroom assignments. Off-Campus participants also designed and implemented a more cognitively complex research project, provided more in-depth analyses of their research results, and expanded their perceptions of what it means to act like a scientist to a greater extent than participants in the On-Campus case. These results can be understood in relation to Flow Theory. Student interactions that promoted the criteria necessary for initiating flow, which included having clearly defined goals, receiving immediate feedback, and maintaining a balance between challenges and skills, fostered enhanced student motivation and achievement outcomes. Implications for science teaching and future research include shifting the current focus in inquiry-based science from a continuum that progresses from teacher-directed to open inquiry experiences to a continuum that also deliberately includes and promotes the necessary criteria for establishing flow. Attending to Flow Theory and incorporating student experiences with flow into inquiry-based science lessons will enhance student motivation and achievement outcomes in science and bolster the success of inquiry-based science.

Peer Sharing Facilitates the Effect of Inquiry-Based Projects on Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Hui-Min; Behan, Kristina Jackson

2010-01-01

Authentic assessment exercises are similar to real-world tasks that would be expected by a professional. An authentic assessment in combination with an inquiry-based learning activity enhances students' learning and rehearses them for their future roles, whether as scientists or as informed citizens. Over a period of 2 years, we experimented with…

The Macaroni Lab: A Directed Inquiry Project on Predator-Prey Relationships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oyler, Michelle; Rivera, John; Roffol, Melanie; Gibson, David J.; Middleton, Beth A.; Mathis, Marilyn

1999-01-01

Presents a directed-inquiry activity to take students one step beyond observation of how living organisms capture prey. Uses a field lab based upon predator-prey relationships to enliven the teaching of food web concepts to non-science-major freshman undergraduates. Can also be used in teaching high school biology students through college science…

Long Term Stability of Learning Outcomes in Undergraduates after an Open-Inquiry Instruction on Thermal Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adorno, Dominique Persano; Pizzolato, Nicola; Fazio, Claudio

2018-01-01

This paper investigates the efficacy of an open-inquiry approach to achieve a long term stability of physics instruction. This study represents the natural continuation of a research project started four years ago when a sample of thirty engineering undergraduates, having already attended traditional university physics instruction, were involved…

An Analysis of Teacher Question Types in Inquiry-Based Classroom and Traditional Classroom Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Sungho

2015-01-01

This study examined the differences and patterns for three categories between an argument-based inquiry group and a traditional group over the period of the SWH (Science Writing Heuristic) project: (1) teacher talk time, (2) structure of questions (question types), and (3) student responses. The participating teachers were chosen randomly by a…

Learning to Take an Inquiry Stance in Teacher Research: An Exploration of Unstructured Thought-Partner Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawton-Sticklor, Nastasia; Bodamer, Scott F.

2016-01-01

This article explores a research partnership between a university-based researcher and a middle school science teacher. Our partnership began with project-based inquiry and continued with unstructured thought-partner spaces: meetings with no agenda where we wrestled with problems of practice. Framed as incubation periods, these meetings allowed us…

From inside the black box: Teacher perceptions of science instruction at the elementary level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrini, Cynthia D.

Science education reform projects aimed at elementary school children arose in the 1960's. The most prevalent of these reforms utilized the inquiry, or hands-on, science method. Billions of dollars have been invested in these reforms. Yet, reports indicate that science is not being taught at the level one might expect in elementary schools. This research was an analysis of the problems and concerns teachers at one school district faced as they tried to implement and sustain elementary inquiry science instruction. The district chosen was a large suburban district in the Western United States. The population was ninety percent Caucasian with a slightly more ethnically diverse school population. This district was chosen because it had an elementary science program for over twenty years and had received national acclaim for that program. The district had a stable and homogeneous staff there was a low administrator and teacher turnover rate and the elementary teaching population was ninety percent Caucasian and ninety percent female. Interviews with administrators and teachers were conducted. Data were collected from focus groups of teachers and science partners. Observations of elementary science classroom instruction and professional development sessions were made. Results of this research indicated that one important key to elementary science reform rests in the hands of teachers. Once the door to the classroom is closed, the teacher can decide to teach or not to teach science. The findings of this research illustrate that teachers hold ideas about science and science instruction that are antithetical to some tenets of inquiry science. Until these ideas are addressed it will be difficult, if not impossible, to implement a systemic elementary inquiry science program. This study demonstrates that professional development for elementary teachers in science needs to change from a focus on the mechanical usage of individual units to a focus on teacher expectations for student achievement. Professional development for teachers in inquiry science must address the cognitive foundations for inquiry science and the benefits students derive from this educational approach. Institutions delivering pre-service training for elementary teachers in science must change the curriculum to reflect these needs.

"From the Beginning, I Felt Empowered": Incorporating an Ecological Approach to Learning in Elementary Science Teacher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birmingham, Daniel; Smetana, Lara; Coleman, Elizabeth

2017-09-01

While a renewed national dialog promotes the importance of science education for future technological and economic viability, students must find science personally relevant to themselves and their communities if the goals set forth in recent reform movements are to be achieved. In this paper, we investigate how incorporating an ecological perspective to learning in teacher education, including opportunities to participate with science in connection to their everyday lives, influenced the ways in which elementary teacher candidates (TCs) envisioned learning and doing science and its potential role in their future classroom. We draw from data collected across three sections of a field-based elementary methods course focused on learning to teach science and social studies through inquiry. We argue that participating in an authentic interdisciplinary inquiry project impacted the ways in which TCs conceived of science, their identities as science learners and teachers and their commitments to bringing inquiry-based science instruction to their future classrooms. This paper addresses issues regarding access to quality science learning experiences in elementary classrooms through empowering TCs to build identities as science learners and teachers in order to impact conditions in their future classrooms.

Engaging Undergraduates in Social Science Research: The Taking the Pulse of Saskatchewan Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berdahl, Loleen

2014-01-01

Although student involvement in research and inquiry can advance undergraduate learning, there are limited opportunities for undergraduate students to be directly involved in social science research. Social science faculty members typically work outside of laboratory settings, with the limited research assistance work being completed by graduate…

Testing Honey Bees' Avoidance of Predators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Jesse Wade; Nieh, James C.; Goodale, Eben

2012-01-01

Many high school science students do not encounter opportunities for authentic science inquiry in their formal coursework. Ecological field studies can provide such opportunities. The purpose of this project was to teach students about the process of science by designing and conducting experiments on whether and how honey bees (Apis mellifera)…

A Randomized Study of a Literacy-Integrated Science Intervention for Low-Socio-economic Status Middle School Students: Findings from first-year implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Fuhui; Irby, Beverly J.; Lara-Alecio, Rafael; Guerrero, Cindy; Fan, Yinan; Huerta, Margarita

2014-08-01

This paper presents the findings from a randomized control trial study of reading/literacy-integrated science inquiry intervention after 1 year of implementation and the treatment effect on 5th-grade low-socio-economic African-American and Hispanic students' achievement in science and English reading. A total of 94 treatment students and 194 comparison students from four randomized intermediate schools participated in the current project. The intervention consisted of ongoing professional development and specific instructional science lessons with inquiry-based learning, direct and explicit vocabulary instruction, and integration of reading and writing. Results suggested that (a) there was a significantly positive treatment effect as reflected in students' higher performance in district-wide curriculum-based tests of science and reading and standardized tests of science, reading, and English reading fluency; (b) males and females did not differ significantly from participating in science inquiry instruction; (c) African-American students had lower chance of sufficiently mastering the science concepts and achieving above the state standards when compared with Hispanic students across gender and condition, and (d) below-poverty African-American females are the most vulnerable group in science learning. Our study confirmed that even a modest amount of literacy integration in inquiry-based science instruction can promote students' science and reading achievement. Therefore, we call for more experimental research that focus on the quality of literacy-integrated science instruction from which middle grade students, particularly low-socio-economic status students, can benefit.

Factors affecting construction of science discourse in the context of an extracurricular science and technology project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, Horace P.

Doing and learning science are social activities that require certain language, activities, and values. Both constitute what Gee (2005) calls Discourses. The language of learning science varies with the learning context (Lemke, 2001,1990). Science for All Americans (AAAS, 1990) and Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 2000) endorse inquiry science learning. In the United States, most science learning is teacher-centered; inquiry science learning is rare (NRC, 2000). This study focused on 12 high school students from two suburban high schools, their three faculty mentors, and two engineering mentors during an extracurricular robotics activity with FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). FRC employed student-centered inquiry focus to teach science principles integrating technology. Research questions were (a) How do science teachers and their students enact Discourses as they teach and learn science? and (b) How does the pedagogical approach of a learning activity facilitate the Discourses that are enacted by students and teachers as they learn and teach science? Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study examined participants' language during robotic activities to determine how language used in learning science shaped the learning and vice versa. Data sources included videorecordings of participant language and semi-structured interviews with study participants. Transcribed recordings were coded initially using Gee's (2005) linguistic Building Tasks as a priori codes. CDA was applied to code transcripts, to construct Discourses enacted by the participants, and to determine how context facilitated their enactment. Findings indicated that, for the students, FRC facilitated elements of Science Discourse. Wild About Robotics (W.A.R.) team became, through FRC, part of a community similar to scientists' community that promoted knowledge and sound practices, disseminated information, supported research and development and encouraged interaction of its members. The public school science classroom in the U.S. is inimical to inquiry learning because of practices and policies associated with the epistemological stance that spawned the standards and/or testing movement and No Child Left Behind (Baez & Boyles, 2009). The findings of this study provided concrete ideas to accommodate the recommendations by NRC (1996) and NSES (2000) for creating contexts that might lead to inquiry science learning for meaningful student engagement.

Effective, Sustained Inquiry-Based Instruction Promotes Higher Science Proficiency Among All Groups: A 5-Year Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Jeff C.; Alston, Daniel M.

2014-11-01

Student's performance in science classrooms has continued to languish throughout the USA. Even though proficiency rates on national tests such as National Assessment of Educational Progress are higher for Caucasian students than African-Americans and Hispanics, all groups lack achieving desired proficiency rates. Further, the Next Generation Science Standards detail a new higher benchmark for all students. This study analyzes a professional development (PD) project, entitled Inquiry in Motion, designed to (a) facilitate teacher transformation toward greater quantity and quality of inquiry-based instruction, (b) improve student achievement in science practices and science concepts, and (c) begin to narrow the achievement gap among various groups. This 5-year PD study included 11 schools, 74 middle school teachers, and 9,981 students from diverse, high minority populations. Findings from the quasi-experimental study show statistically significant gains for all student groups (aggregate, males, females, Caucasians, African-Americans, and Hispanics) on all three science Measure of Academic Progress tests (composite, science practices, and science concepts) when compared to students of non-participating teachers. In addition to an increase in overall performance for all groups, a narrowing of the achievement gap of minority students relative to Caucasian students was seen. When combined with other studies, this study affirms that, when facilitated effectively, inquiry-based instruction may benefit all students, for all demographic groups measured.

The effect of inquiry science activity in educational productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, Kinya

This is a study the effect of inquiry science activity on the science achievement of junior high school students. Since the post-sputnik curriculum improvement project, science educators have supported the effect of inquiry activities. In terms of the effect of laboratory activity, however, the literature review indicated that the controlled experimental studies have failed to present the effect of laboratory activities. For example, Blosser suggested more rigid experimental design, such as longer treatment and larger sample. On the other hand, some of the recent case studies of effect of laboratory are successful to support the effect and the other recent classroom ethnographic studies indicated that the laboratory activities are implemented in inappropriate situation. This study investigates the effect of inquiry activities by using the national survey to balance the internal and external validity. In order to control the environmental effect and student aptitude, the study adopted the structural model of science achievement suggested by Reynolds and Walberg in 1991. The study utilized the extensive student and teacher data reports from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY) to examine these differences and interactions quantitatively. The study utilized two independent variables: (1) teachers' report of the degree of their teaching emphasis on inquiry skill, and (2) teachers' report of the frequency of hands-on method. The effects of these instructional qualities are estimated in terms of the science achievement score of their student. The study utilized path analysis techniques in order to understand the complex relationship among the nine productivity factors; which are (1) motivation, (2) prior ability, (3) development, (4) home environment, (5) peer environment, (6) media environment, (7) classroom environment, (8) instructional quantity, and (9) instructional quality. The result failed to support the effectiveness of the hands-on science teaching. On the other hand, when teacher emphasize the scientific inquiry skill in lower grade, the effect of inquiry emphasis present the significant impact.

Integrating Reading into Middle School Science: What We Did, Found and Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fang, Zhihui; Lamme, Linda; Pringle, Rose; Patrick, Jennifer; Sanders, Jennifer; Zmach, Courtney; Charbonnet, Sara; Henkel, Melissa

2008-01-01

Recent calls for border crossing between reading and science have heightened the need to support science teachers in integrating reading into science and to verify the robustness of this approach in the context of inquiry-based science. In this paper, we share what we did, found, and learned in a collaborative project in which a team of…

An Implementation Study: An Analysis of Elementary Student and Teacher Attitudes toward Science in Process-Approach vs. Traditional Science Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyle, William C.; And Others

In anticipation of House Bill 246 (now Texas Administrative Code Chapter 75) which requires an inquiry-based, process-approach to the teaching of science, the Richardson Independent School District established the Elementary Science Pilot Project and adopted the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) as part of their new K-6 Science through…

Collaborative Inquiry and the Professional Development of Science Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erickson, Gaalen L.

1991-01-01

Argues that the nature and meaning of collaborative relationships depend upon their particular, practical context. Describes an ongoing collaborative research project, the Students' Intuitions and Science Instruction Group (University of British Columbia), detailing its research agenda, postulates pertaining to teacher development, collaborative…

PROFILES Networks: Three International Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rauch, F.; Dulle, M.; Namsone, D.; Gorghiu, G.

2014-01-01

This paper explores the effectiveness of networking in promoting inquiry-based science education (IBSE) through raising the self-efficacy of science teachers to take ownership of more effective ways of teaching students, supported by stakeholders (Holbrook & Rannikmae, 2010). As PROFILES project (Professional Reflection Oriented Focus on…

SEAS (Student Experiments At Sea): Helping Teachers Foster Authentic Student Inquiry in the Science Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehring, L.; Kelsey, K.; Carlson, J.

2005-12-01

Teacher professional development designed to promote authentic research in the classroom is ultimately aimed at improving student scientific literacy. In addition to providing teachers with opportunities to improve their understanding of science through research experiences, we need to help facilitate similar learning in students. This is the focus of the SEAS (Student Experiments At Sea) program: to help students learn science by doing science. SEAS offers teachers tools and a framework to help foster authentic student inquiry in the classroom. SEAS uses the excitement of deep-sea research, as well as the research facilities and human resources that comprise the deep-sea scientific community, to engage student learners. Through SEAS, students have the opportunity to practice inquiry skills and participate in research projects along side scientists. SEAS is a pilot program funded by NSF and sponsored by the Ridge 2000 research community. The pilot includes inquiry-based curricular materials, facilitated interaction with scientists, opportunities to engage students in research projects, and teacher training. SEAS offers a framework of resources designed to help translate inquiry skills and approaches to the classroom environment, recognizing the need to move students along the continuum of scientific inquiry skills. This framework includes hands-on classroom lessons, Classroom to Sea labs where students compare their investigations with at-sea investigations, and a student experiment competition. The program also uses the Web to create a virtual ``scientific community'' including students. Lessons learned from this two year pilot emphasize the importance of helping teachers feel knowledgeable and experienced in the process of scientific inquiry as well as in the subject. Teachers with experience in scientific research were better able to utilize the program. Providing teachers with access to scientists as a resource was also important, particularly given the challenges of working in the deep-sea environment. Also, fostering authentic student investigations (i.e., working through preparatory materials, developing proposals, analyzing data and writing summary reports) is challenging to fit within the academic year. Nonetheless, teacher feedback highlights that the excitement generated by participation in real research is highly motivating. Further, students experience a ``paradigm shift'' in understanding evidence-based reasoning and the process of scientific discovery.

From science fair to project-based science: A study of the implementation of an innovation through an existing activity system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Lisa Jean

The implementation process is critical to the success of educational innovations. Project-based science is an innovation designed to support students' science learning. Science fair is a pervasive school practice in which students exhibit science projects. Little is known about how science fair may affect the implementation of reform efforts in science education. This study explores the relationship of science fair and project-based science in the classrooms of three science teachers. Two theories are used to understand science fair as an instructional practice. Cultural historical activity theory supports an analysis of the origins and development of science fair. The idea of communities of practice supports a focus on why and how educational practitioners participate in science fair and what meanings the activity holds for them. The study identifies five historically-based design themes that have shaped science fair: general science, project method, scientific method, extra-curricular activity, and laboratory science. The themes provide a new framework for describing teachers' classroom practices for science fair activities and support analysis of the ways their practices incorporate aspects of project-based science. Three case studies in Chicago present ethnographic descriptions of science fair practices within the context of school communities. One focuses on the scientific method as a linear process for doing science, another on knowledge generation through laboratory experiments, and the third on student ability to engage in open-ended inquiry. One teacher reinvents a project-based science curriculum to strengthen students' laboratory-based science fair projects, while another reinvents science fair to teach science as inquiry. In each case, science fair is part of the school's efforts to improve science instruction. The cases suggest that reform efforts help to perpetuate science fair practice. To support systemic improvements in science education, this study recommends that science fair be recognized as a classroom instructional activity---rather than an extra-curricular event---and part of the system of science education in this country. If science fair is to reflect new ideas in science education, direct intervention in the practice is necessary. This study---including both the history and examples of current practice---provides valuable insights for reconsidering science fair's design.

Identifying the Factors Leading to Success: How an Innovative Science Curriculum Cultivates Student Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scogin, Stephen C.

2016-01-01

"PlantingScience" is an award-winning program recognized for its innovation and use of computer-supported scientist mentoring. Science learners work on inquiry-based experiments in their classrooms and communicate asynchronously with practicing plant scientist-mentors about the projects. The purpose of this study was to identify specific…

Finnish Science Teachers' Views on the Three Stage Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sormunen, K.; Keinonen, T.; Holbrook, J.

2014-01-01

The core idea of the PROFILES project is to support science teachers' continuous professional development. The instructional innovation of the PROFILES is the so called Three Stage Model (TSM) which aims to arouse students' intrinsic motivation, to offer a meaningful inquiry-based learning environment and to use the science learning in…

ScienceFEST: Preservice Teachers link Math and Science in Astronomy Lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeMuth, N. H.; Kasabian, J.

2005-05-01

Funded by the National Science Foundation, Science FEST (Science for Future Elementary School Teachers) aims to develop the science content and pedagogy for project participants by connecting their college coursework to the science they will eventually teach. Working individually and in pairs, future elementary and middle school teachers design a comprehensive module in astronomy that is inquiry-based and reflects the national and state science standards. Project participants then teach their modules in local elementary or middle school classrooms. Science FEST project participants report gaining a deep understanding of the science they are teaching, learning to engage all students to explore science concepts, and reflecting on their teaching and how it can be improved. The session presenters will share some of the instructional materials developed by the college students and how their experiences in Science FEST have enhanced their pre-professional development. The project's website can be found at www.science-fest.org.

An Inquiry Safari

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Norman; Chapman, Seri

2004-01-01

The Virtual Gorilla Modeling Project--a professional development project--is a collaboration of middle and high school inservice teachers, Zoo Atlanta primatologists, science and computer educators, and students. During a 10-day professional development summer workshop, middle and high school teachers explore the world of the gorilla through…

The effect of participation in an extended inquiry project on general chemistry student laboratory interactions, confidence, and process skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krystyniak, Rebecca A.

2001-12-01

This study explored the effect of participation by second-semester general chemistry students in an extended open-inquiry laboratory investigation on their use of science process skills and confidence in performing specific aspects of laboratory investigations. In addition, verbal interactions of a student lab team among team members and with their instructor over three open-inquiry laboratory sessions and two non-inquiry sessions were investigated. Instruments included the Test of Integrated Skills (TIPS), a 36-item multiple-choice instrument, and the Chemistry Laboratory Survey (CLS), a researcher co-designed 20-item 8-point instrument. Instruments were administered at the beginning and close of the semester to 157 second-semester general chemistry students at the two universities; students at only one university participated in open-inquiry activity. A MANCOVA was performed to investigate relationships among control and experimental students, TIPS, and CLS post-test scores. Covariates were TIPS and CLS pre-test scores and prior high school and college science experience. No significant relationships were found. Wilcoxen analyses indicated both groups showed increase in confidence; experimental-group students with below-average TIPS pre-test scores showed a significant increase in science process skills. Transcribed audio tapes of all laboratory-based verbal interactions were analyzed. Coding categories, developed using the constant comparison method, led to an inter-rater reliability of .96. During open-inquiry activities, the lab team interacted less often, sought less guidance from their instructor, and talked less about chemistry concepts than during non-inquiry activities. Evidence confirmed that students used science process skills and engaged in higher-order thinking during both types of activities. A four-student focus shared their experiences with open-inquiry activities, indicating that they enjoyed the experience, viewed it as worthwhile, and believed it helped them gain understanding of the nature of chemistry research. Research results indicate that participation in open-inquiry laboratory increases student confidence and, for some students, the ability to use science process skills. Evidence documents differences in student laboratory interactions and behavior that are attributable to the type of laboratory experience. Further research into aspects of open-inquiry laboratory experiences is recommended.

A Scientist's Guide to Achieving Broader Impacts through K–12 STEM Collaboration

PubMed Central

Komoroske, Lisa M.; Hameed, Sarah O.; Szoboszlai, Amber I.; Newsom, Amanda J.; Williams, Susan L.

2015-01-01

The National Science Foundation and other funding agencies are increasingly requiring broader impacts in grant applications to encourage US scientists to contribute to science education and society. Concurrently, national science education standards are using more inquiry-based learning (IBL) to increase students’ capacity for abstract, conceptual thinking applicable to real-world problems. Scientists are particularly well suited to engage in broader impacts via science inquiry outreach, because scientific research is inherently an inquiry-based process. We provide a practical guide to help scientists overcome obstacles that inhibit their engagement in K–12 IBL outreach and to attain the accrued benefits. Strategies to overcome these challenges include scaling outreach projects to the time available, building collaborations in which scientists’ research overlaps with curriculum, employing backward planning to target specific learning objectives, encouraging scientists to share their passion, as well as their expertise with students, and transforming institutional incentives to support scientists engaging in educational outreach. PMID:26955078

The Ripple Effect: Exploring How a Joint Science Specialist/TOSA Can Change Classroom Teachers' Instructional Practices through Project-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gradias, Jean

2017-01-01

In 2013, California became one of the first states to adopt the rigorous Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). However, the current state of science instruction does not support the conceptual shifts of the NGSS, which call for consistent science instruction K-12, increased inquiry, subject integration, as well as science instruction that…

Fostering Science Club: Creating a Welcoming Extra-Curricular Science Inquiry Space for ALL Learners that Seeks to Close the Science Experience Gap in a Predominantly Minority Urban Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayfield, K. K.

2017-12-01

BackgroundTo minority adolescents in urban centers science inquiry seems like an engagement completed by others with specialized skills (Alkon & Agyeman, 2012). When scientists teach science classes those spaces and pedagogy are underwritten by the science teachers' beliefs about how science happens (Southerland, Gess-Newsome & Johnston, 2002). Further, scientific inquiry is often presented as the realm of upperclass whiteness (Alkon & Agyeman, 2012; Mayfield, 2014). When science educators talk about the achievement gaps between raced and classed learners, accompanying that gap is also a gap in science experience. My high school students in a postindustrial school district: attend a school under state takeover (the lowest 5/5 rating (MA Executive Office of Education, 2017)); have a student body that is 70% Latinx; and 96% of whom receive Free and Reduced Lunch (a Federal marker of a family below the poverty line). Annual Yearly Progress is a goal set by state and federal governments for school populations by race, ability, and language. In 2016, the site has failed to make its goals for special education, black, hispanic, white, and English as a Second Language populations. As a high poverty district there is a paucity of extracurricular science experiences. This lack of science extensions make closing standardized test gaps difficult. Geoscience Skills & FindingsThis after school program does not replicate deficit narratives that keep certain bodies of students away from science inquiry (Mayfield, 2015; Ogbu, 1987). Instead, Science Club uses an array of student-centered science (physics, math, arts, chemistry, biology) projects to help students see themselves as citizen scientists who lead explorations of their world. We meet 1.5 hours a week in a 30 week school year. Science club helps students feel like powerful and capable science inquirers with 80% girls in attendance, and uses science experiments to cultivate essential inquiry skills like: Observation, Analysis, Reflection, and Laboratory Work in order to understand the phenomena we are exploring. This presentation discusses: the development of Science cCub as a student-centered inquiry space; how Sci Club addresses the inequities of the science experience gap; and student responses to pre and post test surveys about their growing science skills.

ERESE Professional Development in Science Education: A collaboration of scientists, teachers, and information technologists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staudigel, H.; Helly, M.; Massel Symons, C.; Koppers, A.; Helly, J.; Miller, S.

2005-12-01

The Enduring Resources in Earth Science Education (ERESE) project promotes inquiry based teaching of plate tectonics through professional development and distribution of digital library objects in the National Science Digital Library network. The overall ERESE goal is to bridge the gap between the scientists and educators, and our experience has shown that much can be gained by establishing a close collaboration between all parties involved in earth science education, from high school student to teacher -educator, and scientist. These collaborations yield substantial gains in terms of effective educational approaches, contents selection, and to produce an authentic class room research experience. ERESE professional development workshops promote a model of inquiry-based teaching that keeps the educator as far in the background as possible, while empowering the student to carry out a maximally independent inquiry. Key components in this process are: (1) use of a well selected provocative phenomenon to promote student's curiosity and to start the inquiry process, (2) care in the student guidance towards selection and formulation of a researchable question, (3) the involvement of teachers and scientists, in a close collaboration (4) teaching resource development with a strong feed-back from professional development workshops and classroom practice, (5) integration of science inquiry resources on all expert levels providing an environment that allows continuous access to science information from the most basic to the full scale science level. We expanded ERESE resource development into a volcanology field class on Hawaii to produce a website and digital library contents including field reports, exercises and images and field data. We further expanded our resource development through the participation of three high school students in a three-week seagoing expedition to the Samoan Archipelago. The high school seniors maintained a live expedition website and they participated in all science activities. Their work impacted ERESE by the development of digital resources, and introducing peer - mentoring into the inquiry process.

A Large-Scale Inquiry-Based Astronomy Intervention Project: Impact on Students' Content Knowledge Performance and Views of Their High School Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Michael; McKinnon, David H.; Danaia, Lena; Deehan, James

2016-01-01

In this paper, we present the results from a study of the impact on students involved in a large-scale inquiry-based astronomical high school education intervention in Australia. Students in this intervention were led through an educational design allowing them to undertake an investigative approach to understanding the lifecycle of stars more…

New FINESSE Faculty Institutes for NASA Earth and Space Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Slater, Stephanie; Marshall, Sunette Sophia; Stork, Debra; Pomeroy, J. Richard R

2014-06-01

In a systematic effort to improve the preparation of future science teachers, scholars coordinated by the CAPER Center for Astronomy & Physics Education Research are providing a series of high-quality, 2-day professional development workshops, with year-round follow-up support, for college and university professors who prepare future science teachers to work with highly diverse student populations. These workshops focus on reforming and revitalizing undergraduate science teaching methods courses and Earth and Space science content courses that future teachers most often take to reflect contemporary pedagogies and data-rich problem-based learning approaches steeped in authentic scientific inquiry, which consistently demonstrate effectiveness with diverse students. Participants themselves conduct science data-rich research projects during the institutes using highly regarded approaches to inquiry using proven models. In addition, the Institute allocates significant time to illustrating best practices for working with diverse students. Moreover, participants leave with a well-formulated action plan to reform their courses targeting future teachers to include more data-rich scientific inquiry lessons and to be better focused on improving science education for a wide diversity of students. Through these workshops faculty use a backwards faded scaffolding mechanism for working inquiry into a deeper understanding of science by using existing on-line data to develop and research astronomy, progressing from creating a valid and easily testable question, to simple data analysis, arriving at a conclusion, and finally presenting and supporting that conclusion in the classroom. An updated schedule is available at FINESSEProgram.org

Determining mosquito distribution from egg data: The role of the citizen scientist

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nationwide science classes from elementary through secondary are placing a larger emphasis on inquiry and authentic experiences. The opportunity to collect real data and contribute to a research project is the definition of citizen science. Recent outbreaks of mosquito transmitted diseases (West N...

Singing in Science: Writing and Recording Student Lyrics to Express Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Sara D.; Norton-Meier, Lori

2009-01-01

This article explores the use of lyric writing in elementary science. It details an exploratory project in which elementary students and a professional musician collaborated to write and record lyrics at the conclusion of an inquiry-based science unit. What we found was that lyric writing when used as a summary reflection activity in science…

The Art-Science Connection: Students Create Art Inspired by Extracurricular Lab Investigations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hegedus, Tess; Segarra, Verónica A.; Allen, Tawannah G.; Wilson, Hillary; Garr, Casey; Budzinski, Christina

2016-01-01

The authors developed an integrated science-and-art program to engage science students from a performing arts high school in hands-on, inquiry based lab experiences. The students participated in eight biology-focused investigations at a local university with undergraduate mentors. After the laboratory phase of the project, the high school students…

Is Project Based Learning More Effective than Direct Instruction in School Science Classrooms? An Analysis of the Empirical Research Evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dann, Clifford

An increasingly loud call by parents, school administrators, teachers, and even business leaders for "authentic learning", emphasizing both group-work and problem solving, has led to growing enthusiasm for inquiry-based learning over the past decade. Although "inquiry" can be defined in many ways, a curriculum called "project-based learning" has recently emerged as the inquiry practice-of-choice with roots in the educational constructivism that emerged in the mid-twentieth century. Often, project-based learning is framed as an alternative instructional strategy to direct instruction for maximizing student content knowledge. This study investigates the empirical evidence for such a comparison while also evaluating the overall quality of the available studies in the light of accepted standards for educational research. Specifically, this thesis investigates what the body of quantitative research says about the efficacy of project-based learning vs. direct instruction when considering student acquisition of content knowledge in science classrooms. Further, existing limitations of the research pertaining to project based learning and secondary school education are explored. The thesis concludes with a discussion of where and how we should focus our empirical efforts in the future. The research revealed that the available empirical research contains flaws in both design and instrumentation. In particular, randomization is poor amongst all the studies considered. The empirical evidence indicates that project-based learning curricula improved student content knowledge but that, while the results were statistically significant, increases in raw test scores were marginal.

Integrating long-term science projects into K-12 curriculum: Fostering teacher-student engagement in urban environmental research through an NSF UCLA GK-12 program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogue, T. S.; Moldwin, M.; Nonacs, P.; Daniel, J.; Shope, R.

2009-12-01

A National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA) has just completed its first year (of a five-year program) and has greatly expanded UCLA’s science and engineering partnerships with LA Unified and Culver City Unified School Districts. The SEE-LA program partners UCLA faculty, graduate students (fellows), middle and high school science teachers and their students into a program of science and engineering exploration that brings the environment of Los Angeles into the classroom. UCLA graduate fellows serve as scientists-in-residence at the four partner schools to integrate inquiry-based science and engineering lessons, facilitate advancements in science content teaching, and ultimately, to improve their own science communication skills. As part of their fellowship, graduate students are required to develop three inquiry-based lessons in their partner classroom, including a lesson focused on their dissertation research, a lesson focused on the environmental/watershed theme of the project, and a lesson that involves longer-term data collection and synthesis with the grade 6-12 teachers and students. The developed long-term projects ideally involve continued observations and analysis through the five-year project and beyond. During the first year of the project, the ten SEE-LA fellows developed a range of long-term research projects, from seasonal invertebrate observations in an urban stream system, to home energy consumption surveys, to a school bioblitz (quantification of campus animals and insects). Examples of lesson development and integration in the classroom setting will be highlighted as well as tools required for sustainability of the projects. University and local pre-college school partnerships provide an excellent opportunity to support the development of graduate student communication skills while also contributing significantly to the integration of sustainable research projects into K-12 curriculum.

Collaborative Action Research on Technology Integration for Science Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chien-Hsing; Ke, Yi-Ting; Wu, Jin-Tong; Hsu, Wen-Hua

2012-02-01

This paper briefly reports the outcomes of an action research inquiry on the use of blogs, MS PowerPoint [PPT], and the Internet as learning tools with a science class of sixth graders for project-based learning. Multiple sources of data were essential to triangulate the key findings articulated in this paper. Corresponding to previous studies, the incorporation of technology and project-based learning could motivate students in self-directed exploration. The students were excited about the autonomy over what to learn and the use of PPT to express what they learned. Differing from previous studies, the findings pointed to the lack information literacy among students. The students lacked information evaluation skills, note-taking and information synthesis. All these findings imply the importance of teaching students about information literacy and visual literacy when introducing information technology into the classroom. The authors suggest that further research should focus on how to break the culture of "copy-and-paste" by teaching the skills of note-taking and synthesis through inquiry projects for science learning. Also, further research on teacher professional development should focus on using collaboration action research as a framework for re-designing graduate courses for science teachers in order to enhance classroom technology integration.

Analyzing the Watershed Dynamics project as an example of successful science and education partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzby, C. K.; Jona, K.

2009-12-01

The Watershed Dynamics project is a partnership between Northwestern University, the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science (CUAHSI), and the GLOBE Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment). The goal of the project is to develop inquiry-based educational materials that use authentic scientific data and analysis techniques to teach students about the watershed. The relationship between Northwestern, CUAHSI, and GLOBE allows each partner to contribute to the development of the project in the area of their expertise. Science researchers from CUAHSI share science content knowledge and data access through the development of their Hydrologic Information System (HIS). Curriculum developers at Northwestern write inquiry-based curriculum using GIS technology to access and analyze live data. The GLOBE Program is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science education program that provides teacher training opportunities to a network of teachers around the world. This partnership allows each partner to bring their area of expertise to the project and make the best use of one another's resources. The Watershed Dynamics project can serve as a model for future partnerships between the science and education communities. The Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education Partnerships (OSEP) at Northwestern is a service organization that supports Northwestern researchers in developing proposals and implementing research projects that incorporate K-12 educational components, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). OSEP assists faculty with the development of sound plans for education and outreach that reflect current research on learning and educational reform and provides expertise in STEM education materials development, learning technologies, and professional development for K-12 teachers and facilitators in informal education institutions. Resources such as OSEP can pair scientists with educational organizations so that science outreach programs can be sustainable.

The Quiet Skies Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rapp, Steve

2008-01-01

To help promote student awareness of the connection between radio astronomy and radio frequency interference (RFI), an inquiry-based science curriculum was developed to allow high school students to determine RFI levels in their communities. The Quiet Skies Project--the result of a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space…

Comparing Two Inquiry Professional Development Interventions in Science on Primary Students' Questioning and Other Inquiry Behaviours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nichols, Kim; Burgh, Gilbert; Kennedy, Callie

2017-02-01

Developing students' skills to pose and respond to questions and actively engage in inquiry behaviours enables students to problem solve and critically engage with learning and society. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of providing teachers with an intervention in inquiry pedagogy alongside inquiry science curriculum in comparison to an intervention in non-inquiry pedagogy alongside inquiry science curriculum on student questioning and other inquiry behaviours. Teacher participants in the comparison condition received training in four inquiry-based science units and in collaborative strategic reading. The experimental group, the community of inquiry (COI) condition, received training in facilitating a COI in addition to training in the same four inquiry-based science units. This study involved 227 students and 18 teachers in 9 primary schools across Brisbane, Australia. The teachers were randomly allocated by school to one of the two conditions. The study followed the students across years 6 and 7 and students' discourse during small group activities was recorded, transcribed and coded for verbal inquiry behaviours. In the second year of the study, students in the COI condition demonstrated a significantly higher frequency of procedural and substantive higher-order thinking questions and other inquiry behaviours than those in the comparison condition. Implementing a COI within an inquiry science curriculum develops students' questioning and science inquiry behaviours and allows teachers to foster inquiry skills predicated by the Australian Science Curriculum. Provision of inquiry science curriculum resources alone is not sufficient to promote the questioning and other verbal inquiry behaviours predicated by the Australian Science Curriculum.

Physics First: Impact on SAT Math Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouma, Craig E.

2013-01-01

Improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become a national priority and the call to modernize secondary science has been heard. A Physics First (PF) program with the curriculum sequence of physics, chemistry, and biology (PCB) driven by inquiry- and project-based learning offers a viable alternative to the…

Methods & Strategies: 5E for ELL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomez-Zwiep, Susan; Straits, William; Topps, Jo

2015-01-01

Science provides a rich context for English learners (ELs) to develop language skills in meaningful ways. This article outlines steps to create a lesson that blends both inquiry science and formal English language development (ELD) strategies. The process, developed through a four-year research project in a large urban school district (Gomez-Zwiep…

Using Professional Development to Achieve Classroom Reform and Science Proficiency: An Urban Success Story from Southern Nevada, USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crippen, Kent J.; Biesinger, Kevin D.; Ebert, Ellen K.

2010-01-01

This paper provides a detailed description and evaluation of a three-year professional development project in a large urban setting in the southwestern United States. The impetus for the project was curriculum development focused on integrated scientific inquiry. Project goals included the development of a professional learning community, reformed…

Inquiry based learning with a virtual microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, S. P.; Sharples, M.; Tindle, A.; Villasclaras-Fernández, E.

2012-12-01

As part of newly funded initiative, the Wolfson OpenScience Laboratory, we are linking a tool for inquiry based learning, nQuire (http://www.nquire.org.uk) with the virtual microscope for Earth science (http://www.virtualmicroscope.co.uk) to allow students to undertake projects and gain from inquiry based study thin sections of rocks without the need for a laboratory with expensive petrological microscopes. The Virtual Microscope (VM) was developed for undergraduate teaching of petrology and geoscience, allowing students to explore rock hand specimens and thin sections in a browser window. The system is based on HTML5 application and allows students to scan and zoom the rocks in a browser window, view in ppl and xpl conditions, and rotate specific areas to view birefringence and pleochroism. Importantly the VM allows students to gain access to rare specimens such as Moon rocks that might be too precious to suffer loss or damage. Experimentation with such specimens can inspire the learners' interest in science and allows them to investigate relevant science questions. Yet it is challenging for learners to engage in scientific processes, as they may lack scientific investigation skills or have problems in planning their activities; for teachers, managing inquiry activities is a demanding task (Quintana et al., 2004). To facilitate the realization of inquiry activities, the VM is being integrated with the nQuire tool. nQuire is a web tool that guides and supports students through the inquiry process (Mulholland et al., 2011). Learners are encouraged to construct their own personally relevant hypothesis, pose scientific questions, and plan the method to answer them. Then, the system enables users to collect and analyze data, and share their conclusions. Teachers can monitor their students' progress through inquiries, and give them access to new parts of inquiries as they advance. By means of the integration of nQuire and the VM, inquiries that involve collecting data through a microscope can be created and supported. To illustrate the possibilities of these tools, we have designed two inquiries that engage learners in the study of Moon rock samples under the microscope, starting from general questions such as comparison of Moon rocks or determining the origin of meteorites. One is aimed at undergraduate Geology students; the second has been conceived for the general public. Science teachers can reuse these inquiries, adapt them as they need, or create completely new inquiries using nQuire's authoring tool. We will report progress and demonstrate the combination of these two on-line tools to create an open educational resource allowing educators to design and run science inquiries for Earth and planetary science in a range of settings from schools to universities. Quintana, C., Reiser, B. J., Davis, E. A., Krajcik, J., Fretz, E., Duncan, R. G., Kyza, E., et al. (2004). A scaffolding design framework for software to support science inquiry. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 13(3), 337-386. Mulholland, P., Anastopoulou, S., Collins, T., FeiBt, M., Gaved, M., Kerawalla, L., Paxton, M., et al. (2011). nQuire: Technological support for personal inquiry learning. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies. First published online, December 5, 2011, http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/TLT.2011.32.

Variables that impact the implementation of project-based learning in high school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, Kellie

Wagner and colleagues (2006) state the mediocrity of teaching and instructional leadership is the central problem that must be addressed if we are to improve student achievement. Educational reform efforts have been initiated to improve student performance and to hold teachers and school leaders accountable for student achievement (Wagner et al., 2006). Specifically, in the area of science, goals for improving student learning have led reformers to establish standards for what students should know and be able to do, as well as what instructional methods should be used. Key concepts and principles have been identified for student learning. Additionally, reformers recommend student-centered, inquiry-based practices that promote a deep understanding of how science is embedded in the everyday world. These new approaches to science education emphasize inquiry as an essential element for student learning (Schneider, Krajcik, Marx, & Soloway, 2002). Project-based learning (PBL) is an inquiry-based instructional approach that addresses these recommendations for science education reform. The objective of this research was to study the implementation of project-based learning (PBL) in an urban school undergoing reform efforts and identify the variables that positively or negatively impacted the PBL implementation process and its outcomes. This study responded to the need to change how science is taught by focusing on the implementation of project-based learning as an instructional approach to improve student achievement in science and identify the role of both school leaders and teachers in the creation of a school environment that supports project-based learning. A case study design using a mixed-method approach was used in this study. Data were collected through individual interviews with the school principal, science instructional coach, and PBL facilitator. A survey, classroom observations and interviews involving three high school science teachers teaching grades 9--12, were also used in the data collection process. The results of the study indicated that the use of PBL increased student engagement, ability to problem-solve, and to some extent academic performance. The results also revealed several factors that impacted the implementation of project-based learning: (a) Student attributes such as high student absenteeism, lack of motivation, and poor behavior prevented teachers from completing the PBL unit in a timely fashion. (b) Certain school and district policies and requirements were not conducive to PBL implementation. Policies and practices impacting instructional time and teaching supplies acquisition made it difficult for teachers to plan lessons and obtain necessary supplies. (c) Teachers did not receive PBL training in a timely fashion. Teachers received training approximately two months prior to implementation. (d) Teacher collaboration influenced PBL implementation as it enabled teachers to share and discuss ideas, resources, and lessons. Implications for practice include: (a) School and district leaders must create and follow policies and procedures that support conditions that support inquiry learning, (b) Teachers need resources to overcome the challenges associated with project-based learning, (c) Teachers must have the freedom to have a vision for the implementation of PBL that fits their particular classroom context, and (d) Steps should be taken to ensure students have the prior knowledge and skills to successfully engage in PBL.

Information fluency for undergraduate biology majors: applications of inquiry-based learning in a developmental biology course.

PubMed

Gehring, Kathleen M; Eastman, Deborah A

2008-01-01

Many initiatives for the improvement of undergraduate science education call for inquiry-based learning that emphasizes investigative projects and reading of the primary literature. These approaches give students an understanding of science as a process and help them integrate content presented in courses. At the same time, general initiatives to promote information fluency are being promoted on many college and university campuses. Information fluency refers to discipline-specific processing of information, and it involves integration of gathered information with specific ideas to form logical conclusions. We have implemented the use of inquiry-based learning to enhance and study discipline-specific information fluency skills in an upper-level undergraduate Developmental Biology course. In this study, an information literacy tutorial and a set of linked assignments using primary literature analysis were integrated with two inquiry-based laboratory research projects. Quantitative analysis of student responses suggests that the abilities of students to identify and apply valid sources of information were enhanced. Qualitative assessment revealed a set of patterns by which students gather and apply information. Self-assessment responses indicated that students recognized the impact of the assignments on their abilities to gather and apply information and that they were more confident about these abilities for future biology courses and beyond.

Information Fluency for Undergraduate Biology Majors: Applications of Inquiry-based Learning in a Developmental Biology Course

PubMed Central

Gehring, Kathleen M.

2008-01-01

Many initiatives for the improvement of undergraduate science education call for inquiry-based learning that emphasizes investigative projects and reading of the primary literature. These approaches give students an understanding of science as a process and help them integrate content presented in courses. At the same time, general initiatives to promote information fluency are being promoted on many college and university campuses. Information fluency refers to discipline-specific processing of information, and it involves integration of gathered information with specific ideas to form logical conclusions. We have implemented the use of inquiry-based learning to enhance and study discipline-specific information fluency skills in an upper-level undergraduate Developmental Biology course. In this study, an information literacy tutorial and a set of linked assignments using primary literature analysis were integrated with two inquiry-based laboratory research projects. Quantitaitve analysis of student responses suggests that the abilities of students to identify and apply valid sources of information were enhanced. Qualitative assessment revealed a set of patterns by which students gather and apply information. Self-assessment responses indicated that students recognized the impact of the assignments on their abilities to gather and apply information and that they were more confident about these abilities for future biology courses and beyond. PMID:18316808

Investigating Teachers' Beliefs in the Implementation of Science Inquiry and Science Fair in Three Boston High Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Barros Miller, Anne Marie

In previous decades, inquiry has been the focus of science education reform in the United States. This study sought to investigate how teachers' beliefs affect their implementation of inquiry science and science fair. It was hypothesized that science teachers' beliefs about inquiry science and science fair are predictive of their implementation of such strategies. A case study approach and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect the data, and an original thematic approach was created to analyze the data. Findings seem to suggest that science teachers who embrace science inquiry and science fair believe these practices enhance students' performance, facilitate their learning experience, and allow them to take ownership of their learning. However, results also suggest that teachers who do not fully embrace inquiry science as a central teaching strategy tend to believe that it is not aligned with standardized tests and requires higher cognitive skills from students. Overall, the study seems to indicate that when inquiry is presented as a prescribed teaching approach, this elicits strong negative feelings/attitudes amongst science teachers, leading them not only to resist inquiry as a teaching tool, but also dissuading them from participating in science fair. Additionally, the findings suggest that such feelings among teachers could place the school at risk of not implementing inquiry science and science fair. In conclusion, the study reveals that science inquiry and science fair should not be prescribed to teachers as a top-down, mandatory approach for teaching science. In addition, the findings suggest that adequate teacher training in content knowledge and pedagogy in science inquiry and science fair should be encouraged, as this could help build a culture of science inquiry and implementation amongst teachers. This should go hand-in-hand with offering mentoring to science teachers new to inquiry and science fair for 2-5 years.

Collaborative Projects Increase Student Learning Outcome Performance in Nonmajors Environmental Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chace, Jameson F.

2014-01-01

Between 2007 and 2010, three types of semester research projects were assigned in BIO 140 Humans and Their Environment, a nonmajors introductory course at Salve Regina University. Specific environmental impact-type assessments were used to foster scientific inquiry and achieve higher scientific literacy. Quantitative and qualitative measurements…

The motivational stories of how women become scientists: A hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, Sandra White

2002-01-01

The under-representation of women in science careers is well documented (Astin, Green, Korn, & Riggs, 1991; Felder, Felder, Mauny, Hamrin, & Dietz, 1995; Green, 1989; National Science Foundation, 1996, 1998; Seymour & Hewitt, 1997; Strenta, Elliot, Adair, Scott, & Matier, 1994; Tobias, 1990, 1992). While important information has been published concerning various factors that influenced women to pursue science careers (American Association of University Women, 1992; Debacker & Nelson, 2000; Samuels, 1999), very few research projects have allowed women scientists to share their personal experiences of what motivated them to become scientists in their own voices. The purpose of this inquiry was to investigate the elicited stories of seven women research scientists so that their retrospective motivational experiences with science as girls and young women inside and outside the formal school setting might be better understood. This inquiry examined specific motivational factors and experiences that encouraged or discouraged these women to pursue careers in science. These factors included the motivational influences of gender perceptions, science experiences, and social interactions. From the collective experiences offered, emergent themes were identified and interpreted. These motivational themes were compared with motivational findings in the literature review. Educational implications of the identified themes for these and other women considering careers in science, women's parents, science educators and society, are discussed.

Engaging Nature of Science to Preservice Teachers through Inquiry-Based Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nuangchalerm, Prasart

2013-01-01

Inquiry-based classroom is widely distributed in the school science based on its useful and effective instruction. Science teachers are key elements allowing students to have scientific inquiry. If teachers understand and imply inquiry-based learning into science classroom, students will learn science as scientific inquiry and understand nature of…

RITES: Online (Reaching In-service Teachers with Earth Sciences Online)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baptiste, H.

2003-12-01

The RITES: Online project team (Drs. H. Prentice Baptiste, Susan Brown, Jennifer Villa) believed that the power of technology could not be effectively utilized unless it was grounded in new models of teaching and learning based on a student centered and project based curriculum, that increased opportunities for active, hands-on learning and respect for multiculturalism. We subscribe to an inquiry approach to learning. Specifically, science teaching should actively engage the learners in activities that draw on multiple abilities and learning styles. Recent brain-based research has shown that human beings construct knowledge through actions and interactions within their environment. Learning occurs in communities, and new ideas are linked to previous knowledge and constructed by the learner. Knowledge is acquired by making connections. We believed the aforementioned ideas and points to be equally true for the teacher candidates and inservice teachers participating in the RITES: Online project as well as for their students. The ESSEA science courses were delivered by distance learning via the university WebCt distance education system to teacher candidates (preservice teachers) and inservice teachers. Teacher candidates and inservice teachers were encouraged to use technology when involving their students in science inquiry activities and to record their students' involvement in science activities with digital cameras. Teacher candidates and inservice teachers involve in the ESSEA courses are engaged in earth science inquiry activities relevant to the four spheres (atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere) with the students in their classes. This presentation will highlight teacher candidates and inservice teachers in the roles of designer, researcher, and collaborator. Examples of student works will also be a part of the Power point presentation. As a result of our courses our teachers have attained the following positive outcomes: 1) Teacher candidates and inservice teachers are experiencing the inquiry approach to learning about the spheres of our earth. 2) Teacher candidates and inservice teachers are becoming confident in using technology. 3) Teacher candidates and inservice teachers are learning to work cooperatively in-groups and understand what their own students must feel. 4) Teacher candidates and inservice teachers are finding ways to obtain dynamic professional development and not leave their classrooms or homes. 5) Teacher candidates and inservice teachers are developing relationships with other teachers that have an interest in teaching science and a learning community is evolving.

Energy Exchange by Thermal Radiation: Hints and Suggestions for an Inquiry Based Lab Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, Onofrio Rosario; Fazio, Claudio; Pizzolato, Nicola; Mineo, Rosa Maria Sperandeo

In this paper we present some laboratory activities developed in the framework of an inquiry-based approach to the study of energy exchange by thermal radiation. These activities were developed in the context of "Establish", a FP7 European Project aimed at promoting and developing Inquiry Based Science Education in European Secondary Schools. By starting from real life students are engaged in designing and carrying out laboratory activities by collecting, processing and analysing data. Particular attention is paid in building data interpretation by taking into account the effects of parameters like the environmental temperature.

The perceptions of inquiry held by greater Houston area science supervisors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Jon Michael

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of inquiry held by responding greater Houston area science supervisors. Leading science organizations proposed that students might be better served if students are mentally and physically engaged in the process of finding out about natural phenomena rather than by didactic modes of teaching and learning. During the past fifty years, inquiry-based instruction has become a significant theme of new science programs. Students are more likely to make connections between classroom exercises and their personal lives through the use of inquiry-based instruction. Learning becomes relevant to students. Conversely, traditional science instruction often has little or no connection to students' everyday lives (Papert, 1980). In short, inquiry-based instruction empowers students to become independent thinkers. The utilization of inquiry-based instruction is essential to a successful reform in science education. However, a reform's success is partly determined by the extent to which science supervisors know and understand inquiry and consequently promote its integration in the district's science curricula. Science supervisors have the role of providing curriculum and instructional support to science teachers and for implementing science programs. There is a fundamental need to assess the perceptions of inquiry held by greater Houston area science supervisors. Science supervisor refers to a class of job titles that include department chairperson, science specialist, science consultant, and science coordinator. The target population was greater Houston area science supervisors in Texas. This study suggests that there are three major implications for educational practice. First, there is the implication that responding greater Houston area science supervisors need an inclusive perception of inquiry. Second, responding greater Houston area science supervisors' perception of inquiry may affect the perceptions and understandings of inquiry held by the science teachers whom they work with. Both of these implications may limit the process of integrating inquiry into the classroom. The third implication is that a rubric can be designed based on the results of this study to help determine which categories or components of inquiry the participant needs assistance with. Implications for further research include increasing the sample size, describing the effects of teaching and/or science supervisor experience on the perceptions of inquiry, determining the effects of advanced degrees on inquiry perceptions, and investigating the effects of research experience on inquiry perceptions. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Incorporating Inquiry into Upper-Level Homework Assignments: The Mini-Journal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whittington, A. G.; Speck, A. K.; Witzig, S. B.; Abell, S. K.

2009-12-01

The U.S. National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science through inquiry, where students actively develop their understanding of science by combining scientific knowledge with reasoning and thinking skills. Inquiry activities include reading scientific literature, generating hypotheses, designing and carrying out investigations, interpreting data, and formulating conclusions. Inquiry-based instruction emphasizes questions, evidence, and explanation, the essential features of inquiry. As part of an NSF-funded project, “CUES: Connecting Undergraduates to the Enterprise of Science,” new inquiry-based homework materials were developed for two upper-level classes at the University of Missouri: Geochemistry (required for Geology majors), and Solar System Science (open to seniors and graduate students, co-taught and cross-listed between Geology and Physics & Astronomy). We engage students in inquiry-based learning by presenting homework exercises as “mini-journal” articles that follow the format of a scientific journal article, including a title, authors, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion and citations to peer-reviewed literature. The mini-journal provides a scaffold and serves as a springboard for students to develop and carry out their own follow-up investigation. They then present their findings in the form of their own mini-journal. Mini-journals replace traditional homework problem sets with a format that more directly reflects and encourages scientific practice. Students are engaged in inquiry-based homework which encompass doing, thinking, and communicating, while the minijournal allows the instructor to contain lines of inquiry within the limits posed by available resources. In the examples we present, research is conducted via spreadsheet modeling, where the students develop their own spreadsheets. The key differences between the old and new formats include (i) the active participation of the students in defining the problem that they will pursue, (ii) the open-ended nature of the inquiry, such that students need to recognize when they have enough information to answer their question, (iii) presentation of results in graphical and tabular formats, and (iv) a written discussion of their findings. We present both the rationale for and concept of using mini-journal homeworks, and provide specific examples we are currently employing in classes. In addition, we explore the challenges (real and perceived) and successes associated with implementing such a technique, and examine student feedback comparing mini-journal and traditional homework formats from the same classes.

Using Educative Assessments to Support Science Teaching for Middle School English-language Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxton, Cory A.; Allexsaht-Snider, Martha; Suriel, Regina; Kayumova, Shakhnoza; Choi, Youn-jeng; Bouton, Bobette; Baker, Melissa

2013-03-01

Grounded in Hallidayan perspectives on academic language, we report on our development of an educative science assessment as one component of the language-rich inquiry science for English-language learners teacher professional learning project for middle school science teachers. The project emphasizes the role of content-area writing to support teachers in diagnosing their students' emergent understandings of science inquiry practices, science content knowledge, and the academic language of science, with a particular focus on the needs of English-language learners. In our current school policy context, writing for meaningful purposes has received decreased attention as teachers struggle to cover large numbers of discrete content standards. Additionally, high-stakes assessments presented in multiple-choice format have become the definitive measure of student science learning, further de-emphasizing the value of academic writing for developing and expressing understanding. To counter these trends, we examine the implementation of educative assessment materials—writing-rich assessments designed to support teachers' instructional decision making. We report on the qualities of our educative assessment that supported teachers in diagnosing their students' emergent understandings, and how teacher-researcher collaborative scoring sessions and interpretation of assessment results led to changes in teachers' instructional decision making to better support students in expressing their scientific understandings. We conclude with implications of this work for theory, research, and practice.

An analysis of elementary teachers' perceptions of teaching science as inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domjan, Heather Nicole

The purpose of this study is to describe elementary school teachers' perceptions of science as inquiry in science instruction. A descriptive survey research design was used to collect data regarding elementary science teachers' knowledge and beliefs related to inquiry and its role in science education. The written section of the survey was analyzed and interpreted descriptively through phenomenological data and the constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Lincoln & Guba, 1985). The researcher used the constant comparative method to identify statements, perceptions, and impressions that occurred over time during the study (Janesick, 1994). Ninety-two elementary school teachers who teach science in a large suburban district southwest of Houston, Texas were administered a three part Understanding Science as Inquiry Survey (USAI) developed by the researcher. Participants communicated in writing personal definitions of inquiry in elementary science as well as determined to what extent inquiry was used in four elementary science classroom scenarios. The survey items were based on the following four components of inquiry described by Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards (2000): (1) conceptual knowledge, (2) process skills, (3) nature of science, and (4) affect. The study describes elementary school teachers' perceptions about science as inquiry. Conclusions for Part A of the USAI Survey indicate that participants define inquiry as: mostly process skills, some conceptual knowledge, and very little affect with no perception of the nature of science. The Likert scale ratings for the scenarios in Part B of the USAI Survey reveal that participants have varied perceptions regarding teaching science as inquiry. The written section of Part B reveals participants' perceptions to be similar to that of their Likert scale ratings except in scenario one. The researcher concludes that the participants in this study appear to have an incomplete understanding of teaching science as inquiry. This study suggests that elementary teachers might benefit from increased and sustained professional development programs centered on inquiry teaching strategies. Professional development activities on teaching science as inquiry create opportunities for teachers to confront and develop ways of thinking about inquiry and ultimately enhance inquiry-based teaching in their classrooms.

Community and inquiry: journey of a science teacher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldberg, Jennifer; Welsh, Kate Muir

2009-09-01

In this case study, we examine a teacher's journey, including reflections on teaching science, everyday classroom interaction, and their intertwined relationship. The teacher's reflections include an awareness of being "a White middle-class born and raised teacher teaching other peoples' children." This awareness was enacted in the science classroom and emerges through approaches to inquiry . Our interest in Ms. Cook's journey grew out of discussions, including both informal and semi-structured interviews, in two research projects over a three-year period. Our interest was further piqued as we analyzed videotaped classroom interaction during science lessons and discovered connections between Ms. Cook's reflections and classroom interaction. In this article, we illustrate ways that her journey emerges as a conscientization. This, at least in part, shapes classroom interaction, which then again shapes her conscientization in a recursive, dynamic relationship. We examine her reflections on her "hegemonic (cultural and socio-economic) practices" and consider how these reflections help her reconsider such practices through analysis of classroom interaction. Analyses lead us to considering the importance of inquiry within this classroom community.

What Do Students Gain by Engaging in Socioscientific Inquiry?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadler, Troy D.; Barab, Sasha A.; Scott, Brianna

2007-10-01

The question of what students gain by engaging in socioscientific inquiry is addressed in two ways. First, relevant literature is surveyed to build the case that socioscientific issues (SSI) can serve as useful contexts for teaching and learning science content. Studies are reviewed which document student gains in discipline specific content knowledge as well as understandings of the nature of science. SSI are also positioned as vehicles for addressing citizenship education within science classrooms. Although the promotion of citizenship goals seems widely advocated, the specifics of how this may be accomplished remain underdeveloped. To address this issue, we introduce socioscientific reasoning as a construct which captures a suite of practices fundamental to the negotiation of SSI. In the second phase of the project, interviews with 24 middle school students from classes engaged in socioscientific inquiry serve as the basis for the development of an emergent rubric for socioscientific reasoning. Variation in practices demonstrated by this sample are explored and implications drawn for advancing socioscientific reasoning as an educationally meaningful and assessable construct.

Inquiring into the Digestive System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Carlos

2007-01-01

Teaching science by means of inquiry-based projects has the potential to transform the science lab into a place of debate and discovery, but teachers run the risk of either leaving students to work too independently or forcing them to be too dependent on our guidance. To counter these challenges, the author implemented changes in the way topics…

The Development and Implementation of an Inquiry-Based Poster Project on Sustainability in a Large Non-Majors Environmental Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmitt-Harsh, Mikaela; Harsh, Joseph A.

2013-01-01

In the past decade, systematic studies have indicated a significant regression in scientific literacy in nonscience students and students across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines in higher education. Of particular concern, evaluations of introductory lecture-based undergraduate courses have indicated deficiencies in…

Under One Big Sky: Elementary Pre-Service Teachers Use Inquiry to Learn about the Moon, Construct Knowledge, and Teach Elementary Students around the World via the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Luann Christensen

2011-01-01

This study examined the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) constructed by a group of 24 pre-service elementary teacher participants as they learned about the moon's phases, inquiry learning, and use of the Internet message boards as a teaching tool as a part of their science teaching methods course. The MOON Project (More…

Place and culture-based professional development: cross-hybrid learning and the construction of ecological mindfulness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chinn, Pauline W. U.

2015-03-01

This paper approaches mindfulness, an awareness of internal and external realities, as a culturally-shaped habit of mind. Findings of a cross-cultural study and popular sayings that reflect America's cultural orientation to consumption and competition are contrasted with findings from Hawaiian language newspapers, traditional cultural practices, and Hawaiian sayings that indicate an orientation to ecological mindfulness that increased the resilience of fragile social ecosystems. Marginalization of indigenous culture, language, and knowledge and cultural differences between teachers and indigenous students are proposed as a contributing factor to lower science performance of Native Hawaiian students in mainstream schools. Two professional development projects designed to reduce conflicts between culture and science instruction are presented. Findings from these projects suggest alignment of science inquiry with indigenous cultural knowledge and practices oriented to sustainability supports the development of teachers' ecological mindfulness as indicated by increased awareness of, interest in, and incorporation of place and culture-based based resources into their instruction. Teacher feedback indicates that mapping technologies that enable teachers to visualize and integrate indigenous place-based Hawaiian knowledge with science inquiry are promising instructional strategies.

Exploration of the Moon and Asteroids by Secondary Students (ExMASS): An Authentic, Open-Inquiry Research Experience for High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaner, A. J.; Allen, J. S.; Shipp, S. S.; Kramer, G. Y.; Nahm, A.; Balazs, L.; Fuller, J.; Newland, J.; Snyder, R. D.; Kring, D. A.

2014-12-01

The National Research Council (2012) has expressed a need for participatory science experiences for students. Opportunities are needed for students which 1) allow them to understand how scientific knowledge develops and 2) can heighten their curiosity, capture their interest, and motivate their continued study of science. Studies (e.g., Aydeniz et al., 2011) have also recommend educators provide students with opportunities to do science through extracurricular work with scientists. In addition to being given the opportunity to fully participate in the scientific enterprise, students must also be explicitly guided in their attempts to develop a more appropriate understanding of the nature of the scientific enterprise (McDonald, 2010; Rudge & Howe, 2010; Yacoubian & BouJaoude, 2010). Exploration of the Moon and Asteroids by Secondary Students, or ExMASS, provides such an opportunity for students. The ExMASS program is an education effort managed by the LPI/NASA JSC-led Center for Lunar Science and Exploration (CLSE), one of nine teams comprising NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI). Over the course of one academic year, teams of high school students conduct their own scientific investigations of either Earth's Moon or asteroids, with guidance from a scientist mentor. The program includes two elements: 1) a guided inquiry introductory research activity that builds student knowledge of current lunar/asteroid science and lunar/asteroid data, and 2) an open inquiry research project in which the students apply their knowledge to a self-defined project. Evaluation data collected during the predecessor program to ExMASS revealed many successes, but also room for improvement. In response, an Advisory Group consisting of past teachers and mentors was formed to address the gaps revealed in the evaluation data. The ExMASS program will continue to collect similar evaluation data including assessment of changes in students' lunar/asteroid content knowledge, student attitudes toward science and science careers, and views of the nature of science and scientific inquiry. Exit surveys for teachers, students, and mentors will also be used to gather general feedback about the program and its impact.

Backwards Faded Scaffolding Impact on Pre-Service Teachers’ Cognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, T. F.; Slater, S. J.

2009-12-01

In response to national reform movements calling for future teachers to be prepared to design and deliver science instruction using the principles of inquiry in the context of Earth system science, we created and evaluated an innovative curriculum for specially designed courses for pre-service elementary education and secondary undergraduates based upon an inquiry-oriented teaching approach framed by the notions of backwards faded-scaffolding as an overarching theme for inquiry-oriented instruction. Students completed both structured- and open-inquiry projects using online scientific data bases, particularly those available from NASA, and presented the results of their investigations several times throughout the semester as a mini-science conference. Using a single-group, multiple-measures, quasi-experimental design, students demonstrated enhanced content knowledge of astronomy and inquiry as well as attitudes and self-efficacy toward teaching as measured by the Test of Astronomy STandards (TOAST), the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument - Version B, and the Attitudes Toward Science Inventory. We adopted a model of inquiry where: (i) students are engaged in questions; (ii) students are designing plans to pursue data; and (iii) students are generating and defending conclusions based on evidence they have collected. We developed an approach that is directly in contrast with the open inquiry “science fair” model to specifically use carefully scaffolded, shorter term inquiries, placing the most challenging aspects of “question generation” at the end of the lessons. In this model, during students' first experience with inquiry they are guided through the entire process, from research question to the appropriate content and format for a scientific conclusion. In their second experience, students generate their conclusions independently, with the previous experience set out as a guide for content and format. They are required to make sense of data that has been purposefully and logically planned, collected, and analyzed with instructor guidance. They construct and defend conclusions based upon evidence that is, effectively, given to them. By the time students reach their third inquiry they have been exposed to two experiences in which they were guided through the process of data collection and analysis. On this third inquiry data collection and analysis becomes an independent task. By the fourth inquiry, students have received explicit instruction on the connection between the research question or hypothesis, and the procedure undergone to address those questions three times. They are positioned to take responsibility for creating a plausible method for collecting data given a research prompt. By the fifth inquiry, students have now seen four examples of quality research questions andhypotheses, and their relationship to procedures, data collection and conclusions. At this point they are positioned to successfully conduct an entire inquiry cycle. This strategy is specifically designed to provide students with early success and a sense of how the pieces of the scientific process connect to each other.

Scientific Inquiry and Real-Life Applications Bring Middle School Students up to Standard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dass, Pradeep M.; Kilby, Diana; Chappell, Alicia

2005-01-01

The emphasis in both the National Science Education Standards (NSES) and "Science for All Americans" is on "science as inquiry" and inquiry-based science instruction as a way to accomplish the goals of science literacy. The NSES considers science as inquiry as a part of the content of science and include science as inquiry…

Scientists' conceptions of scientific inquiry: Revealing a private side of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiff, Rebecca R.

Science educators, philosophers, and pre-service teachers have contributed to conceptualizing inquiry but missing from the inquiry forum is an in-depth research study concerning science faculty conceptions of scientific inquiry. The science education literature has tended to focus on certain aspects of doing, teaching, and understanding scientific inquiry without linking these concepts. As a result, conceptions of scientific inquiry have been disjointed and are seemingly unrelated. Furthermore, confusion surrounding the meaning of inquiry has been identified as a reason teachers are not using inquiry in instruction (Welch et al., 1981). Part of the confusion surrounding scientific inquiry is it has been defined differently depending on the context (Colburn, 2000; Lederman, 1998; Shymansky & Yore, 1980; Wilson & Koran, 1976). This lack of a common conception of scientific inquiry is the reason for the timely nature of this research. The result of scientific journeys is not to arrive at a stopping point or the final destination, but to refuel with questions to drive the pursuit of knowledge. A three-member research team conducted Interviews with science faculty members using a semi-structured interview protocol designed to probe the subject's conceptions of scientific inquiry. The participants represented a total of 52 science faculty members from nine science departments (anthropology, biology, chemistry, geology, geography, school of health, physical education and recreation (HPER), medical sciences, physics, and school of environmental science) at a large mid-western research university. The method of analysis used by the team was grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1990; Glaser & Strauss, 1967), in which case the frequency of concepts, patterns, and themes were coded to categorize scientists' conceptions of scientific inquiry. The results from this study address the following components: understanding and doing scientific inquiry, attributes of scientists engaged in inquiry investigations, the relationship of scientific inquiry to the nature of science, whether the process of scientific inquiry follows the traditional scientific method, and the similarities and differences in conceptualizations of scientific inquiry across science disciplines. These findings represent a private side of science, which can be useful in characterizing key features of scientific inquiry to be incorporated into K--16 teaching practices.

A cognitive framework to inform the design of professional development supporting teachers' classroom assessment of inquiry-based science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matese, Gabrielle

Inquiry-based science places new demands on teachers for assessing students' growth, both of deep conceptual understanding as well as developing inquiry skills. In addition, new ideas about classroom assessment, such as the importance of formative assessment, are gaining currency. While we have ideas about what classroom assessment consistent with inquiry-based pedagogy might look like, and why it is necessary, we have little understanding of what it takes to implement it. That teachers face a challenge in doing so is well-documented. Researchers have noted that teachers attempting changes in classroom assessment often bring with them incompatible beliefs, knowledge, and practices. However, noting general incompatibility is insufficient to support addressing these issues through professional development. In response to this need, I initiated a research project to identify and describe in more detail the categories of beliefs, knowledge and skills that play an important role in inquiry-based science assessment practices. I created an assessment framework outlining specific categories of beliefs, knowledge, and skills affecting particular classroom assessment practices. I then used the framework to examine teachers' classroom assessment practices and to create comparative cases between three middle-school science teachers, highlighting how the different cognitive factors affect four particular assessment practices. The comparative cases demonstrate the framework's utility for analyzing and explicating teacher assessment practices. As a tool for analyzing and understanding teacher practice, the framework supports the design of professional development. To demonstrate the value of the framework, I draw on the comparative cases to identify implications for the design of professional development to support teachers' classroom assessment of inquiry-based science. In this dissertation I provide a brief overview of the framework and its rationale, present an example of the comparative case studies demonstrating the application of the framework and what it reveals about the cognitive influences on teacher practice, and outline the resulting design implications for professional development. This research allows us to better understand the cognitive factors underlying classroom assessment in inquiry-based science, and to design professional development to support teachers engaging in these practices.

Critters in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Robert W.; Fleisher, Paul

1984-01-01

The use of invertebrates as classroom "pets" can develop students' skills in scientific inquiry and instill respect for science. Few materials are needed for projects involving invertebrates. Suggested activities using snails, crickets, earthworms, crayfish, and guppies are offered. (DF)

A Study of Student Engagement in Project-Based Learning across Multiple Approaches to STEM Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Alfred; Miro, Danielle

2016-01-01

Objective: In this study, we investigated the implementation of project-based learning (PBL) activities in four secondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education settings to examine the impact of inquiry based instructional practices on student learning. Method: Direct classroom observations were conducted during the…

RITES: Online (Reaching In-Service Teachers With Earth Sciences Online)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baptiste, H.

2002-12-01

The RITES: Online project team (Drs. H. Prentice Baptiste, Susan Brown, Jennifer Villa) believe that the power of technology could not be effectively utilized unless it is grounded in new models of teaching and learning based on a student centered and project based curriculum, that increases opportunities for active, hands-on learning and respect for multiculturalism. We subscribe to an inquiry approach to learning. Specifically, science teaching should actively engage the learners in activities that draw on multiple abilities and learning styles. Recent brain-based research has shown that human beings construct knowledge through actions and interactions within their environment. Learning occurs in communities, and new ideas are linked to previous knowledge and constructed by the learner. Knowledge is acquired by making connections. We believe the aforementioned ideas and points to be equally true for the inservice teachers participating in the RITES: Online project as well as for their students. The ESSEA science courses are delivered by distance learning via the university WebCt distance education system. Teachers are encouraged to use technology in their classrooms and to record their students' involvement in science activities with digital cameras. Teachers involved in the ESSEA courses are engaged in earth science inquiry activities relevant to the four spheres (atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere) with the students in their classes. This presentation will highlight the teachers in the roles of designer, researcher, and collaborator. As a result of our courses our teachers attain the following positive outcomes: 1) Teachers experience the inquiry approach to learning about the spheres of our earth. 2) Teachers become confident in using technology. 3) Teachers learn to work cooperatively in-groups and understand what their own students must feel. 4) Teachers find ways to obtain dynamic professional development and not leave their classrooms or homes. 5) Teachers develop relationships with other teachers that have an interest in teaching science and a learning community evolves.

1:1 Mobile Inquiry Learning Experience for Primary Science Students--A Study of Learning Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Looi, C.-K.; Zhang, B.; Chen, W.; Seow, P.; Chia, G.; Norris, C.; Soloway, E.

2011-01-01

This paper presents the findings of a research project in which we transformed a primary (grade) 3 science curriculum for delivery via mobile technologies, and a teacher enacted the lessons over the 2009 academic year in a class in a primary school in Singapore. The students had a total of 21 weeks of the mobilized lessons in science, which were…

"I am a scientist": How setting conditions that enhance focused concentration positively relate to student motivation and achievement outcomes in inquiry-based science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellwood, Robin B.

This research investigated how student social interactions within two approaches to an inquiry-based science curriculum could be related to student motivation and achievement outcomes. This qualitative case study consisted of two cases, Off-Campus and On-Campus, and used ethnographic techniques of participant observation. Research participants included eight eighth grade girls, aged thirteen to fourteen years old. Data sources included formal and informal participant interviews, participant journal reflections, curriculum artifacts including quizzes, worksheets, and student-generated research posters, digital video and audio recordings, photographs, and researcher field notes. Data were transcribed verbatim and coded, then collapsed into emergent themes using NVIVO 9. The results of this research illustrate how setting conditions that promote focused concentration and communicative interactions can be positively related to student motivation and achievement outcomes in inquiry-based science. Participants in the Off-Campus case experienced more frequent states of focused concentration and out performed their peers in the On-Campus case on forty-six percent of classroom assignments. Off-Campus participants also designed and implemented a more cognitively complex research project, provided more in-depth analyses of their research results, and expanded their perceptions of what it means to act like a scientist to a greater extent than participants in the On-Campus case. These results can be understood in relation to Flow Theory. Student interactions that promoted the criteria necessary for initiating flow, which included having clearly defined goals, receiving immediate feedback, and maintaining a balance between challenges and skills, fostered enhanced student motivation and achievement outcomes. This research also illustrates the positive gains in motivation and achievement outcomes that emerge from student experiences with extended time in isolated areas referred to as "hot spots." Implications for science teaching and future research include shifting the current focus in inquiry-based science from a continuum that progresses from teacher-directed to open inquiry experiences to a continuum that also deliberately includes and promotes the necessary criteria for establishing flow. Attending to Flow Theory and incorporating student experiences with flow into inquiry-based science lessons will enhance student motivation and achievement outcomes in science and bolster the success of inquiry-based science.

Assessing Dimensions of Inquiry Practice by Middle School Science Teachers Engaged in a Professional Development Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakin, Joni M.; Wallace, Carolyn S.

2015-03-01

Inquiry-based teaching promotes students' engagement in problem-solving and investigation as they learn science concepts. Current practice in science teacher education promotes the use of inquiry in the teaching of science. However, the literature suggests that many science teachers hold incomplete or incorrect conceptions of inquiry. Teachers, therefore, may believe they are providing more inquiry experiences than they are, reducing the positive impact of inquiry on science interest and skills. Given the prominence of inquiry in professional development experiences, educational evaluators need strong tools to detect intended use in the classroom. The current study focuses on the validity of assessments developed for evaluating teachers' use of inquiry strategies and classroom orientations. We explored the relationships between self-reported inquiry strategy use, preferences for inquiry, knowledge of inquiry practices, and related pedagogical content knowledge. Finally, we contrasted students' and teachers' reports of the levels of inquiry-based teaching in the classroom. Self-reports of inquiry use, especially one specific to the 5E instructional model, were useful, but should be interpreted with caution. Teachers tended to self-report higher levels of inquiry strategy use than their students perceived. Further, there were no significant correlations between either knowledge of inquiry practices or PCK and self-reported inquiry strategy use.

Using Peer Feedback to Improve Students' Scientific Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tasker, Tammy Q.; Herrenkohl, Leslie Rupert

2016-02-01

This article examines a 7th grade teacher's pedagogical practices to support her students to provide peer feedback to one another using technology during scientific inquiry. This research is part of a larger study in which teachers in California and Washington and their classes engaged in inquiry projects using a Web-based system called Web of Inquiry. Videotapes of classroom lessons and artifacts such as student work were collected as part of the corpus of data. In the case examined, Ms. E supports her students to collectively define "meaningful feedback," thereby improving the quality of feedback that was provided in the future. This is especially timely, given the attention in Next Generation Science Standards to cross-cutting concepts and practices that require students discuss and debate ideas with each other in order to improve their understanding and their written inquiry reports (NGSS, 2013).

Integrated Design for Geoscience Education with Upward Bound Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartwright, T. J.; Hogsett, M.; Ensign, T. I.; Hemler, D.

2009-05-01

Capturing the interest of our students is imperative to expand the conduit of future Earth scientists in the United States. According to the Rising Above the Gathering Storm report (2005), we must increase America's talent pool by improving K-12 mathematics and science education. Geoscience education is uniquely suited to accomplish this goal, as we have become acutely aware of our sensitivity to the destructive forces of nature. The educational community must take advantage of this heightened awareness to educate our students and ensure the next generation rebuilds the scientific and technological base on which our society rests. In response to these concerns, the National Science Foundation advocates initiatives in Geoscience Education such as IDGE (Integrated Design for Geoscience Education), which is an inquiry-based geoscience program for Upward Bound (UB) students at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. The UB program targets low-income under-represented students for a summer academic-enrichment program. IDGE builds on the mission of UB by encouraging underprivileged students to investigate science and scientific careers. During the two year project, high school students participated in an Environmental Inquiry course utilizing GLOBE program materials and on-line learning modules developed by geoscience specialists in land cover, soils, hydrology, phenology, and meteorology. Students continued to an advanced course which required IDGE students to collaborate with GLOBE students from Costa Rica. The culmination of this project was an educational expedition in Costa Rica to complete ecological field studies, providing first-hand knowledge of the international responsibility we have as scientists and citizens of our planet. IDGE was designed to continuously serve educators and students. By coordinating initiatives with GLOBE headquarters and the GLOBE country community, IDGE's efforts have yielded multiple ways in which to optimize positive implications of the project. On-line learning modules continue to expand the number impacted by the program. Through collaboration with both GLOBE headquarters and the GLOBE Country Coordinator, an international teacher workshop in Costa Rica provided GLOBE training and equipment necessary for a true GLOBE student collaborative project. IDGE continues to expand the impacts beyond the limited participants involved in the program. Overall, the preliminary results show sufficient data that IDGE is successful in: exposing students to an inquiry-based hands-on science experience; providing a positive challenging yet enjoyable science experience for students; providing a science experience which was different than their formal science class; enhancing or maintaining positive attitudes and habits of mind about science; improving some student perceptions of science, science processes, and the nature of science; increasing the number of students considering science careers; enhanced student understanding of the importance of science knowledge and coursework for everyone. Through the practice of field research and inquiry-based learning, the quality of geoscience instruction is inspiring a new generation of geoscientists. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under award #0735596. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation.

Our Practice, Their Readiness: Teacher Educators Collaborate to Explore and Improve Preservice Teacher Readiness for Science and Math Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, Astrid; Brew, Christine; Rees, Carol; Ibrahim-Khan, Sheliza

2013-02-01

Since many preservice teachers (PTs) display anxiety over teaching math and science, four PT educators collaborated to better understand the PTs' background experiences and attitudes toward those subjects. The research project provided two avenues for professional learning: the data collected from the PTs and the opportunity for collaborative action research. The mixed method study focused on: the relationship between gender and undergraduate major (science versus non-science) with respect to previous and current engagement in science and math, understanding the processes of inquiry, and learning outside the classroom. A field trip to a science center provided the setting for the data collection. From a sample of 132 PTs, a multivariate analysis showed that the science major of PTs explained most of the gender differences with respect to the PTs' attitudes toward science and mathematics. The process of inquiry is generally poorly interpreted by PTs, and non-science majors prefer a more social approach in their learning to teach science and math. The four educators/collaborators reflect on the impacts of the research on their individual practices, for example, the need to: include place-based learning, attend to the different learning strategies taken by non-science majors, emphasize social and environmental contexts for learning science and math, be more explicit regarding the processes of science inquiry, and provide out-of-classroom experiences for PTs. They conclude that the collaboration, though difficult at times, provided powerful opportunities for examining individual praxis.

Investigating inquiry beliefs and nature of science (NOS) conceptions of science teachers as revealed through online learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atar, Hakan Yavuz

Creating a scientifically literate society appears to be the major goal of recent science education reform efforts (Abd-El-Khalick, Boujaoude, Dushl, Lederman, Hofstein, Niaz, Tregust, & Tuan, 2004). Recent national reports in the U.S, such as Shaping the Future, New Expectations for Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology (NSF,1996), Inquiry in Science and In Classroom, Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 2001), Pursuing excellence: Comparison of international eight-grade mathematics and science achievement from a U.S. perspective (NCES, 2001), and Standards for Science Teacher Preparation (NSTA 2003) appear to agree on one thing: the vision of creating a scientifically literate society. It appears from science education literature that the two important components of being a scientifically literate individual are developing an understanding of nature of science and ability to conduct scientific inquiries. Unfortunately, even though teaching science through inquiry has been recommended in national reports since the 1950's, it has yet to find its way into many science classrooms (Blanchard, 2006; Yerrick, 2000). Science education literature identfies several factors for this including: (1) lack of content knowledge (Anderson, 2002; Lee, Hart Cuevas, & Enders, 2004; Loucks-Horsely, Hewson, Love, & Stiles, 1998; Moscovici, 1999; Smith & Naele, 1989; Smith, 1989); (2) high stake tests (Aydeniz, 2006); (3) teachers' conflicting beliefs with inquiry-based science education reform (Blanchard, 2006; Wallace & Kang, 2004); and, (4) lack of collaboration and forums for communication (Anderson, 2002; Davis, 2003; Loucks-Horsely, Hewson, Love, & Stiles, 1998; Wallace & Kang, 2004). In addition to the factors stated above this study suggest that some of the issues and problems that have impeded inquiry instruction to become the primary approach to teaching science in many science classrooms might be related to teachers NOS conceptions. Developing desired understanding of nature of science conceptions and having an adequate experience with inquiry learning is especially important for science teachers because science education literature suggests that the development of teachers' nature of science conceptions is influenced by their experiences with inquiry science (Akerson et. al. 2000) and implementation of science lessons reflect teachers' NOS conceptions (Abd-EL-Khalick & Boujaoude, 1997; Matson & Parsons, 1998; Rosenthal, 1993; Trowbridge, Bybee & Powell, 2000; Turner & Sullenger, 1999). Furthermore, the impediments to successful integration of inquiry based science instruction from teachers' perspective are particularly important, as they are the implementers of inquiry based science education reform. The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between the teachers' NOS conceptions and their inquiry beliefs and practices in their classrooms and how this relationship impedes or contributes to the implementation of inquiry based science education reform efforts. The participants of this study were in-service teachers who were accepted into the online Masters Program in science education program at a southern university. Three online courses offered in the summer semester of 2005 constituted the research setting of this study: (1) Special Problems in the Teaching of Secondary School Science: Nature of Science & Science Teaching, (2) Curriculum in Science Education, and (3) Colloquium. Multiple data sources were used for data triangulation (Miles & Huberman, 1984; Yin, 1994) in order to understand the relationship between participants' NOS views and their conceptions and beliefs about inquiry-based science teaching. The study revealed that the relationship between the teachers' NOS conceptions and their inquiry beliefs and practices is far from being simple and linear. Data suggests that the teachers' sophistication of NOS conceptions influence their perception of inquiry science instruction in variety of ways. In a nutshell, these include: (1) The teachers become more confident in their ability to implement inquiry-based science classes; (2) Better understanding of NOS conceptions assists the teachers develop a higher appreciation of inquiry science instruction; (3) The teachers' misconceptions about nature of science appear to be connected to their misconceptions about inquiry science instruction; (4) A better understanding of NOS concepts seems to have stimulate the teachers to put more emphasis on some aspects of inquiry more than others; and (5) Sophistication of teachers' NOS conceptions influences their decisions about the type of inquiry they plan to incorporate in their instruction. This study also suggests that enhancing teachers' NOS conceptions should be among the main objectives of inquiry-based professional development programs and courses that are taught in science education programs. This study reveals that enhancing NOS conceptions helps teachers in their efforts to integrate inquiry into their instruction by boosting their confidence in their abilities to teach science through inquiry. This study reveals that especially teachers who lack strong science backgrounds and prior experience with inquiry science are at risk. Not having a strong background in science and lacking extensive experience with inquiry science negatively influences the teachers' confidence and thus delays their efforts to implement inquiry-based science lessons. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Two-year colleges, Physics, and Teacher Preparation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clay, Keith

2002-05-01

In the midst of a teacher shortage no field suffers more than physics. Half of our secondary physics teachers have less than a minor in physics. Meanwhile half of our future teachers start out at two-year colleges with physicists on staff. The opportunity for community colleges to have an impact on K-12 teaching is tremendous. Project TEACH has been honored as an outstanding teacher preparation program. It is a collaboration of colleges and K-12 schools dedicated to the improvement of teacher preparation, especially in science and math. Based at Green River Community College, Project TEACH unites certification institutions, community colleges, and K-12 school districts in the pre-service and in-service training of teachers. Activities of Project TEACH include recruitment and advising of future teachers, field experience for education students, creation of pre-teaching and para-educator degrees, tutoring from elementary school through college, in-service courses for current teachers, and special math and science courses aimed at future teachers. The yearlong interdisciplinary science sequence blends chemistry, physics, geology, and biology in a hands-on inquiry-based environment. The yearlong math sequence covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and probability with inquiry-based pedagogy. The programs developed by Project TEACH are being disseminated to colleges across Washington State and beyond.

Dealing with the Ambiguities of Science Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Yuen Sze Michelle; Caleon, Imelda Santos

2016-01-01

The current vision of science education in myriad educational contexts encourages students to learn through the process of science inquiry. Science inquiry has been used to promote conceptual learning and engage learners in an active process of meaning-making and investigation to understand the world around them. The science inquiry process…

Inquiry-based examination of chemical disruption of bacterial biofilms.

PubMed

Redelman, Carly V; Hawkins, Misty A W; Drumwright, Franklin R; Ransdell, Beverly; Marrs, Kathleen; Anderson, Gregory G

2012-01-01

Inquiry-based instruction in the sciences has been demonstrated as a successful educational strategy to use for both high school and college science classrooms. As participants in the NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Program, we were tasked with creating novel inquiry-based activities for high school classrooms. As a way to introduce microbiology, molecular biology, ecology, and human health to students, we created a laboratory activity involving formation of biofilms composed of environmental bacteria from pond water and investigation into the resistance of these biofilms to antimicrobial agents. Two high schools participated in this study in different ways. Pike High School biology and advanced environmental science classrooms obtained pond water samples and grew biofilms from the bacteria in the pond water on plastic plates. They also observed killing of these biofilms by common household antimicrobial agents. As a senior capstone project, students at Arsenal Technical High School built on these research findings by isolating two different bacterial strains from the pond water and demonstrating the stimulatory effect of ethanol on biofilms formed by isolated bacterial strains. These activities were successful at introducing complex biological topics to high school students in a unique and exciting way. The students scored significantly higher on postactivity surveys compared with preactivity surveys that measured microbiology knowledge and experimental design knowledge. Furthermore, these projects seemed to elicit an excitement for science in the students who participated. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

WISE Design for Knowledge Integration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linn, Marcia C.; Clark, Douglas; Slotta, James D.

2003-01-01

Examines the implementation of Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE), which can incorporate modeling tools and hand-held devices. Describes WISE design team practices, features of the WISE learning environment, and patterns of feature use in WISE library projects. (SOE)

Ocean Science in a K-12 setting: Promoting Inquiry Based Science though Graduate Student and Teacher Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodico, J. M.; Greely, T.; Lodge, A.; Pyrtle, A.; Ivey, S.; Madeiros, A.; Saleem, S.

2005-12-01

The University of South Florida, College of Marine Science Oceans: GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program is successfully enriching science learning via the oceans. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program provides a unique opportunity among scientists and K-12 teachers to interact with the intention of bringing ocean science concepts and research to the classroom environment enhance the experience of learning and doing science, and to promote `citizen scientists' for the 21st century. The success of the program relies heavily on the extensive summer training program where graduate students develop teaching skills, create inquiry based science activities for a summer Oceanography Camp for Girls program and build a relationship with their mentor teacher. For the last year and a half, two graduate students from the College of Marine Science have worked in cooperation with teachers from the Pinellas county School District, Southside Fundamental Middle School. Successful lesson plans brought into a 6th grade Earth Science classroom include Weather and climate: Global warming, The Geologic timescale: It's all about time, Density: Layering liquids, and Erosion processes: What moves water and sediment. The school and students have benefited greatly from the program experiencing hands-on inquiry based science and the establishment of an after school science club providing opportunities for students to work on their science fair projects and pursuit other science interests. Students are provided scoring rubrics and their progress is creatively assessed through KWL worksheets, concept maps, surveys, oral one on one and classroom discussions and writing samples. The year culminated with a series of hands on lessons at the nearby beach, where students demonstrated their mastery of skills through practical application. Benefits to the graduate student include improved communication of current science research to a diverse audience, a better understanding of the perspective of teachers and their content knowledge, and experience working with children and youth. The GK-12 teacher mentor benefits include a resource of inquiry based ocean science activities and increased knowledge of current scientific ocean research. The K-12 students gain an opportunity to be engage with young passionate scientists, learn about current ocean science research, and experience inquiry based science activities relating to concepts already being taught in their classroom. This program benefits all involved including the graduate students, the teachers, the K-12 students and the community.

Using Popular Text to Develop Inquiry Projects: Supporting Preservice Teachers' Knowledge of Disciplinary Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Kristin L.; Dinkins, Elizabeth G.

2015-01-01

Many educators support the idea that science requires a specific set of literacy skills and that all students should be equipped with those skills to become scientifically literate; however, this challenge requires science educators to develop methods to underscore the building of disciplinary literacy. In the presented curriculum for preservice…

Teaching Chemistry about "Stevia"--A Case of Cooperative Curriculum Innovation within PROFILES in Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuckey, Marc; Lippel, Marianne; Eilks, Ingo

2014-01-01

PROFILES is a project of teacher education and curriculum innovation funded by the FP7-programme of the European Union. The aim of PROFILES is implementing innovative science teaching practices incorporating a societal perspective and compassing inquiry-based science learning. The University of Bremen, Germany, as one of the partners, combines…

Using the Discipline of Agricultural Engineering to Integrate Math and Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foutz, Tim; Navarro, Maria; Hill, Roger B.; Thompson, Sidney A.; Miller, Kathy; Riddleberger, Deborah

2011-01-01

An outcome of a 1998 forum sponsored by the National Research Council was a recognition that topics related to food production and agriculture are excellent mechanisms for integrating science topics taught in the K-12 education system and for providing many avenues for inquiry based and project based learning. The engineering design process is…

ICT-Mediated Science Inquiry: The Remote Access Microscopy Project (RAMP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, John

2007-01-01

The calls for the transformation of how science is taught (and what is taught) are numerous and show no sign of abating. Common amongst these calls is the need to shift from the traditional teaching and learning towards a model that represents the social constructivist epistemology. These calls have coincided with the Internet revolution. Through…

Collaborative Action Research on Technology Integration for Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Chien-hsing; Ke, Yi-Ting; Wu, Jin-Tong; Hsu, Wen-Hua

2012-01-01

This paper briefly reports the outcomes of an action research inquiry on the use of blogs, MS PowerPoint [PPT], and the Internet as learning tools with a science class of sixth graders for project-based learning. Multiple sources of data were essential to triangulate the key findings articulated in this paper. Corresponding to previous studies,…

Instructional Practices in Fifth-Through Eighth-Grade Science Classrooms of a Selected Seventh-Day Adventist Conference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Larry D.; Nino, Ruth J.; Hollingsead, Candice C.

2004-01-01

This investigation focused on instructional practices within fifth- through eighth-grade science classes of selected Seventh-day Adventist schools. Teachers reported regular use of discussion, student projects, and tests or quizzes. Most respondents said they did not feel prepared or had "never heard of" inquiry, the learning cycle, or…

Moving Science off the "Back Burner": Meaning Making within an Action Research Community of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodnough, Karen

2008-01-01

In this study, the participants conceptualized and implemented an action research project that focused on the infusion of inquiry principles into a neglected science curriculum. Specific objectives were to find (a) What factors challenge and support the evolution of an action research community of practice? (b) How are teachers' beliefs about…

Towards Personalising Learning in School Science: Making This Learning More Relevant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prain, Vaughan; Waldrip, Bruce; Sbaglia, Rob; Lovejoy, Val

2017-01-01

In this paper, we report on a case study of how three teachers personalised learning in science through supporting a group of Year 8 students to engage in individual inquiry projects. The case study demonstrated how heavily transmissive teaching can be avoided by restructuring classes to optimise student group and individual work and timely…

Data-driven Inquiry in Environmental Restoration Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zalles, D. R.; Montgomery, D. R.

2008-12-01

Place-based field work has been recognized as an important component of geoscience education programs for engaging students. Field work helps students appreciate the spatial extent of data and the systems operating in a locale. Data collected in a place has a temporal aspect that can be explored through representations such as photographs and maps and also though numerical data sets that capture characteristics of place. Yet, experiencing authentic geoscience research in an educational setting requires going beyond fieldwork: students must develop data literacy skills that will enable them to connect abstract representations of spatio-temporal data with place. Educational researchers at SRI International led by Dr. Daniel Zalles, developer of inquiry-based geoscience curricula, and geoscientists at the University of Washington (UW) led by Dr. David Montgomery, Professor of Earth and Space Sciences, are building educational curriculum modules that help students make these connections. The modules concern the environmental history of the Puget Sound area in Washington State and its relevance for the American Indians living there. This collaborative project relies on environmental data collected in the Puget Sound Regional Synthesis Model (PRISM) and Puget Sound River History Project. The data sets are being applied to inquiry-based geoscience investigations at the undergraduate and high school level. The modules consist of problem-based units centered on the data sets, plus geographic and other data representations. The modules will rely on educational "design patterns" that characterize geoscientific inquiry tasks. Use of design patterns will enable other modules to be built that align to the modes of student thinking and practice articulated in the design patterns. The modules will be accompanied by performance assessments that measure student learning from their data investigations. The design principles that drive this project have already been used effectively in a prior SRI project reported about at AGU 2007 called Data Sets and Inquiry in Geoscience Education. The modules are being readied for pilot-testing with undergraduate students in a new environmental history course at the University of Washington and with students taking science courses in high schools serving American Indian students in the Puget Sound area. This NSF-funded project is contributing to our knowledge base about how students can become more engaged and more skilled in geoscience inquiry and data analysis and what variations in educational supports and expectations need to exist to build successful experiences for the students with the materials. It is also expanding our knowledge of how to better connect place-based education to inquiry tasks that expand students" quantitative reasoning skills. Lastly, it is providing a model of how scientists can work effectively with educational researchers to provide educational outlets for their research. We will report on the progress of the project so far, which is in its first year of funding.

Theory to practice: A study of science teachers' pedagogical practices as measured by the Science Teacher Analysis Matrix (STAM) and Teacher Pedagogical Philosophy Interview (TPPI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Sherri Lynne

This study continued research previously conducted by a nine-university collaborative, the Salish I Research Project, by exploring science teachers' beliefs and actions with regard to inquiry instruction. Science education reform efforts require that students learn science via inquiry. The purpose of this study was to determine and classify espoused teaching beliefs and observable teaching style. Reported are linkages between the teachers' beliefs and styles, influential coursework from College of Education and College of Liberal Arts, and outcomes of increased classroom experience. Eight participants were chosen from three separate preservice science education cohorts. Inquiry efforts require a student-centered environment as opposed to the traditional teacher-centered environment. According to the 1997 Salish I Research Collaborative, beginning teachers displayed a stark contrast between their student centered beliefs to their teacher-centered actions. The limitations of this study were as follows: (1) the participants had completed the authentic research-based inquiry science course, Knowing and Teaching Science: Just Do It; (2) the participants were currently teaching science at the secondary level; (3) the selected instruments were used in the Salish I Research Collaborative Study, and (4) instrument validity and reliability data were not available. Interview data from the Teacher Pedagogical Philosophy Interview (TPPI) instrument and observational data from the Secondary Science Teacher Analysis Matrix (STAM) instrument were statistically compiled via concept maps and matrices. Data were then represented on an ordinal scale. Interview results indicated that 87.5% of the participants professed a teacher-centered style with regard to teacher and student's actions. Observational results indicated that 56% of the participants displayed a teacher-centered style with regard to content, teacher's actions, student's actions, resources, and environment. Additionally, 36% of the participants displayed a conceptual style, which has characteristics of both teacher and student-centered domains. Linkages between the interview and observational data were unexpected due to the fact that participants professed a slightly greater teacher-centered style along the inquiry instruction continuum than what they actually practiced. This study reported congruity between what the participants believed and what they practiced. A negligible change regarding inquiry beliefs and instruction was discovered among the three cohorts as years of teaching experience increased.

Alternative certification science teachers' understanding and implementation of inquiry-based instruction in their beginning years of teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demir, Abdulkadir

The purpose of this phenomenographic study was to: (a) understand how beginning science teachers recruited from various science disciplines and prepared in an Alternative Teacher Certification Program (ATCP) implemented inquiry during their initial years of teaching; (b) describe constraints and needs that these beginning science teachers perceived in implementing inquiry-based science instruction; and (c) understand the relation between what they learned in their ATCP and their practice of teaching science through inquiry. The participants of this study consisted of four ATCP teachers who are in their beginning years of teaching. Semi-structured interviews, classroom observation, field notes, and artifacts used as source of data collection. The beginning science teachers in this study held incomplete views of inquiry. These views of inquiry did not reflect inquiry as described in NRC (2000)---essential features of inquiry,---nor did they reflect views of faculty members involved in teaching science methods courses. Although the participants described themselves as reform-oriented, there were inconsistencies between their views and practices. Their practice of inquiry did not reflect inquiry either as outlined by essential features of inquiry (NRC, 2000) or inquiry as modeled in activities used in their ATCP. The research participants' perceived constraints and needs in their implementation of inquiry-based activities. Their perceived constraints included logistical and student constraints and school culture. The perceived needs included classroom management, pedagogical skills, practical knowledge, discipline, successful grade-specific models of inquiry, and access to a strong support system. Prior professional work experience, models and activities used in the ATCP, and benefits of inquiry to student learning were the declared factors that facilitated the research participants' practice of inquiry-based teaching.

Implementing Inquiry Gradually with Preservice Science Teachers as Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keçeci, Gonca

2017-01-01

This study is done to have preservice science teachers chance to implement inquiry before expecting them to implement inquiry in their classrooms and to develop the preservice science teachers' inquiry skills and self-efficacy of science. The study group is composed of preservice science teachers who chose the 2nd grade Biology Laboratory course…

Inquiry-Based Science Education: A Scenario on Zambia's High School Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

2012-01-01

This paper is aimed at elucidating the current state of inquiry-based science education (IBSE) in Zambia's high school science curriculum. Therefore, we investigated Zambian teachers' conceptions of inquiry; determined inquiry levels in the national high school science curriculum materials, which include syllabi, textbooks and practical exams; and…

A Large-Scale Inquiry-Based Astronomy Intervention Project: Impact on Students' Content Knowledge Performance and Views of their High School Science Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitzgerald, Michael; McKinnon, David H.; Danaia, Lena; Deehan, James

2016-12-01

In this paper, we present the results from a study of the impact on students involved in a large-scale inquiry-based astronomical high school education intervention in Australia. Students in this intervention were led through an educational design allowing them to undertake an investigative approach to understanding the lifecycle of stars more aligned with the `ideal' picture of school science. Through the use of two instruments, one focused on content knowledge gains and the other on student views of school science, we explore the impact of this design. Overall, students made moderate content knowledge gains although these gains were heavily dependent on the individual teacher, the number of times a teacher implemented and the depth to which an individual teacher went with the provided materials. In terms of students' views, there were significant global changes in their views of their experience of the science classroom. However, there were some areas where no change or slightly negative changes of which some were expected and some were not. From these results, we comment on the necessity of sustained long-period implementations rather than single interventions, the requirement for similarly sustained professional development and the importance of monitoring the impact of inquiry-based implementations. This is especially important as inquiry-based approaches to science are required by many new curriculum reforms, most notably in this context, the new Australian curriculum currently being rolled out.

Guiding science expeditions: The design of a learning environment for project-based science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polman, Joseph Louis

Project-based pedagogy has been revived recently as a teaching strategy for promoting students' active engagement in learning science by doing science. Numerous reform efforts have encouraged project-based teaching in high schools, along with a range of supports for its implementation, often including computers and the Internet. History has shown, however, that academic research and new technologies are not enough to effect real change in classrooms. Ultimately, teachers accomplish activity with their students daily in classrooms. Putting the idea of project-based teaching into practice depends on many particulars of teachers' situated work with students. To better understand the complexity of project-based science teaching in schools, I conducted an interpretive case study of one exceptional teacher's work. The teacher devotes all class time after the beginning of the year to open-ended, student-designed Earth Science research projects. Over four years of involvement with the Learning through Collaborative Visualization (CoVis) reform effort, this teacher has developed, implemented, and refined strategies for supporting and guiding students in conducting open-ended inquiry. Through a close examination of the teacher's work supporting student projects, I explore the design issues involved in such an endeavor, including affordances, constraints, and tradeoffs. In particular, I show how time constrains both student and teacher action, how the traditional school culture and grading create stumbling blocks for change, and how conflicting beliefs about teaching and learning undermine the accomplishment of guided inquiry. I also show how Internet tools including Usenet news, email, and the World Wide Web afford students an opportunity to gather and make use of distributed expertise and scientific data resources; how an activity structure, combined with a corresponding structure to the artifact of the final written product, supports student accomplishment of unfamiliar practices; and how the teacher guides students in real time through mutually transformative communication. I synthesize the important design elements into a framework for conducting project-based science, especially in settings where such pedagogy is relatively new. This study will inform teachers and reformers of the practical and complex work of implementing project-based teaching in schools.

Teaching Science through Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Jesse; Kruse, Jerrid W.; Clough, Michael P.

2015-01-01

Science education efforts have long emphasized inquiry, and inquiry and scientific practices are prominent in contemporary science education reform documents (NRC 1996; NGSS Lead States 2013). However, inquiry has not become commonplace in science teaching, in part because of misunderstandings regarding what it means and entails (Demir and Abell…

Effects of an Inquiry-Based Science Program on Critical Thinking, Science Process Skills, Creativity, and Science Fair Achievement of Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longo, Christopher M.

2012-01-01

This study investigated the impact of an inquiry-based science program on the critical thinking skills, science process skills, creativity, and science fair achievement of middle school students. Although research indicates the connection between inquiry and achievement, there is limited empirical research relating specific inquiry-based programs…

Environmental Data-Driven Inquiry and Exploration (EDDIE)- Water Focused Modules for interacting with Big Hydrologic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meixner, T.; Gougis, R.; O'Reilly, C.; Klug, J.; Richardson, D.; Castendyk, D.; Carey, C.; Bader, N.; Stomberg, J.; Soule, D. C.

2016-12-01

High-frequency sensor data are driving a shift in the Earth and environmental sciences. The availability of high-frequency data creates an engagement opportunity for undergraduate students in primary research by using large, long-term, and sensor-based, data directly in the scientific curriculum. Project EDDIE (Environmental Data-Driven Inquiry & Exploration) has developed flexible classroom activity modules designed to meet a series of pedagogical goals that include (1) developing skills required to manipulate large datasets at different scales to conduct inquiry-based investigations; (2) developing students' reasoning about statistical variation; and (3) fostering accurate student conceptions about the nature of environmental science. The modules cover a wide range of topics, including lake physics and metabolism, stream discharge, water quality, soil respiration, seismology, and climate change. In this presentation we will focus on a sequence of modules of particular interest to hydrologists - stream discharge, water quality and nutrient loading. Assessment results show that our modules are effective at making students more comfortable analyzing data, improved understanding of statistical concepts, and stronger data analysis capability. This project is funded by an NSF TUES grant (NSF DEB 1245707).

At the Elbows of Scientists: Shaping Science Teachers' Conceptions and Enactment of Inquiry-Based Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLaughlin, Cheryl A.; MacFadden, Bruce J.

2014-12-01

This study stemmed from concerns among researchers that reform efforts grounded in promoting inquiry as the basis for teaching science have not achieved the desired changes in American science classrooms. Many science teachers assume that they are employing inquiry-based strategies when they use cookbook investigations with highly structured step-by-step instructions. Additionally, most science teachers equate hands-on activities with classroom inquiry and, as such, repeatedly use prepackaged, disconnected activities to break the monotony of direct instruction. Despite participation in numerous professional development activities, many science teachers continue to hold misconceptions about inquiry that influence the way they design and enact instruction. To date, there is very limited research exploring the role of inquiry-based professional development in facilitating desired changes in science teachers' conceptions of inquiry. This qualitative study of five high school science teachers explores the ways in which authentic inquiry experiences with a team of scientists in Panama shaped their conceptions and reported enactments of inquiry-based instruction. Our findings suggest that professional development experiences engaging science teachers in authentic research with scientists have the potential to change teachers' naïve conceptions of inquiry, provided that necessary supports are provided for reflection and lesson design.

Fostering K-12 Inquiry-based Lesson Development on Regional Water Resource Issues in Los Angeles Urban Schools through the NSF UCLA SEE-LA GK-12 program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogue, T. S.; Burke, M. P.; Thulsirag, V.; Daniel, J.; Moldwin, M.; Nonacs, P.

2010-12-01

A National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA/ ) partners UCLA faculty and graduate students (fellows) with urban middle and high school science teachers and their students to foster programs of science and engineering exploration that bring the environment of Los Angeles into the classroom. UCLA graduate fellows serve as scientists-in-residence at four partner schools to integrate inquiry-based science lessons, facilitate advancements in science content teaching, and ultimately, to improve their own science communication skills. As part of their fellowship, graduate students are required to develop inquiry-based lessons in their partner classroom. During the first two years of the project, the SEE-LA fellows have developed a range of inquiry-based activities, from invertebrate observations in an urban stream system, to water and home energy consumption surveys, to a school biodiversity investigation, to a school-wide alternative energy fair, to engineering the cleanup of environmental disasters, such as the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Several of the current fellows have dissertation research in water resource related fields and are specifically integrating lessons specific to their research into their partner classrooms, including urban stream water quality, post-fire watershed behavior, beach water quality assessment and E. coli source tracking. This presentation will provide an overview of goals of the SEE-LA GK-12 program, development of inquiry-based water resource lessons and resulting engagement in the partner classrooms. University and local pre-college school partnerships provide an excellent opportunity to support the development of graduate student communication and teaching skills while also contributing significantly to the integration of science education into K-12 curriculum.

Promoting Learning by Inquiry Among Undergraduates in Soil Sciences: Scaffolding From Project-based Courses to Student-Staff Research Grants by the National Research Agency in Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Ismaily, Said; Kacimov, Anvar; Al-Maktoumi, Ali

2016-04-01

Three strategies in a soil science undergraduate programme with inquiry-based learning (IBL) principles at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, are presented. The first strategy scaffolds courses into three phases: with direct instructional guidance, structured IBL, and finally, guided to open IBL. The second strategy involves extra-curricular activities of undergraduates, viz. conducting workshops on soils for pupils in grades 7-9 with their teachers. The third strategy promotes the teaching-research nexus through collaboration between the undergraduates and faculty within a student-supporting, government-funded programme through 1-year long research grants of up to 5,500 US/project. The efficiency of the strategies was evaluated by students' evaluations of courses and instructors and questionnaire-based surveys. Statistics of students' responses in teaching evaluations of IBL courses showed a significantly higher level of satisfaction compared with regular courses taught in the department and college. In surveys of other constituencies of the program, viz. the secondary schools, more than 90% of respondents "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they had learned new information/secrets about soils. The indicators of success in the third strategy are: winning a highly competitive grant and, moreover, earning an even more competitive annual national award for the best executed research project. The two top graduates of the IBL soil programme progressed into the MSc programme with the university and national scholarships. Key words: inquiry based learning, soil science undergraduate program, scaffold of courses, outreach activities, teaching-research nexus, evaluation of program's efficiency

Reforming High School Science for Low-Performing Students Using Inquiry Methods and Communities of Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolden, Marsha Gail

Some schools fall short of the high demand to increase science scores on state exams because low-performing students enter high school unprepared for high school science. Low-performing students are not successful in high school for many reasons. However, using inquiry methods have improved students' understanding of science concepts. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate the teachers' lived experiences with using inquiry methods to motivate low-performing high school science students in an inquiry-based program called Xtreem Science. Fifteen teachers were selected from the Xtreem Science program, a program designed to assist teachers in motivating struggling science students. The research questions involved understanding (a) teachers' experiences in using inquiry methods, (b) challenges teachers face in using inquiry methods, and (c) how teachers describe student's response to inquiry methods. Strategy of data collection and analysis included capturing and understanding the teachers' feelings, perceptions, and attitudes in their lived experience of teaching using inquiry method and their experience in motivating struggling students. Analysis of interview responses revealed teachers had some good experiences with inquiry and expressed that inquiry impacted their teaching style and approach to topics, and students felt that using inquiry methods impacted student learning for the better. Inquiry gave low-performing students opportunities to catch up and learn information that moved them to the next level of science courses. Implications for positive social change include providing teachers and school district leaders with information to help improve performance of the low performing science students.

Civil Rights Project's Response to "Re-Analysis" of Charter School Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Civil Rights Project / Proyecto Derechos Civiles, 2010

2010-01-01

The Civil Rights Project (CRP) was founded, in part, to bring rigorous social science inquiry to bear on the most pressing civil rights issues. On-going trends involving public school segregation have been a primary focus of the CRP's research, and the expanding policy emphasis on school choice prompted analysis of the much smaller--but…

The Collaboratory Notebook: A Networked Knowledge-Building Environment for Project Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neill, D. Kevin; Gomez, Louis M.

The Collaboratory Notebook, developed as part of the Learning Through Collaborative Visualization Project (CoVis), is a networked, multimedia knowledge-building environment which has been designed to help students, teachers and scientists share inquiry over the boundaries of time and space. CoVis is an attempt to change the way that science is…

Monitoring Seasons Through Global Learning Communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparrow, E. B.; Robin, J. H.; Jeffries, M. O.; Gordon, L. S.; Verbyla, D. L.; Levine, E. R.

2006-12-01

Monitoring Seasons through Global Learning Communities (MSTGLC) is an inquiry- and project-based project that monitors seasons, specifically their interannual variability, in order to increase K-12 students' understanding of the Earth system by providing teacher professional development in Earth system science and inquiry, and engaging K-12 students in Earth system science research relevant to their local communities that connect globally. MSTGLC connects GLOBE students, teachers, and communities, with educators and scientists from three integrated Earth systems science programs: the International Arctic Research Center, and NASA Landsat Data Continuity and Terra Satellite Missions. The project organizes GLOBE schools by biomes into eight Global Learning Communities (GLCs) and students monitor their seasons through regional based field campaigns. The project expands the current GLOBE phenology network by adapting current protocols and making them biome-specific. In addition, ice and mosquito phenology protocols will be developed for Arctic and Tropical regions, respectively. Initially the project will focus on Tundra and Taiga biomes as phenological changes are so pronounced in these regions. However, our long-term goal is to determine similar changes in other biomes (Deciduous Forest, Desert, Grasslands, Rain Forest, Savannah and Shrubland) based upon what we learn from these two biomes. This project will also contribute to critically needed Earth system science data such as in situ ice, mosquito, and vegetation phenology measurements for ground validations of remotely sensed data, which are essential for regional climate change impact assessments. Additionally it will contribute environmental data critical to prevention and management of diseases such as malaria in Asian, African, and other countries. Furthermore, this project will enable students to participate in the International Polar Year (IPY) (2007-2009) through field campaigns conducted by students in polar regions, and web chats between IPY scientists and GLOBE students from all eight GLCs that include non-polar countries.

Towards a pragmatic science in schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segal, Gilda

1997-06-01

This paper contrasts naive beliefs about the nature of science, with science as it appears from sociological and philosophical study, feminist critique and insights from multicultural education. I draw implications from these informed views to suggest how school science might be modified to project a pragmatic view of science to its students that allows students to know science and its relationships to themselves and society in multi-faceted ways. From these perspectives, pragmatic school science is situated within a values framework that questions how we know. Pragmatic school science also requires that the naive inductivist views that permeate school science inquiry methods at present be modified to recognise that observations and inquiry are guided by prior knowledge and values; that new knowledge is tentative; that some knowledge has high status, as it has been constructed consensually over a long period; but that even high status knowledge can be challenged. For implementation of these reforms, yet still to embrace the need for some students to appropriate understanding of discipline knowledge required for advanced science education, a broad set of aims is required.

The relationship between inquiry-based science instruction and student achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suarez, Michael Louis

Teaching science through inquiry has become a focus of recent educational reform in Mississippi and other states. Based on the Constructivist learning theory, inquiry instruction can take many forms, but generally follows the scientific method by requiring students to learn concepts through experimentation and real-world, hands-on experiences. This dissertation examines the relationship between the amounts of time spent using inquiry-based science instruction and student achievement as measured by the Mississippi State Science Assessment. The study also identifies teacher perceptions of inquiry and the amount of professional development received by participants on using inquiry-based instructional techniques. Finally, this study identifies factors that hinder the use of inquiry. Using a 24-question written survey, the researcher collected quantitative data from 204 science teachers in grades K-8 in four southern Mississippi school districts. Participants rated their average amount of time spent using inquiry-based science instruction in their classrooms. These results were then compared to each school's average test score on the 2009-2010 Mississippi State Science Assessment using a Spearman rho correlation. A significant positive relationship was found between amounts of time spent using inquiry-based science instruction and student achievement. The participants also indicated their perceptions of inquiry, amount of professional development, and deterrents to inquiry usage on a five-point Likert scale survey. Overall, participants held a favorable opinion of inquiry-based instruction and felt that it was important for their students' success. Over half of participants had not attended professional development on inquiry-based instruction. A majority indicated a desire for professional development. The most commonly identified factor hindering the use of inquiry was a lack of materials and resources. Many participants also indicated that time constraints prevented more frequent use of inquiry in their classrooms.

Assessing Dimensions of Inquiry Practice by Middle School Science Teachers Engaged in a Professional Development Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lakin, Joni M.; Wallace, Carolyn S.

2015-01-01

Inquiry-based teaching promotes students' engagement in problem-solving and investigation as they learn science concepts. Current practice in science teacher education promotes the use of inquiry in the teaching of science. However, the literature suggests that many science teachers hold incomplete or incorrect conceptions of inquiry.…

Investigating Human Impact in the Environment with Faded Scaffolded Inquiry Supported by Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Todd; Longhurst, Max; Duffy, Aaron M.; Wolf, Paul G.; Nagy, Robin

2012-01-01

Teaching science as inquiry is advocated in all national science education documents and by leading science and science teaching organizations. In addition to teaching science as inquiry, we recognize that learning experiences need to connect to students' lives. This article details how we use a sequence of faded scaffolded inquiry supported by…

Chemistry Teachers' Emerging Expertise in Inquiry Teaching: The Effect of a Professional Development Model on Beliefs and Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rushton, Gregory T.; Lotter, Christine; Singer, Jonathan

2011-02-01

This study investigates the beliefs and practices of seven high school chemistry teachers as a result of their participation in a year-long inquiry professional development (PD) project. An analysis of oral interviews, written reflections, and in-class observations were used to determine the extent to which the PD affected the teachers' beliefs and practice. The data indicated that the teachers developed more complete conceptions of classroom inquiry, valued a "phenomena first" approach to scientific investigations, and viewed inquiry approaches as helpful for facilitating improved student thinking. Analysis of classroom observations with the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol indicated that features of the PD were observed in the teachers' practice during the academic year follow-up. Implications for effective science teacher professional development models are discussed.

Experimental Comparison of Inquiry and Direct Instruction in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobern, William W.; Schuster, David; Adams, Betty; Applegate, Brooks; Skjold, Brandy; Undreiu, Adriana; Loving, Cathleen C.; Gobert, Janice D.

2010-01-01

There are continuing educational and political debates about "inquiry" versus "direct" teaching of science. Traditional science instruction has been largely direct but in the US, recent national and state science education standards advocate inquiry throughout K-12 education. While inquiry-based instruction has the advantage of modelling aspects…

Engaging in science inquiry: Prospective elementary teachers' learning in an innovative life science course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haefner, Leigh Boardman

2001-10-01

This study examined prospective elementary teachers' learning about science inquiry in the context of an innovative life science course that engaged them in an original science investigation. Eleven elementary education majors participated in the study. A multiple case study approach that was descriptive, interpretive, and framed by grounded theory was employed. Primary data sources included transcripts of semi-structured interviews, text associated with online threaded discussions, and course project documents, such as lesson plans and written reflections. Secondary data sources included videotaped class sessions and field notes. Data were analyzed using analytical induction techniques, and trustworthiness was developed through the use of multiple data sources, triangulation of data, and the use of counterexamples to the assertions. Three major findings emerged from the cross-case analysis. First, engaging in an original science investigation assisted prospective teachers in becoming more attentive to the processes of science and developing more elaborated and data-driven explanations of how science is practiced. Second, when prospective teachers struggled with particular aspects of their investigations, those aspects became foci of change in their thinking about science and doing science. Third, as prospective teachers came to place a greater emphasis on questions, observations, and experimentation as fundamental aspects of doing science, they became more accepting of approaches to teaching science that encourage children's questions about science phenomena. Implications include the need to re-conceptualize teacher preparation programs to include multiple opportunities to engage prospective teachers in learning science as inquiry, and attend to connections among subject matter knowledge, subject-specific pedagogy and experiences with children.

The Power of Engaging Citizen Scientists for Scientific Progress

PubMed Central

Garbarino, Jeanne; Mason, Christopher E.

2016-01-01

Citizen science has become a powerful force for scientific inquiry, providing researchers with access to a vast array of data points while connecting nonscientists to the authentic process of science. This citizen-researcher relationship creates an incredible synergy, allowing for the creation, execution, and analysis of research projects that would otherwise prove impossible in traditional research settings, namely due to the scope of needed human or financial resources (or both). However, citizen-science projects are not without their challenges. For instance, as projects are scaled up, there is concern regarding the rigor and usability of data collected by citizens who are not formally trained in research science. While these concerns are legitimate, we have seen examples of highly successful citizen-science projects from multiple scientific disciplines that have enhanced our collective understanding of science, such as how RNA molecules fold or determining the microbial metagenomic snapshot of an entire public transportation system. These and other emerging citizen-science projects show how improved protocols for reliable, large-scale science can realize both an improvement of scientific understanding for the general public and novel views of the world around us. PMID:27047581

Designing EvoRoom: An Immersive Simulation Environment for Collective Inquiry in Secondary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lui, Michelle Mei Yee

This dissertation investigates the design of complex inquiry for co-located students to work as a knowledge community within a mixed-reality learning environment. It presents the design of an immersive simulation called EvoRoom and corresponding collective inquiry activities that allow students to explore concepts around topics of evolution and biodiversity in a Grade 11 Biology course. EvoRoom is a room-sized simulation of a rainforest, modeled after Borneo in Southeast Asia, where several projected displays are stitched together to form a large, animated simulation on each opposing wall of the room. This serves to create an immersive environment in which students work collaboratively as individuals, in small groups and a collective community to investigate science topics using the simulations as an evidentiary base. Researchers and a secondary science teacher co-designed a multi-week curriculum that prepared students with preliminary ideas and expertise, then provided them with guided activities within EvoRoom, supported by tablet-based software as well as larger visualizations of their collective progress. Designs encompassed the broader curriculum, as well as all EvoRoom materials (e.g., projected displays, student tablet interfaces, collective visualizations) and activity sequences. This thesis describes a series of three designs that were developed and enacted iteratively over two and a half years, presenting key features that enhanced students' experiences within the immersive environment, their interactions with peers, and their inquiry outcomes. Primary research questions are concerned with the nature of effective design for such activities and environments, and the kinds of interactions that are seen at the individual, collaborative and whole-class levels. The findings fall under one of three themes: 1) the physicality of the room, 2) the pedagogical script for student observation and reflection and collaboration, and 3) ways of including collective visualizations in the activity. Discrete findings demonstrate how the above variables, through their design as inquiry components (i.e., activity, room, scripts and scaffolds on devices, collective visualizations), can mediate the students' interactions with one another, with their teacher, and impact the outcomes of their inquiry. A set of design recommendations is drawn from the results of this research to guide future design or research efforts.

Identifying the Factors Leading to Success: How an Innovative Science Curriculum Cultivates Student Motivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scogin, Stephen C.

2016-06-01

PlantingScience is an award-winning program recognized for its innovation and use of computer-supported scientist mentoring. Science learners work on inquiry-based experiments in their classrooms and communicate asynchronously with practicing plant scientist-mentors about the projects. The purpose of this study was to identify specific factors contributing to the program's effectiveness in engaging students. Using multiple data sources, grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin in Basics of qualitative research. Sage, Newbury Park, 1990) was used to develop a conceptual model identifying the central phenomenon, causal conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, contexts, and student outcomes of the project. Student motivation was determined to be the central phenomenon explaining the success of the program, with student empowerment, online mentor interaction, and authenticity of the scientific experiences serving as causal conditions. Teachers contributed to student motivation by giving students more freedom, challenging students to take projects deeper, encouraging, and scaffolding. Scientists contributed to student motivation by providing explanations, asking questions, encouraging, and offering themselves as partners in the inquiry process. Several positive student outcomes of the program were uncovered and included increased positivity, greater willingness to take projects deeper, better understanding of scientific concepts, and greater commitments to collaboration. The findings of this study provide relevant information on how to develop curriculum, use technology, and train practitioners and mentors to utilize strategies and actions that improve learners' motivation to engage in authentic science in the classroom.

To Boldly Go Where No Learner Has Gone Before: Independent Inquiry, Educational Technology, and Society in Science Fiction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Gillian

2015-01-01

Possibilities for a different form of education have provided rich sources of inspiration for science fiction writers. Isaac Asimov, Orson Scott Card, Neal Stephenson, Octavia Butler, and Vernor Vinge, among others, have all projected their own visions of what education could be. These visions sometimes engage with technologies that are currently…

News

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-01-01

MASTERCLASSES Researchers help motivate school students; HIGHER EDUCATION Undergraduate physics inquiry launched Sir Peter; PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE Chemists take the lead to get science groups pulling together; RESEARCH FRONTIERS Spintronic Chips; LOWER SECONDARY CURRICULUM Why do we teach physics? TEACHING COMMUNITY e-Teachers; AWARDS Nobel Prize; HIGHER EDUCATION Project Phoenics; PARTICLE PHYSICS LEP Closure; TEACHER TRAINING Training salary fails to attract recruits; EVENTS Physics moves into the spotlight

The MY NASA DATA Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambers, Lin H.; Alston, Erica J.; Diones, D. D.; Moore, S. W.; Oots, P. C.; Phelps, C. S.; Mims, Forrest M., III

2006-01-01

On the one hand, locating the right dataset, then figuring out how to use it, is a daunting task that is familiar to almost any scientist or graduate student in the fields of Earth system science. On the other hand, the ability to explore authentic Earth system science data, through inquiry-based education, is an important goal in US national education standards. Fortunately, in the digital age, tools are emerging that can make such data exploration commonplace at all educational levels. This paper describes the conception and development of one project that aims to bridge this gap: Mentoring and inquiry using NASA Data on Atmospheric and Earth science for Teachers and Amateurs (MY NASA DATA; mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov). With funding from NASA's Science Mission Directorate, this project was launched in early 2004 with the aim of developing microsets and identifying other enablers for making data accessible. A key feature of the project is a Live Access Server, the first educational implementation of this open source software, developed by NOAA, that makes it possible to explore multiple data formats through a single interface. This powerful tool is made more useful to the primary target audiences (K-12 and amateur scientists) through careful selection of the data offered, user-friendly explanations of the tool itself, and age-appropriate explanations of the parameters. However experience already shows that graduate students and even practicing scientists can also make use of this resource. The website also hosts teacher-contributed lesson plans, and seeks to feature reports of research projects that use the data.

Geoscience Education Opportunities: Partnerships to Advance TeacHing and Scholarship (GEOPATHS) in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niemi, T. M.; Adegoke, J.; Stoddard, E.; Odom, L.; Ketchum, D.

2007-12-01

The GEOPATHS project is a partnership between the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) and the Kansas City Missouri School District (KCMSD). The goal of GEOPATHS is to raise enrollment in the Geosciences, especially among populations that are traditionally underrepresented in the discipline. We are addressing this goal by expanding dual-credit and Advanced Placement (AP) opportunities for high school students and also by serving teachers through enhancing their understanding of geoscience content and inquiry teaching methods using GLOBE resources and protocols. Our focus in the first two years of the project is to increase the number of teachers that are certified to teach AP Environmental Science by offering specially designed professional development workshops for high school teachers in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The structure of the workshop for each year is divided into two weeks of content knowledge exploration using the learning cycle and concept mapping, and one week of inquiry-based experiments, field projects, and exercises. We are also supporting teachers in their use of these best-practice methods by providing materials and supplies along with lesson plans for inquiry investigations for their classes. The lesson plans include activities and experiments that are inquiry-based. The last two years of the project will include direct engagement/recruiting of promising minority high school students via paid summer research internships and scholarship offers.

Exploring the meaning of practicing classroom inquiry from the perspectives of National Board Certified Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karaman, Ayhan

Inquiry has been one of the most prominent terms of the contemporary science education reform movement (Buck, Latta, & Leslie-Pelecky, 2007; Colburn, 2006; Settlage, 2007). Practicing classroom inquiry has maintained its central position in science education for several decades because science education reform documents promote classroom inquiry as the potential savior of science education from its current problems. Likewise, having the capabilities of teaching science through inquiry has been considered by National Board for Professional Teaching Standards [NBPTS] as one of the essential elements of being an accomplished science teacher. Successful completion of National Board Certification [NBC] assessment process involves presenting a clear evidence of enacting inquiry with students. Despite the high-profile of the word inquiry in the reform documents, the same is not true in schools (Crawford, 2007). Most of the science teachers do not embrace this type of approach in their everyday teaching practices of science (Johnson, 2006; Luera, Moyer, & Everett, 2005; Smolleck, Zembal-Saul, & Yoder, 2006; Trumbull, Scarano, & Bonney, 2006). And the specific meanings attributed to inquiry by science teachers do not necessarily match with the original intentions of science education reform documents (Matson & Parsons, 2006; Wheeler, 2000; Windschitl, 2003). Unveiling the various meanings held by science teachers is important in developing better strategies for the future success of science education reform efforts (Jones & Eick, 2007; Keys & Bryan, 2001). Due to the potential influences of National Board Certified Science Teachers [NBCSTs] on inexperienced science teachers as their mentors, examining inquiry conceptions of NBCSTs is called for. How do these accomplished practitioners understand and enact inquiry? The purpose of this dissertation research study was twofold. First, it investigated the role of NBC performance assessment process on the professional development of science teachers. Second, it examined the meaning of practicing classroom inquiry for National Board Certified Science Teachers [NBCSTs]. Based on the specific cases of four NBCSTs, this naturalistic inquiry study was conducted to answer to those questions with the involvement of the following qualitative data sources: classroom observations, in-depth teacher interviews, and document analyses of teacher portfolios. The specific cases in this study indicated that undergoing the performance assessment process of NBC played an affirmational role for National Board Certified Science Teachers [NBCSTs] in their professional development. Their successful completion of the portfolio assessment process created a sharpened confidence into their existing notions and ways of teaching science. In the study, not all teachers were equally open to science education reform ideas. This meant that NBC experience strengthened the conventional notions of teaching science held by some teachers rather than generating a higher affiliation with the reform ideas. The teacher cases presented in this study denoted that teachers' conceptions of classroom inquiry were driven both by scientific and constructivist rationales. However, NBCSTs failed to create broader operational definitions of classroom inquiry. They tended to reduce the meaning of classroom inquiry into empirical investigations of students. The conventional representation of the scientific method as a stepwise linear process influenced teachers' understandings and practices of classroom inquiry. NBCSTs used inquiry in their classrooms to introduce their students to the cognitive processes and the actions of practicing scientists but not necessarily to teach scientific principles. Their reluctance to teach scientific principles through inquiry developed in parallel to their tendency of associating classroom inquiry with the highest levels of student autonomy. Participant teachers' particular understandings of scientific literacy produced a tension between embracing inquiry more in their teaching practices of science and educating scientifically literate students. The teachers in the study attributed the hurdles that kept them from using more inquiry with their students to external factors. In the final chapter of the dissertation study, these findings were discussed in connection with the education literature.

Artful Biology Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Megan

2005-01-01

While teaching science in an alternative arts high school, the author continuously addresses the challenge of welcoming creative, right-brained students into the world of systematic inquiry. Busily mixing paint colors, choreographing futuristic dances, performing comedic theater, and practicing the banjo, the students rarely initiate authentic…

Primary Teachers' Reflections on Inquiry- and Context-Based Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walan, Susanne; Mc Ewen, Birgitta

2017-04-01

Inquiry- and context-based teaching strategies have been proven to stimulate and motivate students' interests in learning science. In this study, 12 teachers reflected on these strategies after using them in primary schools. The teachers participated in a continuous professional development (CPD) programme. During the programme, they were also introduced to a teaching model from a European project, where inquiry- and context-based education (IC-BaSE) strategies were fused. The research question related to teachers' reflections on these teaching strategies, and whether they found the model to be useful in primary schools after testing it with their students. Data collection was performed during the CPD programme and consisted of audio-recorded group discussions, individual portfolios and field notes collected by researchers. Results showed that compared with using only one instructional strategy, teachers found the new teaching model to be a useful complement. However, their discussions also showed that they did not reflect on choices of strategies or purposes and aims relating to students' understanding, or the content to be taught. Before the CPD programme, teachers discussed the use of inquiry mainly from the aspect that students enjoy practical work. After the programme, they identified additional reasons for using inquiry and discussed the importance of knowing why inquiry is performed. However, to develop teachers' knowledge of instructional strategies as well as purposes for using certain strategies, there is need for further investigations among primary school teachers.

Developing Partnerships between Higher Education Faculty, K-12 Science Teachers, and School Administrators via MSP initiatives: The RITES Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caulkins, J. L.; Kortz, K. M.; Murray, D. P.

2011-12-01

The Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science Project (RITES) is a NSF-funded Math and Science Partnership (MSP) project that seeks to improve science education. RITES is, at its core, a unique partnership that fosters relationships between middle and high school science teachers, district and school administrators, higher education (HE) faculty members, and science education researchers. Their common goal is to enhance scientific inquiry, increase classroom technology usage, and improve state level science test scores. In one of the more visible examples of this partnership, middle and high school science teachers work closely with HE science faculty partners to design and teach professional development (PD) workshops. The PD sessions focus on technology-enhanced scientific investigations (e.g. use of probes, online simulations, etc.), exemplify inquiry-based instruction, and relate expert content knowledge. Teachers from these sessions express substantial satisfaction in the program, report increased comfort levels in teaching the presented materials (both via post-workshop surveys), and show significant gains in content knowledge (via pre-post assessments). Other benefits to this kind of partnership, in which K-12 and HE teachers are considered equals, include: 1) K-12 teachers are empowered through interactions with HE faculty and other science teachers in the state; 2) HE instructors become more informed not only about good pedagogical practices, but also practical aspects of teaching science such as engaging students; and 3) the PD sessions tend to be much stronger than ones designed and presented solely by HE scientists, for while HE instructors provide content expertise, K-12 teachers provide expertise in K-12 classroom practice and implementation. Lastly, the partnership is mutually beneficial for the partners involved because both sides learn practical ways to teach science and inquiry at different levels. In addition to HE faculty and K-12 science teacher interactions, RITES gives district-level administrators, HE faculty and teacher-leaders the opportunity to meet and set mutual teaching goals, enhancing the partnership and a sense of ownership within it.

How to Support Primary Teachers' Implementation of Inquiry: Teachers' Reflections on Teaching Cooperative Inquiry-Based Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillies, Robyn M.; Nichols, Kim

2015-01-01

Many primary teachers face challenges in teaching inquiry science, often because they believe that they do not have the content knowledge or pedagogical skills to do so. This is a concern given the emphasis attached to teaching science through inquiry where students do not simply learn about science but also do science. This study reports on the…

The science experience: The relationship between an inquiry-based science program and student outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poderoso, Charie

Science education reforms in U.S. schools emphasize the importance of students' construction of knowledge through inquiry. Organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Research Council (NRC), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) have demonstrated a commitment to searching for solutions and renewed efforts to improve science education. One suggestion for science education reform in U.S. schools was a transition from traditional didactic, textbook-based to inquiry-based instructional programs. While inquiry has shown evidence for improved student learning in science, what is needed is empirical evidence of those inquiry-based practices that affect student outcomes in a local context. This study explores the relationship between instructional programs and curricular changes affecting student outcomes in the Santa Ana Unified District (SAUSD): It provides evidence related to achievement and attitudes. SAUSD employs two approaches to teaching in the middle school science classrooms: traditional and inquiry-based approaches. The Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER) program is an inquiry-based science program that utilizes resources for implementation of the University of California Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP) to support inquiry-based teaching and learning. Findings in this study provide empirical support related to outcomes of seventh-grade students, N = 328, in the LASER and traditional science programs in SAUSD.

Environmental Education & Ecology in a Life Science Course for Preservice K-8 Teachers Using Project Wildlife in Learning Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Allan

2010-01-01

During laboratory sessions devoted to ecology, 182 preservice K-8 teachers participated in a Project Wildlife in Learning Design (WILD) workshop. Participants rated the workshop highly, indicated they would use more inquiry-based activities, and were more interested in teaching ecology following the workshop. Post-test scores indicated an…

Project Clarion: Three Years of Science Instruction in Title I Schools among K-Third Grade Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyung Hee; VanTassel-Baska, Joyce; Bracken, Bruce A.; Feng, Annie; Stambaugh, Tamra; Bland, Lori

2012-10-01

The purpose of the study was to measure the effects of higher level, inquiry-based science curricula on students at primary level in Title I schools. Approximately 3,300 K-3 students from six schools were assigned to experimental or control classes ( N = 115 total) on a random basis according to class. Experimental students were exposed to concept-based science curriculum that emphasized `deep learning' though concept mastery and investigation, whereas control classes learned science from traditional school-based curricula. Two ability measures, the Bracken Basic Concept Scale-Revised (BBCS-R, Bracken 1998) and the Naglieri Nonverbal Intelligence Test (NNAT, Naglieri 1991), were used for baseline information. Additionally, a standardized measure of student achievement in science (the MAT-8 science subtest), a standardized measure of critical thinking, and a measure for observing teachers' classroom behaviors were used to assess learning outcomes. Results indicated that all ability groups of students benefited from the science inquiry-based approach to learning that emphasized science concepts, and that there was a positive achievement effect for low socio-economic young children who were exposed to such a curriculum.

Bridging Inquiry-Based Science and Constructionism: Exploring the Alignment between Students Tinkering with Code of Computational Models and Goals of Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagh, Aditi; Cook-Whitt, Kate; Wilensky, Uri

2017-01-01

Research on the design of learning environments for K-12 science education has been informed by two bodies of literature: inquiry-based science and Constructionism. Inquiry-based science has emphasized engagement in activities that reflect authentic scientific practices. Constructionism has focused on designing intuitively accessible authoring…

From Galileo to Snowflake Bentley: Using Literature To Teach Inquiry in Middle School Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Sara Delano; Bintz, William P.

2002-01-01

Identifies literature that has the potential to introduce students to the meaning of science, inquiry, and scientists. Discusses the importance of using multiple texts to teach science, reading strategies to introduce the concept of inquiry, literature to extend student understanding of the role of inquiry in science, and the use of this cluster…

An Analysis of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Understanding of Inquiry-Based Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Carole K.; Shea, Marilyn

2016-01-01

This study examines how pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs) view inquiry-based science learning and teaching, and how the science methods course builds their confidence to teach inquiry science. Most PSETs think that inquiry is asking students questions rather than a formal set of pedagogical tools. In the present study, three groups of PSETs…

Teaching science as inquiry in US and in Japan: A cross-cultural comparison of science teachers' understanding of, and attitudes toward inquiry-based teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tosa, Sachiko

Since the publication of the National Science Education Standards in 1996, learning science through inquiry has been regarded as the heart of science education. However, the TIMSS 1999 Video Study showed that inquiry-based teaching has been taking place less in the United States than in Japan. This study examined similarities and differences in how Japanese and American middle-school science teachers think and feel about inquiry-based teaching. Teachers' attitudes toward the use of inquiry in science teaching were measured through a survey instrument (N=191). Teachers' understanding of inquiry-based teaching was examined through interviews and classroom observations in the United States (N=9) and Japan (N=15). The results show that in spite of the variations in teachers' definitions of inquiry-based teaching, teachers in both countries strongly agree with the idea of inquiry-based teaching. However, little inquiry-based teaching was observed in either of the countries for different reasons. The data indicate that Japanese teachers did not generally help students construct their own understanding of scientific concepts in spite of well-planned lesson structures and activity set-ups. On the other hand, the observational data indicate that American teachers often lacked meaningful science content in spite of their high level of pedagogical knowledge. The need for addressing the importance of scientific concepts in teacher preparation programs in higher education institutions in the US is advocated. To the Japanese science education community, the need for teachers' acquisition of instructional strategies for inquiry-based teaching is strongly addressed.

Changes in science classrooms resulting from collaborative action research initiatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Phil Seok

Collaborative action research was undertaken over two years between a Korean science teacher and science education researchers at the University of Iowa. For the purpose of realizing science learning as envisioned by constructivist principles, Group-Investigations were implemented three or five times per project year. In addition, the second year project enacted Peer Assessments among students. Student perceptions of their science classrooms, as measured by the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES), provided evidence that the collaborative action research was successful in creating constructivist learning environments. Student attitudes toward science lessons, as examined by the Enjoyment of Science Lessons Scale (ESLS), indicated that the action research also contributed to developing more positive attitudes of students about science learning. Discourse analysis was conducted on video-recordings of in-class presentations and discussions. The results indicated that students in science classrooms which were moving toward constructivist learning environments engaged in such discursive practices as: (1) Communicating their inquiries to others, (2) Seeking and providing information through dialogues, and (3) Negotiating conflicts in their knowledge and beliefs. Based on these practices, science learning was viewed as the process of constructing knowledge and understanding of science as well as the process of engaging in scientific inquiry and discourse. The teacher's discursive practices included: (1) Wrapping up student presentations, (2) Addressing misconceptions, (3) Answering student queries, (4) Coaching, (5) Assessing and advising, (6) Guiding students discursively into new knowledge, and (7) Scaffolding. Science teaching was defined as situated acts of the teacher to facilitate the learning process. In particular, when the classrooms became more constructivist, the teacher intervened more frequently and carefully in student activities to fulfill a variety of pedagogical functions. Students perceived Group-Investigations and Peer Assessments as positive in that they contributed to realizing constructivist features in their classrooms. The students also reported that they gained several learning outcomes through Group-Investigations, including more positive attitudes, new knowledge, greater learning capabilities, and improved self-esteem. However, the Group-Investigation and Peer Assessment methods were perceived as negative and problematic by those who had rarely been exposed to such inquiry-based, student-centered approaches.

Influence of subject matter discipline and science content knowledge on National Board Certified science teachers' conceptions, enactment, and goals for inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breslyn, Wayne Gene

The present study investigated differences in the continuing development of National Board Certified Science Teachers' (NBCSTs) conceptions of inquiry across the disciplines of biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics. The central research question of the study was, "How does a NBCST's science discipline (biology, chemistry, earth science, or physics) influence their conceptions, enactment, and goals for inquiry-based teaching and learning?" A mixed methods approach was used that included an analysis of the National Board portfolio entry, Active Scientific Inquiry, for participants (n=48) achieving certification in the 2007 cohort. The portfolio entry provided detailed documentation of teachers' goals and enactment of an inquiry lesson taught in their classroom. Based on the results from portfolio analysis, participant interviews were conducted with science teachers (n=12) from the 2008 NBCST cohort who represented the science disciplines of biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics. The interviews provided a broader range of contexts to explore teachers' conceptions, enactment, and goals of inquiry. Other factors studied were disciplinary differences in NBCSTs' views of the nature of science, the relation between their science content knowledge and use of inquiry, and changes in their conceptions of inquiry as result of the NB certification process. Findings, based on a situated cognitive framework, suggested that differences exist between biology, chemistry, and earth science teachers' conceptions, enactment, and goals for inquiry. Further, individuals teaching in more than one discipline often held different conceptions of inquiry depending on the discipline in which they were teaching. Implications for the research community include being aware of disciplinary differences in studies on inquiry and exercising caution in generalizing findings across disciplines. In addition, teachers who teach in more than one discipline can highlight the contextual and culturally based nature of teachers' conceptions of inquiry. For the education community, disciplinary differences should be considered in the development of curriculum and professional development. An understanding of disciplinary trends can allow for more targeted and relevant representations of inquiry.

Fostering Students’ and Teachers’ Understanding of the Nature of Science: Where We Need the Broadest of Broader Impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laursen, S. L.; Dauber, R.; Molnar, P. H.; Smith, L. K.

2009-12-01

Making wise decisions about daunting societal and environmental problems requires understanding of both scientific concepts and the limits of scientific knowledge. While K-12 school standards now include topics on scientific inquiry and the nature of science, few science teachers have personal knowledge of these ideas through conducting science research first-hand. In their own education, most have experienced primarily fact-packed lecture courses rather than deep engagement with gathering, interpreting and communicating about scientific evidence. Teachers are thus at a disadvantage in teaching about the nature of science. Moreover, few curriculum materials directly address these ideas. Instead, instructors at all levels tend to rely on students gleaning ideas from their lab work, without ever making them explicit. The result is a poor understanding of the nature of science among many students and citizens. Thus the nature of science is an important and fruitful area for “broader impacts” efforts by NSF-funded projects across the entire spectrum of science. To address this gap, we have created a 20-minute educational documentary film focused on the nature and processes of science. The film is a broader impacts effort for a large, NSF-funded, multidisciplinary, collaborative research project to study the uplift of the Tibetan plateau and its impact on atmospheric and climate processes. The film, Upward and Outward: Scientific Inquiry on the Tibetan Plateau, focuses on the process of science, as seen through the lens of a specific project. Viewers follow an international team of scientists as they work in the laboratory and in the field, build new instruments and computer models, travel to exotic locales, argue about their findings, and enjoy collaboration and conversation. By gaining an insider’s glimpse into both the intellectual process of scientific inquiry and the everyday social and professional activities of science, students learn how science is a human process for building knowledge, not just a body of fact. While originally targeted to students in grades 8-12, the film has also proven effective with undergraduates in introductory science courses, and with teachers in professional development courses. The 20-minute length ensures that the film can be readily screened and discussed within a single class session, and teachers are supported with suggested pre/post writing prompts, discussion questions, teaching tips, and background materials on the film's scientific content. The presentation will describe the making of the film, its relationship to the scientific project, its use with students and teachers, and some data on their responses. We will show a short clip and make copies of the DVD available to educators and professional developers who attend the session. More information about the film, a short clip, and supporting information for educators can be found at our web site.

Linking Science Inquiry Skills in a Holistic Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabel, Connie

The quest for the inclusion of science inquiry in the curriculum now spans three centuries. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Armstrong, Dewey, and others espoused the teaching of science inquiry. The launch of Sputnik in 1957 began the strong emphasis on inquiry. Renewed interest in inquiry occurred in the late 1980s and 1990s with science…

Science inquiry learning environments created by National Board Certified Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saderholm, Jon

The purpose of this study was to discern what differences exist between the science inquiry learning environments created by National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and non-NBCTs. Four research questions organized the data collection and analysis: (a) How do National Board Certified science teachers' knowledge of the nature of science differ from that of their non-NBCT counterparts? (b) How do the frequencies of student science inquiry behaviors supported by in middle/secondary learning environments created by NBCTs differ from those created by their non-NBCT counterparts? (c) What is the relationship between the frequency of students' science inquiry behaviors and their science reasoning and understanding of the nature of science? (d) What is the impact of teacher perceptions factors impacting curriculum and limiting inquiry on the existence of inquiry learning environments? The setting in which this study was conducted was middle and high schools in Kentucky during the period between October 2006 and January 2007. The population sampled for the study was middle and secondary science teachers certified to teach in Kentucky. Of importance among those were the approximately 70 National Board Certified middle and high school science teachers. The teacher sample consisted of 50 teachers, of whom 19 were NBCTs and 31 were non-NBCTs. This study compared the science inquiry teaching environments created by NBCTs and non-NBCTs along with their consequent effect on the science reasoning and nature of science (NOS) understanding of their students. In addition, it examined the relationship with these science inquiry environments of other teacher characteristics along with teacher perception of factors influencing curriculum and factors limiting inquiry. This study used a multi-level mixed methodology study incorporating both quantitative and qualitative measures of both teachers and their students. It was a quasi-experimental design using non-random assignment of participants to treatment and control groups and dependent pre- and post-tests (Shadish, Cook, & Campbell, 2002). Teacher and student NOS understanding was measured using the Student Understanding of Science and Science Inquiry (SUSSI) instrument (Liang, et. al, 2006). Science inquiry environment was measured with the Elementary Science Inquiry Survey (ESIS) (Dunbar, 2002) which was given both to teachers and their students. Science inquiry environment measurements were triangulated with observations of a stratified random sub-sample of participating teachers. Observations were structured using the low-inference Collaboratives for Excellence in Teaching Practice (CETP) Classroom Observation Protocol (COP) (Lawrenz, Huffman, & Appleldoorn 2002), and the high-inference Reform Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) (Piburn & Sawada, 2000). NBCTs possessed more informed view of NOS than did non-NBCTs. Additionally, high school science teachers possessed more informed views regarding NOS than did middle school science teachers, with the most informed views belonging to high school science NBCTs. High school science NBCTs created learning environments in which students engaged in science inquiry behaviors significantly more frequently than did high school science non-NBCTs. Middle school science NBCTs, on the other hand, did not create learning environments that differed in significant ways from those of middle school science non-NBCTs. Students of high school science NBCTs possessed significantly higher science reasoning than did students of high school science non-NBCTs. Middle school students of science NBCTs possessed no more science reasoning ability than did middle school students of science non-NBCTs. NOS understanding displayed by students of both middle school and high school science NBCTs was not distinguished from students of non-NBCTs. Classroom science inquiry environment created by non-NBCTs were correlated with science teachers' perceptions of factors determining the curriculum, and the factors limiting inquiry. NBCT classroom science inquiry environment were not correlated with science teacher perceptions. They were, however, strongly correlated with science teacher attendance at science workshops and negatively correlated with teacher perception that experience limits inquiry. The results of this study have implications for policy, practice, and research. Having a science teacher who is an NBCT appears to benefit high school students; however, the benefit for students of middle school science NBCTs appears only when the teacher is also experienced. Additionally, science NBCTs appear to be able to create more controlled science inquiry learning environments than do science non-NBCTs. At the high school level the practice of using data to explain patterns appears to positively affect student science reasoning. Implications results of this study have for further research include examining the differences of the NBPTS certification process for middle and high school teachers; deeper investigation of the causes of the differences in science reasoning between students of NBCTs and non-NBCTs; and studies of the relationship between the NBPTS certification process and teacher efficacy and personal agency.

Implementation of inquiry-based science education in different countries: some reflections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rundgren, Carl-Johan

2017-03-01

In this forum article, I reflect on issues related to the implementation of inquiry-based science education (IBSE) in different countries. Regarding education within the European Union (EU), the Bologna system has in later years provided extended coordination and comparability at an organizational level. However, the possibility of the EU to influence the member countries regarding the actual teaching and learning in the classrooms is more limited. In later years, several EU-projects focusing on IBSE have been funded in order to make science education in Europe better, and more motivating for students. Highlighting what Heinz and her colleagues call the policy of `soft governance' of the EU regarding how to improve science education in Europe, I discuss the focus on IBSE in the seventh framework projects, and how it is possible to maintain more long-lasting results in schools through well-designed teacher professional development programs. Another aspect highlighted by Heinz and her colleagues is how global pressures on convergence in education interact with educational structures and traditions in the individual countries. The rise of science and science education as a global culture, encompassing contributions from all around the world, is a phenomenon of great potential and value to humankind. However, it is important to bear in mind that if science and science education is going to become a truly global culture, local variation and differences regarding foci and applications of science in different cultures must be acknowledged.

Inquiry-based instruction in secondary science classrooms: A survey of teacher practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gejda, Linda Muggeo

The purpose of this quantitative investigation was to describe the extent to which secondary science teachers, who were certified through Connecticut's BEST portfolio assessment process between 1997 and 2004 and had taught secondary science during the past academic year, reported practicing the indicators of inquiry-based instruction in the classroom and the factors that they perceived facilitated, obstructed, or informed that practice. Indicators of inquiry-based instruction were derived from the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) 5E model (Bybee, 1997). The method for data collection was a researcher-developed, self-report, questionnaire entitled "Inquiry-based Instruction in Secondary Science Classrooms: A Survey", which was developed and disseminated using a slightly modified Dillman (2000) approach. Almost all of the study participants reported practicing the 5Es (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate) of inquiry-based instruction in their secondary science classrooms. Time, resources, the need to cover material for mandatory assessments, the science topics or concepts being taught, and professional development on inquiry-based instruction were reported to be important considerations in participants' decisions to practice inquiry-based instruction in their science classrooms. A majority of the secondary science teachers participating in this study indicated they had the time, access to resources and the professional development opportunities they needed to practice inquiry-based instruction in their secondary classrooms. Study participants ranked having the time to teach in an inquiry-based fashion and the need to cover material for mandated testing as the biggest obstacles to their practice of inquiry-based instruction in the secondary classroom. Classroom experience and collegial exchange informed the inquiry-based instruction practice of the secondary science teachers who participated in this study. Recommendations for further research, practice, and policy were made based upon the results of this study.

Science Camps for Introducing Nature of Scientific Inquiry Through Student Inquiries in Nature: Two Applications with Retention Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leblebicioglu, G.; Abik, N. M.; Capkinoglu, E.; Metin, D.; Dogan, E. Eroglu; Cetin, P. S.; Schwartz, R.

2017-08-01

Scientific inquiry is widely accepted as a method of science teaching. Understanding its characteristics, called Nature of Scientific Inquiry (NOSI), is also necessary for a whole conception of scientific inquiry. In this study NOSI aspects were taught explicitly through student inquiries in nature in two summer science camps. Students conducted four inquiries through their questions about surrounding soil, water, plants, and animals under the guidance of university science educators. At the end of each investigation, students presented their inquiry. NOSI aspects were made explicit by one of the science educators in the context of the investigations. Effectiveness of the science camp program and its retention were determined by applying Views of Scientific Inquiry (VOSI-S) (Schwartz et al. 2008) questionnaire as pre-, post-, and retention test after two months. The patterns in the data were similar. The science camp program was effective in developing three of six NOSI aspects which were questions guide scientific research, multiple methods of research, and difference between data and evidence. Students' learning of these aspects was retained. Discussion about these and the other three aspects is included in the paper. Implications of differences between school and out-of-school science experiences are also discussed.

From Teacher-at-Sea to Authentic Science in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzer, M. A.; Laj, C.

2007-12-01

Research has shown that most teachers will teach the way they have been taught, unless a sustainable intervention has taken place. This has the greatest implications for teachers of science, where those who have been taught with inquiry approaches will employ inquiry approaches in their classrooms, and those who have been taught with lecture and note taking will teach primarily using lectures and note taking. If our children are to learn about the nature of science, they need to be taught using constructivist and inquiry methods. A teacher who only uses textbooks and lectures will not create students who can employ critical thinking skills indicative of the nature of science. There is a way to change the way our teachers teach science, and that is by exposing teachers to authentic inquiry. The Teacher at Sea Program sponsored by Institut Polaire Francais (IPEV) created such an opportunity for 4 teachers, who participated in the PACHIDERME deep sea sediment cruise on the R/V Marion Dufresne off the coast of Chile for 3 weeks in February, 2007. While onboard the teachers assisted research scientists from France, Germany, Norway, and Chile in their quest to gather and analyze sediment cores for clues to past climates. The teachers were immersed in the research projects right from the start. They all participated in a "watch" and assisted those on the watch with the processing of the cores, which included properly labeling and packaging each of the core segments. Prior to the packaging, preliminary analysis was done to identify the physical and biological attributes of the core. The scientists gave of their time to coach the teachers not only on the techniques they were using, but also on the process of science. Whether it's working on an unstable platform, coring into the unknown, or adjusting to the weather that Mother Nature brings, the nature and process of science out at sea is complicated. The teachers came to realize this as they sailed in and out of the fjord region and into the open ocean off the coast of Chile, and shared these experiences with colleagues and students from around the world. They sent daily logs via email, sent pictures, and answered questions sent by teachers and students from Europe, the United States, and Chile. Students kept journals as they followed the daily events of the teachers at sea. A powerpoint presentation documenting the scientific endeavors of the cruise was created and is being used by many teachers as a tool to show how scientific research is done at sea. Was this cruise effective in changing the teaching styles of those teachers on board? The teachers observed how scientists generate questions, propose study plans, and employ creative methods to answer those questions. Having witnessed the nature and process first hand, these teachers reassessed their teaching styles for scientific validity. They are employing a greater number of open/full inquiry projects where the students are constructing and seeking to answer their own questions. These students will leave their classes knowing about the challenges of doing science, and the excitement in doing science. Whether it's out at sea, in the field, or in a lab, the participation of teachers in authentic inquiry is the best way to ensure our students are participating in authentic inquiry.

Guided-Inquiry Lessons Raise Scores on the Sixth Grade Georgia Science Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Page, Purlie M.

At the local level, G Middle School has the highest district-wide percentage of 6th grade science students who are not meeting standards. It is imperative that G middle school take corrective action to reduce the number of students failing to meet state science standards. Dewey's theory of conceptual framework, which involves knowledge constructed on a person's personal experience and mind activity through active forms of learning, guided this study. The goal of the study was to determine whether inquiry-based science modules produce greater 6th grade science achievement, as measured by an equivalent instrument of the science section of the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test, when compared to traditional instruction among eastern Georgia 6th graders. The sample consisted of 230 students in the nonintervention group and 119 students in the intervention group. All students were from intact classes. At the end of the intervention, an independent t test was conducted to analyze the scores. According to the study t test, (t = 12.33, df = 304.56, p < 0.05), the difference between the means was statistically significant. This project's potential impact on social change includes increasing student motivation towards, comprehension of, and interest in science concepts. At the local level, these inquiry lessons can be shared with science teachers across grade levels and within the district to improve county-wide science scores. An increase in student interest and comprehension of science concepts could ultimately lead to the United States producing more students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Supporting Inquiry in Science Classrooms with the Web

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simons, Krista; Clark, Doug

2005-01-01

This paper focuses on Web-based science inquiry and five representative science learning environments. The discussion centers around features that sustain science inquiry, namely, data-driven investigation, modeling, collaboration, and scaffolding. From the perspective of these features five science learning environments are detailed: Whyville,…

Do science coaches promote inquiry-based instruction in the elementary science classroom?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wicker, Rosemary Knight

The South Carolina Mathematics and Science Coaching Initiative established a school-based science coaching model that was effective in improving instruction by increasing the level of inquiry-based instruction in elementary science classrooms. Classroom learning environment data from both teacher groups indicated considerable differences in the quality of inquiry instruction for those classrooms of teachers supported by a science coach. All essential features of inquiry were demonstrated more frequently and at a higher level of open-ended inquiry in classrooms with the support of a science coach than were demonstrated in classrooms without a science coach. However, from teacher observations and interviews, it was determined that elementary schoolteacher practice of having students evaluate conclusions and connect them to current scientific knowledge was often neglected. Teachers with support of a science coach reported changes in inquiry-based instruction that were statistically significant. This mixed ethnographic study also suggested that the Mathematics and Science Coaching Initiative Theory of Action for Instructional Improvement was an effective model when examining the work of science coaches. All components of effective school infrastructure were positively impacted by a variety of science coaching strategies intended to promote inquiry. Professional development for competent teachers, implementation of researched-based curriculum, and instructional materials support were areas highly impacted by the work of science coaches.

Making learning whole: an instructional approach for mediating the practices of authentic science inquiries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liljeström, Anu; Enkenberg, Jorma; Pöllänen, Sinikka

2013-03-01

This design experiment aimed to answer the question of how to mediate the practices of authentic science inquiries in primary education. An instructional approach based on activity theory was designed and carried out with multi-age students in a small village school. An open-ended learning task was offered to the older students. Their task was to design and implement instruction about the Ice Age to their younger fellows. The objective was collaborative learning among students, the teacher, and outside domain experts. Mobile phones and GPS technologies were applied as the main technological mediators in the learning process. Technology provided an opportunity to expand the learning environment outside the classroom, including the natural environment. Empirically, the goal was to answer the following questions: What kind of learning project emerged? How did the students' knowledge develop? What kinds of science learning processes, activities, and practices were represented? Multiple and parallel data were collected to achieve this aim. The data analysis revealed that the learning project both challenged the students to develop explanations for the phenomena and generated high quality conceptual and physical models in question. During the learning project, the roles of the community members were shaped, mixed, and integrated. The teacher also repeatedly evaluated and adjusted her behavior. The confidence of the learners in their abilities raised the quality of their learning outcomes. The findings showed that this instructional approach can not only mediate the kind of authentic practices that scientists apply but also make learning more holistic than it has been. Thus, it can be concluded that nature of the task, the tool-integrated collaborative inquiries in the natural environment, and the multiage setting can make learning whole.

Multilevel Models for Estimating the Effect of Implementing Argumentation-Based Elementary Science Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shelley, Mack; Gonwa-Reeves, Christopher; Baenziger, Joan; Seefeld, Ashley; Hand, Brian; Therrien, William; Villanueva, Mary Grace; Taylor, Jonte

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of implementation of the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach at 5th grade level in the public school system in Iowa as measured by Cornell Critical Thinking student test scores. This is part of a project that overall tests the efficacy of the SWH inquiry-based approach to build students'…

Project Clarion: Three Years of Science Instruction in Title I Schools among K-Third Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Kyung Hee; VanTassel-Baska, Joyce; Bracken, Bruce A.; Feng, Annie; Stambaugh, Tamra; Bland, Lori

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to measure the effects of higher level, inquiry-based science curricula on students at primary level in Title I schools. Approximately 3,300 K-3 students from six schools were assigned to experimental or control classes (N = 115 total) on a random basis according to class. Experimental students were exposed to…

Teacher candidates in an online post-baccalaureate science methods course: Implications for teaching science inquiry with technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colon, Erica L.

Online learning is becoming more prevalent in today's education and is changing the way students learn and instructors teach. This study proposed using an informative case study design within a multilevel conceptual framework as teacher candidates were learning to teach and use science inquiry while in an online post-baccalaureate science methods course. The purposes were to (a) explore whether the teacher candidates had a thorough understanding of scientific inquiry and how to implement higher-order thinking skills, (b) examine whether or not the teacher candidates used a variety of computer-based instructional technologies when choosing instructional objectives, and (c) identify barriers that impede teacher candidates from using science inquiry or technology singly, or the ability to incorporate technology into learning science inquiry. The findings indicate that an online approach in preparing science teachers holds great potential for using innovative technology to teach science inquiry. First, the teacher candidates did incorporate essential features of classroom inquiry, however it was limited and varied in the type of inquiry used. Second, of the 86 lesson plans submitted by the teacher candidates, less than twelve percent of the learning objectives involved higher-order skills that promoted science inquiry. Third, results supported that when using technology in their lesson planning, participants had widely varying backgrounds in reference to their familiarity with technology. However, even though each participant used some form or another, the technology used was fairly low level. Finally, when discussing implementing inquiry-based science in the lesson plans, this study identified time as a reason that participants may not be pushing for more inquiry-based lessons. The researcher also identifies that school placements were a huge factor in the amount of inquiry-based skills coded in the lesson plans. The study concludes that online teacher preparation programs hold promise for teacher candidates by providing them knowledge and strategies for implementing innovative technologies to teach science inquiry when designing curriculum. By identifying specific implications for methods course design and implementation, as well as future research, this study contributes to teacher education improvement efforts, and therefore supports changing learning styles of their future students, so-called the iGeneration.

Examining the Features of Earth Science Logical Reasoning and Authentic Scientific Inquiry Demonstrated in a High School Earth Science Curriculum: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Do-Yong; Park, Mira

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the inquiry features demonstrated in the inquiry tasks of a high school Earth Science curriculum. One of the most widely used curricula, Holt Earth Science, was chosen for this case study to examine how Earth Science logical reasoning and authentic scientific inquiry were related to one another and how…

Short-Term Research Experiences with Teachers in Earth and Planetary Sciences and a Model for Integrating Research into Classroom Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, P.; Bloom, J. W.

2006-12-01

For the past three summers, we have worked with in-service teachers on image processing, planetary geology, and earthquake and volcano content modules using inquiry methods that ended with mini-research experiences. Although almost all were science teachers, very few could give a reasonable definition of science at the start of the modules, and very few had a basic grasp of the processes of scientific research and could not include substantive scientific inquiry into their lessons. To build research understanding and confidence, an instructor-student interaction model was used in the modules. Studies have shown that children who participate in classrooms as learning and inquiry communities develop more complex understandings. The same patterns of complex understandings have resulted in similarly structured professional communities of teachers. The model is based on professional communities, emphasizing from the beginning that inquiry is a form of research. Although the actual "research" component of the modules was short, the teachers were identified as professionals and researchers from the start. Research/inquiry participation is therefore an excellent example by which to allow their teachers to learn. Initially the teachers were very reluctant to pose questions. As they were encouraged to share, collaborate, and support each other, the role of the instructor became less of a leader and more of a facilitator, and the confidence of the teachers as professionals and researchers grew. One teacher even remarked, "This is how we should be teaching our kids!' Towards the end of the modules the teachers were ready for their mini- research projects and collaborated in teams of 2-4. They selected their own research topics, but were guided toward research questions that required data collection (from existing studies), some data manipulation, interpretation, and drawing conclusions with respect to the original question. The teachers were enthusiastic about all of their research experiences and overall expressed a new understanding of science and research.

Talking Science: Developing a Discourse of Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackling, Mark; Smith, Pru; Murcia, Karen

2010-01-01

A key principle of inquiry-based science education is that the process of inquiry must include opportunities for the exploration of questions and ideas, as well as reasoning with ideas and evidence. Teaching and learning Science therefore involves teachers managing a discourse that supports inquiry and students engaging in talk that facilitates…

Inquiry Identity and Science Teacher Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryce, Nadine; Wilmes, Sara E. D.; Bellino, Marissa

2016-01-01

An effective inquiry-oriented science teacher possesses more than the skills of teaching through investigation. They must address philosophies, and ways of interacting as a member of a group of educators who value and practice science through inquiry. Professional development opportunities can support inquiry identity development, but most often…

Connecting Inquiry and the Nature of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Erin

2006-01-01

Inquiry has been one of the most prominent reforms in science education. One of the goals of teaching through inquiry methods is to enable students to have experiences that are authentic to scientists' experiences. Too often, inquiry science is taught as either the "scientific method" or as "hands-on," disconnected activities…

Using an Inquiry Approach to Teach Science to Secondary School Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBride, John W.; Bhatti, Muhammad I.; Hannan, Mohammad A.; Feinberg, Martin

2004-01-01

Leaders in science education have actively promoted inquiry science since the 1960s and continue to do so today. The US National Science Education Standards recommend that science instruction and learning should be well grounded in inquiry. In spite of these efforts, however, little has changed in the way science is taught. Teacher-talk and…

Expanding Earth and Space Science through the Initiating New Science Partnerships In Rural Education (INSPIRE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radencic, S.; McNeal, K. S.; Pierce, D.; Hare, D.

2010-12-01

The INSPIRE program at Mississippi State University (MSU), funded by the NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK12) program, focuses on Earth and Space science education and has partnered ten graduate students from MSU with five teachers from local, rural school districts. For the next five years the project will serve to increase inquiry and technology experiences in science and math while enhancing graduate student’s communication skills. Graduate students, from the disciplines of Geosciences, Physics, and Engineering are partnered with Chemistry, Physical Science, Physics, Geometry and Middle school science classrooms and will create engaging inquiry activities that incorporate elements of their research, and integrate various forms of technology. The generated lesson plans that are implemented in the classroom are published on the INSPIRE home page (www.gk12.msstate.edu) so that other classroom instructors can utilize this free resource. Local 7th -12th grade students will attend GIS day later this fall at MSU to increase their understanding and interest in Earth and Space sciences. Selected graduate students and teachers will visit one of four international university partners located in Poland, Australia, England, or The Bahamas to engage research abroad. Upon return they will incorporate their global experiences into their local classrooms. Planning for the project included many factors important to the success of the partnerships. The need for the program was evident in Mississippi K-12 schools based on low performance on high stakes assessments and lack of curriculum in the Earth and Space sciences. Meeting with administrators to determine what needs they would like addressed by the project and recognizing the individual differences among the schools were integral components to tailoring project goals and to meet the unique needs of each school partner. Time for training and team building of INSPIRE teachers and graduate students before the school year aided in fostering a community atmosphere to ensure successful classroom experiences. Including stakeholders in the progress of lesson plan product development during a workshop luncheon was another key part to building a community of support for INSPIRE. These planning components are essential to the success of the project and are recommended to similar projects. The INSPIRE project external evaluation includes: (i) interviews of participants and K-12 students involved in INSPIRE, (ii) pre-post technology and teaching attitude surveys of graduate students and teachers, (iii) thematic analysis of daily feedback forms from the workshop, (iv) summary of end of workshop evaluations, and (v) constant surveying of program progress towards meeting its goals. Internal evaluation includes: (i) classroom observations of graduate student interactions with students (ii) bi-weekly journal entries from both teachers and graduate students, and (iii) weekly feedback from graduate students. Preliminary evaluation of the workshop daily feedback forms indicate a high level of approval for the technology and inquiry activities modeled. Journal entries indicate that the majority of Fellow-teacher teams experience positive interactions in the classroom.

Guided Science Inquiry Instruction with Students with Special Education Needs. R2Ed Working Paper 2015-1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Andrew S.; Kunz, Gina M.; Whitham, Rebekah; Houston, Jim; Nugent, Gwen

2015-01-01

National and state educational mandates require students achieve proficiency in not only science content, but also "science inquiry", or those process skills associated with science (National Research Council, 2011; Next Generation Science Standards, 2013). Science inquiry instruction has been shown to improve student achievement and…

4-H Science Inquiry Video Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Jeremy W.; Black, Lynette; Willis, Patrick

2013-01-01

Studies support science inquiry as a positive method and approach for 4-H professionals and volunteers to use for teaching science-based practices to youth. The development of a science inquiry video series has yielded positive results as it relates to youth development education and science. The video series highlights how to conduct science-rich…

Crossing the Border from Science Student to Science Teacher: Preservice Teachers' Views and Experiences Learning to Teach Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Emily J. S.; Bianchini, Julie A.; Kelly, Gregory J.

2013-04-01

Preservice science teachers face numerous challenges in understanding and teaching science as inquiry. Over the course of their teacher education program, they are expected to move from veteran science students with little experience learning their discipline through inquiry instruction to beginning science teachers adept at implementing inquiry in their own classrooms. In this study, we used Aikenhead's (Sci Educ 81: 217-238, 1997, Science Educ 85:180-188, 2001) notion of border crossing to describe this transition preservice teachers must make from science student to science teacher. We examined what one cohort of eight preservice secondary science teachers said, did, and wrote as they both conducted a two-part inquiry investigation and designed an inquiry lesson plan. We conducted two types of qualitative analyses. One, we drew from Costa (Sci Educ 79: 313-333, 1995) to group our preservice teacher participants into one of four types of potential science teachers. Two, we identified successes and struggles in preservice teachers' attempts to negotiate the cultural border between veteran student and beginning teacher. In our implications, we argue that preservice teachers could benefit from explicit opportunities to navigate the border between learning and teaching science; such opportunities could deepen their conceptions of inquiry beyond those exclusively fashioned as either student or teacher.

The effect of concept mapping on preservice elementary teachers' knowledge of science inquiry teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Diann Carol

This study examined the effect of concept mapping as a method of stimulating reflection on preservice elementary teachers' knowledge of science inquiry instruction methods. Three intact classes of science education preservice teachers participated in a non-randomized comparison group with a pretest and posttest design to measure the influence of mapping on participants' knowledge of inquiry science instruction. All groups followed the same course syllabus, in class activities, readings, assignments and assessment tasks. The manner in which they presented their ideas about inquiry science teaching varied. Groups constructed pre-lesson, post-lesson, and homework lists or maps across three inquiry based instruction modules (ecosystems, food chains, and electricity). Equivalent forms of the Teaching Science Inventory (TSI) were used to investigate changes in preservice teachers' propositional knowledge about how to teach using inquiry science instruction methods. Equivalent forms of the Science Lesson Planning (SLP) test were used to investigate changes in preservice teachers' application knowledge about how to teach using inquiry science instruction methods. Data analysis included intrarater reliability, ANOVAs, ANCOVAs, and correlations between lists and maps and examination responses. SLP and TSI scores improved from the pretest to the posttest in each of the three study groups. The results indicate that, in general, there were basically no relationships between the treatment and outcome measures. In addition, there were no significant differences between the three groups in their knowledge about how to teach science. Conclusions drawn from this study include, first, the learners did learn how to teach science using inquiry. Second, in this study there is little evidence to support that concept mapping was more successful than the listing strategy in improving preservice elementary teachers' knowledge of teaching science using inquiry science instruction methods.

Learning by doing? Prospective elementary teachers' developing understandings of scientific inquiry and science teaching and learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haefner, Leigh Ann; Zembal-Saul, Carla

This study examined prospective elementary teachers' learning about scientific inquiry in the context of an innovative life science course. Research questions included: (1) What do prospective elementary teachers learn about scientific inquiry within the context of the course? and (2) In what ways do their experiences engaging in science investigations and teaching inquiry-oriented science influence prospective elementary teachers' understanding of science and science learning and teaching? Eleven prospective elementary teachers participated in this qualitative, multi-participant case study. Constant comparative analysis strategies attempted to build abstractions and explanations across participants around the constructs of the study. Findings suggest that engaging in scientific inquiry supported the development more appropriate understandings of science and scientific inquiry, and that prospective teachers became more accepting of approaches to teaching science that encourage children's questions about science phenomena. Implications include careful consideration of learning experiences crafted for prospective elementary teachers to support the development of robust subject matter knowledge.

The Science Semester: Cross-Disciplinary Inquiry for Prospective Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Danielle J.; Fifield, Steve; Madsen, John; Qian, Xiaoyu

2013-01-01

We describe the Science Semester, a semester-long course block that integrates three science courses and a science education methods course for elementary teacher education majors, and examine prospective elementary teachers' developing conceptions about inquiry, science teaching efficacy, and reflections on learning through inquiry. The…

Inquiry and Groups: Student Interactions in Cooperative Inquiry-Based Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods-McConney, Amanda; Wosnitza, Marold; Sturrock, Keryn L.

2016-01-01

Science education research has recommended cooperative inquiry based science in the primary science context for more than two decades but after more than 20 years, student achievement in science has not substantially improved. This study, through direct observation and analysis, investigated content-related student interactions in an authentic…

Under the Mistletoe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leege, Lissa M.; Schriver, Martha; Chassereau, Karen D.

2008-01-01

The "Under the Mistletoe" project was developed to capitalize on student curiosity about the American Christmas Mistletoe plant and draw learners into an engaging, inquiry-based exercise that incorporates numerous life science standards and collaborative research. By collecting data on host and nonhost tree size, location, and number of mistletoe…

Course-based undergraduate research experiences in molecular biosciences-patterns, trends, and faculty support.

PubMed

Wang, Jack T H

2017-08-15

Inquiry-driven learning, research internships and course-based undergraduate research experiences all represent mechanisms through which educators can engage undergraduate students in scientific research. In life sciences education, the benefits of undergraduate research have been thoroughly evaluated, but limitations in infrastructure and training can prevent widespread uptake of these practices. It is not clear how faculty members can integrate complex laboratory techniques and equipment into their unique context, while finding the time and resources to implement undergraduate research according to best practice guidelines. This review will go through the trends and patterns in inquiry-based undergraduate life science projects with particular emphasis on molecular biosciences-the research-aligned disciplines of biochemistry, molecular cell biology, microbiology, and genomics and bioinformatics. This will provide instructors with an overview of the model organisms, laboratory techniques and research questions that are adaptable for semester-long projects, and serve as starting guidelines for course-based undergraduate research. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Inquiry-based Learning and Digital Libraries in Undergraduate Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apedoe, Xornam S.; Reeves, Thomas C.

2006-12-01

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to describe robust rationales for integrating inquiry-based learning into undergraduate science education, and to propose that digital libraries are potentially powerful technological tools that can support inquiry-based learning goals in undergraduate science courses. Overviews of constructivism and situated cognition are provided with regard to how these two theoretical perspectives have influenced current science education reform movements, especially those that involve inquiry-based learning. The role that digital libraries can play in inquiry-based learning environments is discussed. Finally, the importance of alignment among critical pedagogical dimensions of an inquiry-based pedagogical framework is stressed in the paper, and an example of how this can be done is presented using earth science education as a context.

The I-Cleen Project (Inquiring on CLimate & ENergy). Research Meets Education in AN Inquiry-Based Approach to Earth System Science in Italian Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cattadori, M.; Editorial Staff of the I-CLEN Project

2011-12-01

Italian citizens' perception of the seriousness of the issue of climate change is one of the lowest in Europe (Eurobarometer survey, 2008), running next to last among the 28 EU Nations. This has recently driven many national science institutions to take action in order to connect society with the complexities and consequences of climate change. These connection initiatives have encountered a certain deal of opposition in Italian schools. A fact most likely due both to a further weakening of the use of inquiry-based educational practices adopted by teachers and to their reluctance to cooperate on a professional level, which hinders the diffusion of educational practices. I-CLEEN (Inquiring on CLimate and Energy, www.icleen.museum) is a service that offers a new type of link between schools and the complexity of climate change. The project took off in 2008 thanks to the Trento Science Museum (former Tridentine Museum of Natural Science), one of the major Italian science museums that includes both research and science education and dissemination departments. The main aim is to create, using the tools of professional cooperation, a free repository of educational resources that can support teachers in preparing inquiry-based lessons on climate change and earth system science topics, making the task less of a burden. I-CLEEN is inspired by many models, which include: the ARISE (Andrill Research Immersion for Science Educators), the OER (Open Educational Resources) models and those of other projects that have developed similar information gateways such as LRE (Learning Resource Exchange) and DLESE (Digital Library on Earth Science Education). One of the strategies devised by I-CLEEN is to rely upon an editorial team made up of a highly selected group of teachers that interacts with the researchers of the museum and of other Earth system science research centres like the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). Resource selection, production, revision and publication processes follow a specific procedure that was laid out in a selection policy document according to the guidelines established by the established standards. Thanks to this, all educational resources have a common layout and scientific relevance guaranteed by researcher review that both further facilitate users in taking them up. All the parts that make up the project and their respective activities are fully dealt with using an open source web platform called LifeRay. This platform and the metadata structure made it possible to publish I-CLEEN resources in international project repositories, such as Scientix. The role of the service is thus twofold, gathering local educational practices and linking them to leading international excellences in this field I-CLEEN won the first prize at the 2010 e-learning award and has also been evaluated to determine both the effectiveness of the service among teachers and also the user-friendliness of the Graphic User Interface of the project website. This contribution illustrates several aspects of the I-CLEEN, the results of the two evaluation activities and those coming from the analysis of the project website access data.

Shifting to an Inquiry-Based Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corder, Gregory; Slykhuis, Julie

2011-01-01

Teaching science with an inquiry-based approach can seem like an impossible challenge. However, it is achievable. One way to begin is by converting a cookbook-style lab (from the internet or a textbook) into an inquiry-based science experience. To convert a cookbook lab into an inquiry-based science experience, the authors propose the following…

The Effect on Elementary Science Education Based on Student's Pre-Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Houn Tae; Noh, Suk Goo

2017-01-01

In this research, after extracting the pre-inquiries (student-level question) for which students had curiosity in the elementary science and analyzing their correlation with the elementary science curriculum, highly correlated inquiries (meaningful pre-inquiries) were selected and applied in class. After organizing an experiment group and a…

"Almost Everything We Do Includes Inquiry": Fostering Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning with Preschool Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollingsworth, Heidi L.; Vandermaas-Peeler, Maureen

2017-01-01

Given the increased emphasis on science in early learning standards, two studies were conducted to investigate preschool teachers' efficacy for teaching science and their inquiry-based teaching practices. Fifty-one teachers completed a survey of their efficacy for teaching science and understanding of inquiry methods. Teachers reported moderate…

Conducting Science Inquiry in Primary Classrooms: Case Studies of Two Preservice Teachers' Inquiry-Based Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, Jacqueline; Boakes, Norma; Moore, Cara M.

2009-01-01

This study examined the impact of an intervention designed to promote inquiry-based instruction among early childhood/elementary preservice teachers in Earth science. Preservice teachers participated in training sessions and community-based internships to deepen Earth science content knowledge and develop inquiry-based practices. Analyses of Earth…

Science as a Second Language: Acquiring Fluency through Science Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shope, R. E.

2012-12-01

Science Enterprises are problems that students genuinely want to solve, questions that students genuinely want to answer, that naturally entail reading, writing, exploration, investigation, and discussion. Engaging students in personally-relevant science enterprises provides both a diagnostic opportunity and a context for providing students the comprehensible input they need. We can differentiate instruction by creating science enterprise zones that are set up for the incremental increase in challenge for the students. Comprehensible input makes reachable, those just-out-of-reach concepts in the mix of the familiar and the new. We explore a series of science enterprise tools that have been developed and implemented in the context of informal science education projects that have reached over 10,000 urban youth in the Greater Los Angles area over the past six years. 1) The ED3U Science Inquiry Model, a learning cycle model that accounts for conceptual change; 2) The ¿NQUIRY Wheel, a compass of scientific inquiry strategies; 3) Inquiry Science Expeditions, a way of laying out a science learning environment, emulating a field and lab research collaboratory; 4) The Science Educative Experience Scale, a diagnostic measure of the quality of the science learning experience; and 5) Science Mimes, participatory enactment of science understanding. Practical examples of Science Enterprises will be presented, including a range of projects: Watershed Ecology; Astrobiology; Mars Rovers; Planetary Science; Icy Worlds. BACKGROUND: Language Acquisition is an informal process that occurs in the midst of exploring, solving problems, seeking answers to questions, playing, reading for pleasure, conversing, discussing, where the focus is not specifically on language development, but on the activity, which is of interest to the participant. Language Learning is a formal education process, the language arts aspect of the school day: the direct teaching of reading, writing, grammar, spelling, and speaking. Fluency results primarily from language acquisition and secondarily from language learning. We can view the problem of science education and communication as similar to language acquisition. Science Learning is a formal education process, the school science aspect of the school day: the direct teaching of standards-aligned science content. Science Acquisition is an informal process that occurs in the midst of exploring, solving problems, seeking answers to questions, playing, experimenting for pleasure, conversing, discussing, where the focus is not specifically on science content development, but on the inquiry activity, driven by the curiosity of the participant. Comprehensible input refers to the premise that we acquire language in the midst of activity when we understand the message; that is, when we understand what we hear or what we read or what we see. Acquisition is caused by comprehensible input as it occurs in the midst of a rich environment of language activity while doing something of interest to the learner. Providing comprehensible input is not the same as oversimplifying or "dumbing down." It is devising ways to create conditions where the interest of the learner is piqued.

Approaches to Inquiry Teaching: Elementary teacher's perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ireland, Joseph; Watters, James J.; Lunn Brownlee, J.; Lupton, Mandy

2014-07-01

Learning science through the process of inquiry is advocated in curriculum documents across many jurisdictions. However, a number of studies suggest that teachers struggle to help students engage in inquiry practices. This is not surprising as many teachers of science have not engaged in scientific inquiry and possibly hold naïve ideas about what constitutes scientific inquiry. This study investigates teachers' self-reported approaches to teaching science through inquiry. Phenomenographic interviews undertaken with 20 elementary teachers revealed teachers identified six approaches to teaching for inquiry, clustered within three categories. These approaches were categorized as Free and Illustrated Inquiries as part of an Experience-centered category, Solution and Method Inquiries as part of a Problem-centered category, and Topic and Chaperoned Inquiries as part of a Question-centered category. This study contributes to our theoretical understanding of how teachers approach Inquiry Teaching and suggests fertile areas of future research into this valued and influential phenomenon broadly known as 'Inquiry Teaching'.

Inquiry and groups: student interactions in cooperative inquiry-based science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woods-McConney, Amanda; Wosnitza, Marold; Sturrock, Keryn L.

2016-03-01

Science education research has recommended cooperative inquiry based science in the primary science context for more than two decades but after more than 20 years, student achievement in science has not substantially improved. This study, through direct observation and analysis, investigated content-related student interactions in an authentic inquiry based primary science class setting. Thirty-one upper primary students were videotaped working in cooperative inquiry based science activities. Cooperative talk and negotiation of the science content was analysed to identify any high-level group interactions. The data show that while all groups have incidences of high-level content-related group interactions, the frequency and duration of these interactions were limited. No specific pattern of preceding events was identified and no episodes of high-level content-related group interactions were immediately preceded by the teacher's interactions with the groups. This in situ study demonstrated that even without any kind of scaffolding, specific skills in knowing how to implement cooperative inquiry based science, high-level content-related group interactions did occur very briefly. Support for teachers to develop their knowledge and skills in facilitating cooperative inquiry based science learning is warranted to ensure that high-level content-related group interactions and the associated conceptual learning are not left to chance in science classrooms.

Crossing the Border from Science Student to Science Teacher: Preservice Teachers' Views and Experiences Learning to Teach Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Emily J. S.; Bianchini, Julie A.; Kelly, Gregory J.

2013-01-01

Preservice science teachers face numerous challenges in understanding and teaching science as inquiry. Over the course of their teacher education program, they are expected to move from veteran science students with little experience learning their discipline through inquiry instruction to beginning science teachers adept at implementing inquiry…

Communicating climate science to high school students in the Arctic: Adventure Learning @ Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hougham, R. J.; Miller, B.; Cox, C. J.

2012-12-01

Adventure Learning @ Greenland (AL@GL) engaged high school students in atmospheric research in the Arctic and in local environments to enhance climate literacy. The overarching objective for this project was to support climate literacy in high school students, specifically the concept of energy exchange between the Earth, atmosphere, and space. The goal then is to produce a model of education and outreach for remote STEM research that can be used to meaningfully engage K-12 and public communities. Over the course of the program experience, students conducted scientific inquiry associated with their place that supported a more focused science content at a field location. Approximately 45 students participated in the hybrid learning environments as part of this project at multiple locations in Idaho, USA, and Greenland. In Greenland, the Summit Camp research station located on the Greenland Ice Sheet was the primary location. The AL@GL project provided a compelling opportunity to engage students in an inquiry-based curriculum alongside a cutting-edge geophysical experiment at Summit: the Integrated Characterization of Energy, Clouds, Atmospheric state, and Precipitation at Summit (ICECAPS) experiment. ICECAPS measures parameters that are closely tied to those identified in student misconceptions. Thus, ICECAPS science and the AL@ approach combined to create a learning environment that was practical, rich, and engaging. Students participating in this project were diverse, rural, and traditionally underrepresented. Groups included: students participating in a field school at Kangerlussuaq, Greenland and Summit Station as members of the JSEP; students at MOSS will were part of the Upward Bound Math Science (UBMS) and HOIST (Helping Orient Indian Students and Teachers) project. These project serve high school students who are first college generation and from low-income families. JSEP is an international group of students from the United States, Greenland, and Denmark. As a result of this project a model for education and outreach for remote science research was developed. The AL@ GL project was interested in the impact on student science and climate literacy. Survey data was collected from student participants two times and the surveys included questions pertaining to student knowledge of atmospheric science and climate and their impressions on scientific inquiry, and student interest and skills in technology. A subset of students were interviewed using a semi-structured, open-ended protocol at the end of the AL@ GL expedition. Beyond reaching 45 students directly through AL@GL instruction and field experiences, the web-based platform for communicating within this project reached over 10,000 site visits. This platform can be viewed at adventurelearningat.org and includes photos, videos and authentic narratives of the students and scientists involved with the project. The Adventure Learning @ (AL@) approach presents a powerful tool for teaching and learning exploring novel places through technology-rich curricula. By defining problems of local interest, and working with experts with local knowledge who have connections to the community, students can come to think of themselves as experts, scientists, and problem solvers within their own places.

Development of interest in science and interest in teaching elementary science: Influence of informal, school, and inquiry methods course experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulunuz, Mizrap

Inquiry-based science instruction is a major goal of science education reform. However, there is little research examining how preservice elementary teachers might be motivated to teach through inquiry. This quantitative study was designed to examine the role of background experiences and an inquiry science methods course on interest in science and interest in teaching science. The course included many activities and assignments at varying levels of inquiry, designed to teach content and inquiry methods and to model effective teaching. The study involved analyses of surveys completed by students in the course on their experiences with science before, during, and at the end of the course. The following questions guided the design of this study and analysis of the data: (1) What science background experiences (school, home, and informal education) do participants have and how do those experiences affect initial interest in science? (2) Among the hands-on activities in the methods course, is there a relationship between level of inquiry of the activity and the motivational quality (interesting, fun, and learning) of the activity? (3) Does the course affect participants' interest and attitude toward science? (4) What aspects of the course contribute to participants' interest in teaching science and choice to teach science? Descriptive and inferential analysis of a background survey revealed that participants with high and low initial interest in science differed significantly on remembering about elementary school science and involvement in science related activities in childhood/youth. Analysis of daily ratings of each hands-on activity on motivational qualities (fun, interest, and learning) indicated that there were significant differences in motivational quality of the activities by level of inquiry with higher levels of inquiry rated more positively. Pre/post surveys indicated that participants increased in interest in science and a number of variables reflecting more positive feelings about science and science teaching. Regression analysis found that the best predictors for interest in teaching science were experiencing fun activities in the science methods course followed by the interest participants brought to the course. This study highlights the motivational aspects of the methods course in developing interest in science and interest in teaching science.

Effects of Web based inquiry on physical science teachers and students in an urban school district

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, Joanne

An inquiry approach in teaching science has been advocated by many science educators for the past few decades. Due to insufficient district funding for science teaching, inadequate science laboratory facilities, and outdated science materials, inquiry teaching has been difficult for many science teachers, particularly science teachers in urban settings. However, research shows that the availability of computers with high speed Internet access has increased in all school districts. This study focused on the effects of inservice training on teachers and using web based science inquiry activities with ninth grade physical science students. Participants were 16 science teachers and 474 physical science students in an urban school district of a large southern U.S. city. Students were divided into control and experimental groups. The students in the experimental group participated in web based inquiry activities. Students in the control group were taught using similar methods, but not web based science activities. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected over a nine-week period using instruments and focus group interviews of students' and teachers' perceptions of the classroom learning environment, students' achievement, lesson design and classroom implementation, science content of lesson, and classroom culture. The findings reported that there were no significant differences in teachers' perception of the learning environment before and after implementing web based inquiry activities. The findings also reported that there were no overall significant differences in students' perceptions of the learning environment and achievement, pre-survey to post-survey, pre-test to post-test, between the control group and experimental group. Additional findings disclosed that students in the experimental group learned in a collaborative environment. The students confirmed that collaborating with others contributed to a deeper understanding of the science content. This study provides insights about utilizing technology to promote science inquiry teaching and learning. This study describes students' and teachers' perceptions of using web based inquiry to support scientific inquiry.

Science education reform in an elementary school: An investigation of collaboration and inquiry in a school with an emphasis on language arts and fine arts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martini, Mariana

This investigation was framed within the science education reform, which proposes to change the way science is taught and promotes the implementation of inquiry-based teaching approaches. The implementation of inquiry science teaching represents a move away from traditional didactic teaching styles, a transition that requires change in the assumptions underlying the philosophy of traditional science instruction. Another theme in the reform literature is the establishment of collaboration between teachers and researchers or scientists as a way to implement reform practices. Situated within this reform climate, this research aimed to investigate science education at an elementary school with a history of implementing reform ideas in the areas of language arts and fine arts. I employed an ethnographic methodology to examine the nature of a teacher-researcher relationship in the context of the school's culture and teachers' practices. The findings indicate that change was not pervasive. Reform ideas were implemented only in the areas of language arts and fine arts. Situated within a district that promoted an accountability climate, the school disregarded science education and opposed the use of constructivist-based pedagogies, and did not have a strong science program. Since science was not tested, teachers spent little (if any) time teaching science. All participants firmly perceived the existence of several barriers to the implementation of inquiry: (a) lack of time: teachers spent excessive time to prepare students for tests, (b) nature of science teaching: materials and set preparation, (c) lack of content knowledge, (d) lack of pedagogical content knowledge, and (e) lack of opportunities to develop professional knowledge. In spite of the barriers, the school had two assets: an outdoor facility and two enthusiastic teachers who were lead science teachers, in spite of the their lack of content and pedagogical science knowledge. Collaboration between the researcher and each teacher was developmental. Defining who we are and how we approach the work ahead played an important part in the relationship. It took time to build trust and change the modus operandi from a cooperation to a collaboration project. Despite the constraints faced, collaboration had a positive effect on us.

Dilemmas of Teaching Inquiry in Elementary Science Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, William J., Jr.; Abell, Sandra K.; Hubbard, Paula D.; McDonald, James; Otaala, Justine; Martini, Mariana

2004-01-01

Because various definitions of inquiry exist in the science education literature and in classroom practice, elementary science methods students and instructors face dilemmas during the study of inquiry. Using field notes, instructor anecdotal notes, student products, and course artifacts, science methods course instructors created fictional…

Closing the Gap: Inquiry in Research and the Secondary Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gengarelly, Lara M.; Abrams, Eleanor D.

2009-01-01

Teaching students how to conduct authentic scientific inquiry is an essential aspect of recent science education reform efforts. Our National Science Foundation-funded GK-12 program paired science graduate students--fellows--with secondary science teachers in order to enhance inquiry-based instruction. This research examined the roles of the…

Professional development, practice, and teacher discourse communities: How an urban high school science teacher negotiated inquiry practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deneroff, Victoria Matzenauer

This is an ethnographic case study of one urban high school science teacher who was attempting to use inquiry-based teaching in her practice. Rather than focusing on pedagogy, the study examines the social networks and communities of practice in which Marie Gonzalez participated. I make the argument that science teaching is a Discourse (Gee, 1990), and that teaching inquiry science means constructing an identity as a participant in what I call the Discourse of Inquiry. I also use discourse analysis to tease out a Discourse of Traditional Science Teaching. I conclude that the Traditional and Inquiry Discourses mediate a teacher's ideas of what it means to teach, and that, while Inquiry teachers are "bilingual", that is, able to participate in both Discourses, Traditional teachers are deaf to the Discourse of Inquiry. Moreover, in my study there is convincing evidence that administrators charged with evaluation were also unfamiliar with the Discourse of Inquiry and were therefore unable to provide support for Marie's inquiry practice. In light of these findings, it is not at all surprising that Marie found it quite difficult to use inquiry-based pedagogy. In order for teachers to adopt discourse-based reforms such as inquiry, the Discourse must be available to teachers in their workplaces.

Pre-Service Science Teachers in Xinjiang "Scientific Inquiry" - Pedagogical Content Knowledge Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Yufeng; Xiong, Jianwen

2012-01-01

Scientific inquiry is one of the science curriculum content, "Scientific inquiry" - Pedagogical Content Knowledge is the face of scientific inquiry and teachers - of course pedagogical content knowledge and scientific inquiry a teaching practice with more direct expertise. Pre-service teacher training phase of acquisition of knowledge is…

The Relationship in Biology between the Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kremer, Kerstin; Specht, Christiane; Urhahne, Detlef; Mayer, Jürgen

2014-01-01

Informed understandings of nature of science and scientific inquiry are generally accepted goals of biology education. This article points out central features of scientific inquiry with relation to biology and the nature of science in general terms and focuses on the relationship of students' inquiry skills in biology and their beliefs on the…

A Well-Started Beginning Elementary Teacher's Beliefs and Practices in Relation to Reform Recommendations about Inquiry-Based Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avraamidou, Lucy

2017-01-01

Given reform recommendations emphasizing scientific inquiry and empirical evidence pointing to the difficulties beginning teachers face in enacting inquiry-based science, this study explores a well-started beginning elementary teacher's (Sofia) beliefs about inquiry-based science and related instructional practices. In order to explore Sofia's…

Designing a Children's Recreation Room

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mi Yeon

2015-01-01

Project-based learning (PBL) is an effective approach to STEM education because it allows students to experience scientific inquiry by using their knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to solve realistic problems. PBL consists of four components: (1) posing and comprehending a driving question; (2)…

Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program: Green Earth Enhanced with Inquiry and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hanna

2011-12-01

This study investigated the effectiveness of a guided inquiry integrated with technology, in terms of female middle-school students' attitudes toward science/scientists and content knowledge regarding selective science concepts (e.g., Greenhouse Effect, Air/Water Quality, Alternative Energy, and Human Health). Thirty-five female students who were entering eighth grade attended an intensive, 1-week Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program which used a main theme, "Green Earth Enhanced with Inquiry and Technology." We used pre- and post-attitude surveys, pre- and post-science content knowledge tests, and selective interviews to collect data and measure changes in students' attitudes and content knowledge. The study results indicated that at the post-intervention measures, participants significantly improved their attitudes toward science and science-related careers and increased their content knowledge of selected science concepts ( p < .05).

Improving the Pipeline of Women in STEM Fields: Addressing Challenges in Instruction, Engagement, and Evaluation of an Aerospace Workshop Series for Girl Scouts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sealfon, C. D.; Plummer, J. D.

2012-08-01

The Women in Aerospace and Technology Project (WATP) is a collaborative effort between the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, the American Helicopter Museum, Boeing Rotorcraft, Sikorsky Global Helicopters, Drexel University, West Chester University, and Arcadia University. The program aims to increase the representation of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields; the evaluation team identified a secondary goal to assess growth in participants' understanding of scientific inquiry. Girls, grades 4-12, were invited to join Girl Scout troops formed at the American Helicopter Museum to participate in a series of eight workshops on the physics and engineering of flight. Five college women majoring in physics and engineering were recruited as mentors for the girls. Lessons were written by local aerospace industry partners (including Boeing and Sikorsky); the mentors then taught the lessons and activities during the workshops. To evaluate the impact of this project, we collected data to answer two research questions: 1) In what ways does the program impact participants' attitudes towards science and interest in pursuing science as a career? 2) In what ways does the program impact participants' understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry? In this article we summarize results from two sources of data: before and after survey of attitudes about science and end-of-workshop informal questionnaires. Across the seven months of data collection, two challenges became apparent. First, our assessment goals, focusing on scientific interest and inquiry, seemed misaligned with the workshop curricula, which emphasized engineering and design. Secondly, there was little connection among activities within workshops and across the program.

Inservice teachers' implementation of the Science Writing Heuristic as a tool for professional growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omar, Sozan H.

According to the National Science Standards, science educators have been calling for the inclusion of inquiry-based approaches in science classrooms as a reform for science instruction. Teachers' reluctance to implement inquiry-based approaches may be attributed to the different interpretations of the underpinning theory. Any efforts to help teachers implement effective teaching approaches, therefore, should not target merely additive skills; rather, such efforts should foster fundamental changes of beliefs, knowledge, and habits of practice that teachers deeply hold. This study is a part of a bigger project known as the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) Partnership Professional Development Project, conducted at Iowa State University in association with the Iowa Department of Education to help improve science teaching. The aim of the project is to help in service science teachers understand and apply a student-oriented instructional approach, using the SWH. The framework of the SWH emphasizes the role of classroom dialogical discussion in students' learning. The role of the teacher when implementing constructivist approaches represented in a student-oriented instruction, differs markedly from traditional approaches, and hence there is a need to study the changes in teaching practice when using this specific tool. The methodological framework of this study combined qualitative and quantitative methods. Interpretative case studies for 18 science teachers are presented. A triangulation strategy was used to provide support for the qualitative findings using three different data collection approaches: observation, questionnaire, and interviews. Quantitative data in the form of student performance on higher order conceptual questions and total test scores were collected. Teachers varied in their implementation of the SWH. Three criteria were constructed to define teachers' levels of implementation: epistemological belief, pedagogical practice, and teacher content knowledge. Different components were included within each criterion, with three scales used to rank each teacher's implementation within each criterion. The study is pointing to the importance of assisting science teachers with effective pedagogical strategies if there is to be an impact on students' performance on tests. This project was undertaken with partnerships between schools, Area Educational Agencies, and the University. Such partnerships need to be built to promote successful change to science teaching.

A phenomenological study of assessment methods in the inquiry-based science classroom: How do educators decide?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tash, Gina G.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of science educators as they select and develop assessment methods for inquiry learning. Balancing preparations for standardized tests and authentic inquiry assessment experiences can be challenging for science educators. The review of literature revealed that current research focused on instructional methods and assessment, students' assessment experiences, and teachers' instructional methods experiences. There remains a gap in current literature regarding the experiences of science educators as they select and develop assessment methods for inquiry learning. This study filled the gap by providing a description of the experiences of science educators as they select and develop assessments for inquiry learning. The participants in this study were 16 fifth through eighth grade science teachers who participate in the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) in northwest Alabama. A phenomenological research method was chosen in order to describe the experiences of AMSTI science teachers as they select and develop assessments for inquiry learning. Data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions. The data analysis used a modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen framework. The results showed AMSTI science teachers use a variety of assessment resources and methods, feel pressures to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), and implement varying degrees of change in their assessment process due to No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Contributing a positive social change, this study's findings supplied science teachers with descriptions of successful inquiry classrooms and creative assessments that correspond to inquiry-based learning methods.

Attitudes and beliefs, about inquiry science, of middle level and secondary science teachers in northwest Arkansas and northwest Oklahoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dockers, Jean E.

A This study attempted to close gaps in the literature with regards to implementation of inquiry practices in secondary science classrooms. In addition, the areas and ways in which practice ties to beliefs and experiences in the area of inquiry were examined. This study introduces an instrument that could be used to assess teachers' attitudes and beliefs about inquiry teaching practices and potential barriers to teaching science using an inquiry approach. Because the efficacy of reform efforts rests largely with teachers, their voices need to be included in the design and implementation of inquiry---based curriculum. This study helps to clarify the need for future research to examine inquiry as a pedagogical approach. If we desire pre-service teachers to teach using an inquiry approach when they have their own classrooms, they must know how to plan, implement, and assess inquiry science lessons, not just have experienced "inquiry lessons" as a student. One unique finding in this study was in the area of licensure and teaching style. Other studies found that in general traditionally licensed teachers felt better prepared to teach. This study found that participants who were alternatively certified incorporated characteristics of inquiry less often than those with traditional certification. This indicates that more research is needed in the area of certification and the affect it may have on quality of instruction for specific content areas like science.

Bringing Real Solar Physics to the High School Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seaton, Daniel

2006-06-01

UNH's Partnership for Research Opportunities to Benefit Education (PROBE) project sends graduate students into high school classrooms across New Hampshire in order to help introduce students to authentic scientific inquiry. As one of ten graduate fellows, I worked with students in in ninth through twelfth grades in physical science, physics, earth science, and astronomy classes; helping students carry out individual and class projects on physics and solar physics. Projects related to solar physics included the production and analysis of plasma using a microwave oven, measurement of the solar constant, measurement of the solar rotation rate, solar spectroscopy, analysis of data from TRACE and SOHO, and the construction of various solar-powered devices. This work was generously supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation's GK-12 initiative (NSF#0338277).

Investigating the Relationship between Teachers' Nature of Science Conceptions and Their Practice of Inquiry Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atar, Hakan Yavuz; Gallard, Alejandro

2011-01-01

In addition to recommending inquiry as the primary approach to teaching science, developers of recent reform efforts in science education have also strongly suggested that teachers develop a sound understanding of the nature of science. Most studies on teachers' NOS conceptions and inquiry beliefs investigated these concepts of teachers' NOS…

Elementary teachers' ideas about, planning for and implementation of learner-directed and teacher-directed inquiry: A mixed methods study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biggers, Mandy Sue

Using a framework for variations of classroom inquiry (National Research Council [NRC], 2000, p. 29), this study explored 40 inservice elementary teachers' planning, modification, and enactment of kit-based science curriculum materials. As part of the study, a new observation protocol was modified from an existing protocol (Practices of Science Observation Protocol [P-SOP]) to measure the amount of teacher direction in science inquiry lessons (Practices of Science Observation Protocol + Directedness [P-SOPd]). An embedded mixed methods design was employed to investigate four questions: 1. How valid and reliable is the P-SOPd? 2. In what ways do inservice elementary teachers adapt existing elementary science curriculum materials across the inquiry continuum? 3. What is the relationship between the overall quality of inquiry and variations of inquiry in elementary teachers' enacted science instruction? 4. How do inservice elementary teachers' ideas about the inquiry continuum influence their adaptation of elementary science curriculum materials? Each teacher chose three lessons from a science unit for video-recorded observation, and submitted lesson plans for the three lessons. Lesson plans and videos were scored using the P-SOPd. The scores were also compared between the two protocols to determine if a correlation existed between the level of inquiry (measured on the P-SOP) and the amount of teacher direction (measured on the P-SOPd). Findings indicated no significant differences between planned and enacted lessons for the amount of teacher direction, but a correlation existed between the level of inquiry and the amount of teacher direction. In effect, the elementary teachers taught their science curriculum materials with a high level of fidelity for both the features of inquiry and the amount of teacher direction. A smaller group of three case study teachers were followed for the school year to give a more in-depth explanation of the quantitative findings. Case study findings revealed that the teachers' science instruction was teacher-directed while their conceptions of inquiry were student-directed. This study contributes to existing research on preservice teachers' learning about the continuum (Biggers & Forbes, 2012) and inservice teachers' ideas about the five features of inquiry (Biggers & Forbes, in press).

Project science inquiry: An exploration of elementary teachers' beliefs and perceptions about science teaching and learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, Dawn Renee

This dissertation examined elementary teachers' beliefs and perceptions of effective science instruction and documents how these teachers interpret and implement a model for Inquiry-Based (I-B) science in their classrooms. The study chronicles a group of teachers working in a large public school division and documents how these teachers interpret and implement reform-based science methods after participating in a professional development course on I-B science methods administered by the researcher. I-B science teaching and its implementation is discussed as an example of one potential method to address the current call for national education reform to meet the increasing needs of all students to achieve scientific literacy and the role of teachers in that effort. The conviction in science reform efforts is that all students are able to learn science and consequently must be given the crucial opportunities in the right environment that permits optimal science learning in our nation's schools. Following this group of teachers as they attempted to deliver I-B science teaching revealed challenges elementary science teachers face and the professional supports necessary for them to effectively meet science standards. This dissertation serves as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at George Mason University.

Project LAUNCH: Bringing Space into Math and Science Classrooms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fauerbach, M.; Henry, D. P.; Schmidt, D. L.

2005-01-01

Project LAUNCH is a K-12 teacher professional development program, which has been created in collaboration between the Whitaker Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology Education at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), and the Florida Space Research Institute (FSRI). Utilizing Space as the overarching theme it is designed to improve mathematics and science teaching, using inquiry based, hands-on teaching practices, which are aligned with Florida s Sunshine State Standards. Many students are excited about space exploration and it provides a great venue to get them involved in science and mathematics. The scope of Project LAUNCH however goes beyond just providing competency in the subject area, as pedagogy is also an intricate part of the project. Participants were introduced to the Conceptual Change Model (CCM) [1] as a framework to model good teaching practices. As the CCM closely follows what scientists call the scientific process, this teaching method is also useful to actively engage institute participants ,as well as their students, in real science. Project LAUNCH specifically targets teachers in low performing, high socioeconomic schools, where the need for skilled teachers is most critical.

An examination of how middle school science teachers conduct collaborative inquiry and reflection about students' conceptual understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todd-Gibson, Christine

This qualitative case study examined how middle school science teachers conducted collaborative inquiry and reflection about students' conceptual understanding, and how individual teachers in the middle school science group acted and made reflections in response to their collaborative inquiry. It also examined external influences that affected the teachers' ability to engage in collaborative inquiry. Observational, written, and interview data were collected from observations of teachers' face-to-face meetings and reflections, individual interviews, a focus group interview, and online reflections. The results of this study revealed that collaborative inquiry is a form of professional development that includes answering curricular questions through observation, communication, action, and reflection. This approach was developed and implemented by middle school science teachers. The premise of an inquiry is based on a need with students. Middle school science teachers came to consensus about actions to affect students' conceptual understanding, took action as stated, and shared their reflections of the actions taken with consideration to current and upcoming school activities. Activities involved teachers brainstorming and sharing with one another, talking about how the variables were merged into their curriculum, and how they impacted students' conceptual understanding. Teachers valued talking with one another about science content and pedagogy, but did find the inquiry portion of the approach to require more development. The greatest challenge to conducting collaborative inquiry and reflection was embedding teacher inquiry within a prescribed inquiry that was already being conducted by the Sundown School District. Collaborative inquiry should be structured so that it meets the needs of teachers in order to attend to the needs of students. A conducive atmosphere for collaborative inquiry and reflection is one in which administrators make the process mandatory and facilitate the process by removing an existing inquiry.

The Inspiring Science Education project and the resources for HEP analysis by university students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fassouliotis, Dimitris; Kourkoumelis, Christine; Vourakis, Stylianos

2016-11-01

The Inspiring Science Education outreach project has been running for more than two years, creating a large number of inquiry based educational resources for high-school teachers and students. Its goal is the promotion of science education in schools though new methods built on the inquiry based education techniques, involving large consortia of European partners and implementation of large-scale pilots in schools. Recent hands-on activities, developing and testing the above mentioned innovative applications are reviewed. In general, there is a lack for educational scenaria and laboratory courses earmarked for more advanced, namely university, students. At the University of Athens for the last four years, the HYPATIA on-line event analysis tool has been used as a lab course for fourth year undergraduate physics students, majoring in HEP. Up to now, the course was limited to visual inspection of a few tens of ATLAS events. Recently the course was enriched with additional analysis exercises, which involve large samples of events. The students through a user friendly interface can analyse the samples and optimize the cut selection in order to search for new physics. The implementation of this analysis is described.

Partnerships Between K-12 Schools and Universities: Who Benefits?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regens, N.; Hall-Wallace, M. K.

2001-05-01

Collaborations between K-12 schools and universities for the purpose of improving science education are growing in number, but many question their effectiveness. After many years of outreach to local teachers, schools and districts, we have developed a collaboration that more effectively addresses school district goals and needs while providing university faculty and graduate students with real opportunities to contribute to science education in the schools. Funded by the NSF GK-12 program, we are working directly with school district curriculum specialists and classroom teachers to implement inquiry-based science investigations. Projects range from developing long-term research projects in middle and high school classrooms to assisting K-6 teachers in using kit-based science curriculum. As part of our program, we have gathered several types of data to document the impact of our efforts. Using surveys of knowledge and attitudes, we measured significant improvements in college student's knowledge and attitudes about inquiry teaching methods and the K-12 education system. Through analysis of the college student's journals, we have also documented critical elements of an effective collaboration. These journals, combined with evaluations by classroom teachers, provide evidence of how the program impacts the graduate students professionally. We have also surveyed classroom teachers to measure the impact of the college students on their attitudes about teaching science and the long-term impact of the collaboration on their classroom teaching.

Bringing Geoscientific Practices to Schools Through Guided Inquiry and the NSF-MSP-funded RITES Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardace, D.; Schifman, L. A.; Kortz, K. M.; Saul, K.; Veeger, A. I.; Murray, D. P.

2012-12-01

The Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science (RITES) Project is in its fifth of five years of funding from the NSF Math Science Partnership Program. At this stage, RITES has exceptional engagement of school districts across Rhode Island and growing momentum with partners in schools (covering the demographic spectrum present in Rhode Island) to enhance science education state-wide. One RITES product that will endure is the wide use by teachers of a Rock Cycle focused guided inquiry module, of constructivist design, that corresponds well to both the Rhode Island Grade Span Expectations (GSE) and the Next Generation Science Standards (with probable nationwide implementation) released in May 2012. The Rock Cycle teaching module has been piloted and edited following use in middle and high school classrooms. In this presentation, we evaluate the implementation fidelity of this curricular module, integrating commentary by the design team (Kortz and Saul) with data from teacher interviews, teacher reports on class use, and focus groups during which teachers discuss successes and challenges pertinent to the Rock Cycle from classroom experiences. In this presentation, we pay particular attention to the skills developed through the Rock Cycle module that resonate with research-supported approaches, such as observation, evidence-based hypothesis resolution, diverse science communication strategies, etc., all of which are also necessary scientific research skills.

Inquiry-Based Learning in China: Lesson Learned for School Science Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nuangchalerm, Prasart

2014-01-01

Inquiry-based learning is widely considered for science education in this era. This study aims to explore inquiry-based learning in teacher preparation program and the findings will help us to understanding what inquiry-based classroom is and how inquiry-based learning are. Data were collected by qualitative methods; classroom observation,…

A Comparative Analysis of Earth Science Curriculum Using Inquiry Methodology between Korean and the U.S. Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Mira; Park, Do-Yong; Lee, Robert E.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate in what ways the inquiry task of teaching and learning in earth science textbooks reflect the unique characteristics of earth science inquiry methodology, and how it provides students with opportunities to develop their scientific reasoning skills. This study analyzes a number of inquiry activities in…

The Challenges of Science Inquiry Teaching for Pre-Service Teachers in Elementary Classrooms: Difficulties on and under the Scene

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Hye-Gyoung; Joung, Yong Jae; Kim, Mijung

2012-01-01

In the context of the emphasis on inquiry teaching in science education, this study looks into how pre-service elementary teachers understand and practice science inquiry teaching during field experience. By examining inquiry lesson preparation, practice, and reflections of pre-service elementary teachers, we attempt to understand the difficulties…

Giving Children Space: A Phenomenological Exploration of Student Experiences in Space Science Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horne, Christopher R.

2011-01-01

This study explores the experiences of 4th grade students in an inquiry-based space science classroom. At the heart of the study lies the essential question: What is the lived experience of children engaged in the process of space science inquiry? Through the methodology of phenomenological inquiry, the author investigates the essence of the lived…

Teachers' Inclusive Strategies to Accommodate 5th Grade Pupils' Crossing of Cultural Borders in Two Greek Multicultural Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piliouras, Panagiotis; Evangelou, Odysseas

2012-04-01

The demographic changes in Greek schools underline the need for reconsidering the way in which migrant pupils move from their everyday culture into the culture of school science (a process known as "cultural border crossing"). Migrant pupils might face difficulties when they attempt to transcend cultural borders and this may influence their progress in science as well as the construction of suitable academic identities as a means of promoting scientific literacy. In the research we present in this paper, adopting the socioculturally driven thesis that learning can be viewed and studied as a meaning-making, collaborative inquiry process, we implemented an action research program (school year 2008-2009) in cooperation with two teachers, in a primary school of Athens with 85% migrant pupils. We examined whether the two teachers, who became gradually acquainted with cross-cultural pedagogy during the project, act towards accommodating the crossing of cultural borders by implementing a variety of inclusive strategies in science teaching. Our findings reveal that both teachers utilized suitable cross-border strategies (strategies concerning the establishment of a collaborative inquiry learning environment, and strategies that were in accordance with a cross-border pedagogy) to help students cross smoothly from their "world" to the "world of science". A crucial key to the teachers' expertise was their previous participation in collaborative action research (school years 2004-2006), in which they analyzed their own discourse practices during science lessons in order to establish more collaborative inquiry environments.

Structural equation model of the relationships among inquiry-based instruction, attitudes toward science, achievement in science, and gender

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, Stephen R.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the muddled state of the magnitude and direction of the relationships among inquiry-based instruction, attitudes toward science, and science achievement, as students progressed from middle school into high school. The problem under investigation was two-fold. The first was to create and test a structural equation model describing the direction and magnitude of the relationships. The second was to determine gender differences in the relationships. Data collected from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY) over a three-year period were used to create and test the structural equation model. Results of this study indicate inquiry-based instruction is effective in positively influencing 7th- and 8th-grade students' understandings of science concepts. Additionally, inquiry-based instruction does not have an adverse influence on science achievement in 9th grade. If the primary goal is science achievement, then an inquiry-based approach to instruction is effective. On the other hand, if the primary goal of science instruction is to positively influence students' attitudes toward science (in particular, perceptions of the usefulness of science) then inquiry-based approaches may not be the most effective method of instruction. Inquiry-based instruction adversely influences 7th-grade males' attitudes toward science and has no significant influence on 7th-grade females' attitudes toward science. In 8th grade, inquiry-based instruction has no significant influence on either genders' attitudes toward science. Not until the 9th grade does inquiry-based instruction have a significantly positive influence on males' and females' perceptions of the usefulness of science. Additionally, prior attitudes toward science significantly influences science achievement only in 8th grade and science achievement influences attitudes toward science only in 9th grade. Recommendations for further research are based on the findings and limitations of this study. Methodological concerns and recommendations focus primarily on limitations in the design of this study and the use of large-scale databases. Theoretical concerns focus on recommendations for areas of additional research; principally, they are based on theoretical questions arising out of this study.

Conceptual planning for Space Station life sciences human research project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Primeaux, Gary R.; Miller, Ladonna J.; Michaud, Roger B.

1986-01-01

The Life Sciences Research Facility dedicated laboratory is currently undergoing system definition within the NASA Space Station program. Attention is presently given to the Humam Research Project portion of the Facility, in view of representative experimentation requirement scenarios and with the intention of accommodating the Facility within the Initial Operational Capability configuration of the Space Station. Such basic engineering questions as orbital and ground logistics operations and hardware maintenance/servicing requirements are addressed. Biospherics, calcium homeostasis, endocrinology, exercise physiology, hematology, immunology, muscle physiology, neurosciences, radiation effects, and reproduction and development, are among the fields of inquiry encompassed by the Facility.

A set of vertically integrated inquiry-based practical curricula that develop scientific thinking skills for large cohorts of undergraduate students.

PubMed

Zimbardi, Kirsten; Bugarcic, Andrea; Colthorpe, Kay; Good, Jonathan P; Lluka, Lesley J

2013-12-01

Science graduates require critical thinking skills to deal with the complex problems they will face in their 21st century workplaces. Inquiry-based curricula can provide students with the opportunities to develop such critical thinking skills; however, evidence suggests that an inappropriate level of autonomy provided to underprepared students may not only be daunting to students but also detrimental to their learning. After a major review of the Bachelor of Science, we developed, implemented, and evaluated a series of three vertically integrated courses with inquiry-style laboratory practicals for early-stage undergraduate students in biomedical science. These practical curricula were designed so that students would work with increasing autonomy and ownership of their research projects to develop increasingly advanced scientific thinking and communication skills. Students undertaking the first iteration of these three vertically integrated courses reported learning gains in course content as well as skills in scientific writing, hypothesis construction, experimental design, data analysis, and interpreting results. Students also demonstrated increasing skills in both hypothesis formulation and communication of findings as a result of participating in the inquiry-based curricula and completing the associated practical assessment tasks. Here, we report the specific aspects of the curricula that students reported as having the greatest impact on their learning and the particular elements of hypothesis formulation and communication of findings that were more challenging for students to master. These findings provide important implications for science educators concerned with designing curricula to promote scientific thinking and communication skills alongside content acquisition.

Teacher challenges, perceptions, and use of science models in middle school classrooms about climate, weather, and energy concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarker, Morgan Brown

Research suggests that scientific models and modeling should be topics covered in K-12 classrooms as part of a comprehensive science curriculum. It is especially important when talking about topics in weather and climate, where computer and forecast models are the center of attention. There are several approaches to model based inquiry, but it can be argued, theoretically, that science models can be effectively implemented into any approach to inquiry if they are utilized appropriately. Yet, it remains to be explored how science models are actually implemented in classrooms. This study qualitatively looks at three middle school science teachers' use of science models with various approaches to inquiry during their weather and climate units. Results indicate that the teacher who used the most elements of inquiry used models in a way that aligned best with the theoretical framework than the teachers who used fewer elements of inquiry. The theoretical framework compares an approach to argument-based inquiry to model-based inquiry, which argues that the approaches are essentially identical, so teachers who use inquiry should be able to apply model-based inquiry using the same approach. However, none of the teachers in this study had a complete understanding of the role models play in authentic science inquiry, therefore students were not explicitly exposed to the ideas that models can be used to make predictions about, and are representations of, a natural phenomenon. Rather, models were explicitly used to explain concepts to students or have students explain concepts to the teacher or to each other. Additionally, models were used as a focal point for conversation between students, usually as they were creating, modifying, or using models. Teachers were not observed asking students to evaluate models. Since science models are an important aspect of understanding science, it is important that teachers not only know how to implement models into an inquiry environment, but also understand the characteristics of science models so that they can explicitly teach the concept of modeling to students. This study suggests that better pre-service and in-service teacher education is needed to prepare students to teach about science models effectively.

An investigation into the factors that motivate teachers to implement inquiry in the science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robbins, Beth Schieber

Inquiry-based science teaching is an inductive approach to science instruction that originated in constructivist learning theory and requires students to be active participants in their own learning process. In an inquiry-based classroom, students actively construct their knowledge of science through hands-on, engaged practices and inquiry-based approaches. Inquiry-based teaching stands in contrast to more traditional forms of teaching that see students as empty vessels to be filled by the teacher with rote facts. Despite calls from the NSF, the NRC, and the AAAS for more inquiry-based approaches to teaching science, research has shown that many teachers still do not use inquiry-based approaches. Teachers have cited difficulties including lack of time, high-stakes testing, a shortage of materials, problems with school-wide logistics, rigid science curricula, student passivity, and lack of prerequisite skills. The objective of this mixed-methods study was to examine to what extent specific, identifiable personality traits contribute to the likelihood that a teacher will use inquiry in the science classroom, and what factors figure predominantly as teachers' reasons for implementing inquiry. The findings of the study showed that the null hypotheses were not rejected. However, reduced conscientiousness and increased openness may be significant in indicating why teachers use inquiry-based teaching methods and avenues for further research. In addition, the qualitative results aligned with previous findings that showed that lack of resources (e.g., time and money) and peer support act as powerful barriers to implementing inquiry-based teaching. Inquiry teachers are flexible, come to teaching as a second or third career, and their classrooms can be characterized as chaotic, fun, and conducive to learning through engagement. The study suggests changes in practice among administrators and teachers. With adjustments in methods and survey instruments, additional research could provide valuable insights and further recommendations. Overall, this study has yielded information that may lead to changes in both practice and thinking related to inquiry-based teaching and learning.

Genetic Robots: An Integrated Art and Biology Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schramm, Susan L.

2000-01-01

Describes the design and implementation of an integrated art and science curriculum "Genetic Robotics: A Three-Dimensional Scientific Inquiry" for high school art and biology students at Madeira Junior/Senior High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. States that the project aimed at recognizing individual differences while enabling students to become…

WISE Inquiry in Fifth Grade Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Michelle; Linn, Marcia C.

2002-01-01

Reports on a two-year study designed to investigate how a Web-Based Integrated Science Environment (WISE) project called "Plants in Space" featuring classroom investigations enabled 5th grade students to increase their understanding of plant growth and development. Investigates two versions of the curriculum and considers how understanding of the…

Identifying Elements Critical for Functional and Sustainable Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richmond, Gail; Manokore, Viola

2011-01-01

In this paper, we examined data collected as part of a 5-year project designed to foster reform-based urban science teaching through teachers' communities of inquiry. Drawing upon a distributed leadership framework, we analyzed teacher "talk" during professional learning community (PLC) meetings. This analysis yielded five elements:…

Serving Inland Rural Communities through University Clinics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allan, Julaine; Pope, Rod; O'Meara, Peter; Higgs, Joy; Kent, Jenny

2011-01-01

Aim: To effectively provide clinical placements for students and increase healthcare options for rural communities, an investigation of university clinics was conducted. Method: This project adopted a consultative inquiry strategy and involved two processes: (1) a review of literature; and (2) interviews with existing health sciences clinic staff.…

Exploring the Utility of a Virtual Performance Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke-Midura, Jody; Code, Jillianne; Zap, Nick; Dede, Chris

2011-01-01

With funding from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the Virtual Performance Assessment project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education is developing and studying the feasibility of immersive virtual performance assessments (VPAs) to assess scientific inquiry of middle school students as a standardized component of an accountability…

Cockroaches in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagler, Ron; Moseley, Christine

2005-01-01

The Madagascar hissing cockroach (MHC) provides an excellent avenue to introduce students to the joys of inquiry-centered learning. MHC's are relatively tame, produce little odor, do not bite, and are easy to handle and breed. Because of these characteristics, they are ideal for classroom activities, science projects, and as pets. They also help…

Enhancing Students' Scientific and Quantitative Literacies through an Inquiry-Based Learning Project on Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCright, Aaron M.

2012-01-01

Promoting sustainability and dealing with complex environmental problems like climate change demand a citizenry with considerable scientific and quantitative literacy. In particular, students in the STEM disciplines of (biophysical) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics need to develop interdisciplinary skills that help them understand…

Decay and Renewal. Teacher Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trautmann, Nancy M.; Krasny, Marianne E.; Carlsen, William S.; Cunningham, Christine M.; Canning, Harry; Carroll, Patricia; Johnson, Mark; Khandar, Alpa; Olynciw, Elaina; Kottler, Bennett; Penningroth, Stephen; Welman, Adam

This teacher guide is part of the Environmental Inquiry (EI) curriculum series developed at Cornell University to enable high school students to conduct authentic environmental science research. The goals of EI are for students to: (1) develop research skills; (2) use their newly acquired skills to conduct research projects of their own design,…

Authentic Research Experience and "Big Data" Analysis in the Classroom: Maize Response to Abiotic Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makarevitch, Irina; Frechette, Cameo; Wiatros, Natalia

2015-01-01

Integration of inquiry-based approaches into curriculum is transforming the way science is taught and studied in undergraduate classrooms. Incorporating quantitative reasoning and mathematical skills into authentic biology undergraduate research projects has been shown to benefit students in developing various skills necessary for future…

A Collaborative Approach to Incorporating Statistics in the Physiology Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potterfield, April; Majerus, Mary

2008-01-01

Both the National Science Education Standards (NSES) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recommend appropriately incorporating mathematics into other disciplines (NRC 1996; NRC 2003; NCTM 2000). With this in mind, an interdisciplinary, inquiry-based project was undertaken to incorporate mathematical analysis of data into a…

Content analysis of science material in junior school-based inquiry and science process skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patonah, S.; Nuvitalia, D.; Saptaningrum, E.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this research is to obtain the characteristic map of science material content in Junior School which can be optimized using inquiry learning model to tone the science process skill. The research method used in the form of qualitative research on SMP science curriculum document in Indonesia. Documents are reviewed on the basis of the basic competencies of each level as well as their potential to trace the skills of the science process using inquiry learning models. The review was conducted by the research team. The results obtained, science process skills in grade 7 have the potential to be trained using the model of inquiry learning by 74%, 8th grade by 83%, and grade 9 by 75%. For the dominant process skills in each chapter and each level is the observing skill. Follow-up research is used to develop instructional inquiry tools to trace the skills of the science process.

First Steps Toward Exploring NITARP's Impacts on Teachers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, Debbie; Slater, T. F.; Burrows, A. C.

2013-06-01

Few high school science teachers have had opportunities to engage in authentic scientific research. As a result, many may find it difficult to communicate to their students how science is done. Moreover, without relevant experience, teachers have few pathways to be able to successfully implement scientific research and inquiry into the classroom. In response, astronomers created the NASA-IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program - NITARP, originally funded by NASA as part of the Spitzer Space Telescope Public Engagement Program, and more recently as an NSF-sponsored Research Experience for Teachers program (NSF 0742222). This project partners teachers and their students with a mentor scientist to work on a unique research project using Spitzer Space Telescope data. The year-long project culminates by having teachers and students present their scientific methods and findings at a professional conference, such as the American Astronomical Society. To determine how teachers’ attitudes toward science and scientific inquiry changed after participating in NITARP, five NITARP alumni teachers completed open-ended survey and interview questions describing how their experience changed how they thought about astronomy and what happened in their classroom as a direct result of their NITARP experiences. Teachers reported increasing their astronomy content knowledge, implementing new skills and computer programs into their curriculum, incorporating the use of real data, and are implementing, or are planning to implement research in their classrooms. Teachers also stated they feel more comfortable speaking the language of science and communicating with scientists. They also felt more confident in teaching how science is done. The results of this exploratory study showing positive impacts motivate us to more deeply study the underlying mechanisms in this and similar programs best poised to improve science education.

Teachers and Technology Use in Secondary Science Classrooms: Investigating the Experiences of Middle School Science Teachers Implementing the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, Rachel Corinne

This study investigated the intended teacher use of a technology-enhanced learning tool, Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE), and the first experiences of teachers new to using it and untrained in its use. The purpose of the study was to learn more about the factors embedded into the design of the technology that enabled it or hindered it from being used as intended. The qualitative research design applied grounded theory methods. Using theoretical sampling and a constant comparative analysis, a document review of WISE website led to a model of intended teacher use. The experiences of four middle school science teachers as they enacted WISE for the first time were investigated through ethnographic field observations, surveys and interviews using thematic analysis to construct narratives of each teachers use. These narratives were compared to the model of intended teacher use of WISE. This study found two levels of intended teacher uses for WISE. A basic intended use involved having student running the project to completion while the teacher provides feedback and assesses student learning. A more optimal description of intended use involved the supplementing the core curriculum with WISE as well as enhancing the core scope and sequence of instruction and aligning assessment with the goals of instruction through WISE. Moreover, WISE projects were optimally intended to be facilitated through student-centered teaching practices and inquiry-based instruction in a collaborative learning environment. It is also optimally intended for these projects to be shared with other colleagues for feedback and iterative development towards improving the Knowledge Integration of students. Of the four teachers who participated in this study, only one demonstrated the use of WISE as intended in the most basic way. This teacher also demonstrated the use of WISE in a number of optimal ways. Teacher confusion with certain tools available within WISE suggests that there may be a way to develop the user experience through these touch points and help teachers learn how to use the technology as they are selecting and setting up a project run. Further research may study whether improving these touch points can improve the teachers' use of WISE as intended both basically and optimally. It may also study whether or not teacher in basic and optimal ways directly impact student learning results.

Brokering at the boundary: A prospective science teacher engages students in inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meis Friedrichsen, Patricia; Munford, Danusa; Orgill, Marykay

2006-05-01

Using a theoretical perspective of communities of practice, this case study examines a prospective chemistry teacher's inquiry-based teaching during his practicum. Conrad was a former student of an inquiry-oriented science course, Inquiry Empowering Technologies (IET). The research questions were (a) How did Conrad translate the IET inquiry practices during his practicum?; (b) How did the mentor teacher shape Conrad's participation?; (c) In what ways did Conrad negotiate new meanings of inquiry as a result of his practicum? Interview transcripts were the primary data source. Conrad carried many of the IET inquiry practices into his practicum. He equated inquiry with the use of evidence and had students create evidence-based explanations for how soap works. He chose not to incorporate the tentative nature of science. Although traditional in his own teaching, the mentor teacher supported Conrad by allowing him to teach through inquiry and by removing time constraints. As a result of his practicum, Conrad negotiated new meanings of inquiry teaching and developed an expanded view of technology. Conrad believed that high school students needed guidance when engaging in inquiry and that the tentative nature of science does not transfer to secondary chemistry. Implications for theory and practice are given.

Coaching to Build Support for Inquiry-Based Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bransfield, Paula; Holt, Patrice; Nastasi, Patricia

2007-01-01

In teaching science today, the emphasis is on inquiry-based pedagogies, with the expectation that students in the science classroom will be exposed to the theories and practices of scientists in the science community. However, for many science teachers, implementing inquiry in the classroom is a daunting task. In the traditional classroom setting,…

NGSS-Aligned, K-12 Climate Science Curricula, taught with citizen science and teacher-led inquiry methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zainfeld, S.

2017-12-01

Teacher-led inquiry into student learning is a promising method of formative assessment to gain insight into student achievement. NGSS-aligned K-12 Climate Science curricula taught with citizen science and teacher-led inquiry methods are described, along with results from a scientist-teacher collaboration survey.

Examining Science Teachers' Development of Interdisciplinary Science Inquiry Pedagogical Knowledge and Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chowdhary, Bhawna; Liu, Xiufeng; Yerrick, Randy; Smith, Erica; Grant, Brooke

2014-01-01

The current literature relates to how teachers develop knowledge and practice of science inquiry, but little has been reported on how teachers develop interdisciplinary science inquiry (ISI) knowledge and practice. This study examines the effect of university research experiences, ongoing professional development, and in-school support on…

Urban Middle School Students' Reflections on Authentic Science Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivera Maulucci, María S.; Brown, Bryan A.; Grey, Salina T.; Sullivan, Shayna

2014-01-01

This study explores the experiences of six urban middle school students in an authentic science inquiry program. Drawing on data including teaching journal entries, student work folders, and semi-structured focus group interviews of six participants, the findings explore six dimensions of authentic science inquiry, an approach to science inquiry…

Final Report on Activities Supported by Department of Energy Grant No. DE-FG02-02ER63397, 2002-August 31, 2005

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Madelaine Marquez; Neil Stillings

The grant supported four projects that involved professional development for teachers and enrichment programs for students from under-funded and under-served school districts. The projects involved long-term partnerships between Hampshire College and the districts. All projects were concerned with the effective implementation of inquiry-based science learning and its alignment with state and national curriculum and assessment standards. One project, The Collaboration for Excellence in Science Education (CESE), was designed to support research on the development of concepts in the physical sciences, specifically energy and waves. Extensive data from student interviews and written essays supported the neo-Piagetian hierarchical complexity theory of thismore » area of conceptual development. New assessment techniques that can be used by teachers were also developed. The final report includes a full presentation of the methods and results of the research.« less

Intersection of opposing pedagogical frameworks: Native Hawaiian ancestral stories and scientific inquiry in a high school science class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanahele-Mossman, Huihui

Inquiry is defined as "an examination into facts and principles." In science education science inquiry is a process through which important discoveries are made by students through scientific methodology. The most important step in this process is forming the right question. The questions formed by students are usually the wrong questions which deem the remainder of the inquiry process impotent. This research will look at the pedagogy of ancestral stories for a solution. For the researcher, ancestral stories were a source of wonderment and learning not only from the lessons the stories revealed but mainly from the questions that still remained after the stories were told. Questions such as "why does the eel only swim near that part?", or "why does the story only talk about the uhu?" are examples of questions that remained after experiencing an ancestral narrative. The research questions were composed for the purpose of finding compatibility between the two pedagogies. The first research question which reads "how can Native Hawaiian ancestral stories encourage an increased level of student driven interactions at all levels of feedback from Native Hawaiian students in science classroom" focuses the research on the level of student feedback that initiate questions. Question two which reads "how can teachers of Native Hawaiian students facilitate the construction of science inquiry projects from ancestral stories" addresses the skill of the teacher and imbeds the concept of pedagogical knowledge into the literature. The last research question "how do analysis and discussion of the stories connect Native Hawaiian students to their ancestral intelligence" examines the role of identity and identity to ancestral intelligence. The method intended for this research was Grounded theory which allows the researcher to develop principles, concepts and theories based on the data presented. Another method utilized in this research is an undocumented but culturally imbedded method identified as the Native Hawaiian Research method for lack of a better title. The result of the data analysis was the development of the intersection of story and science that occurs when the story line is stripped away to reveal an interconnection of natural phenomena.

Graduate Student and High School Teacher Partnerships Implementing Inquiry-Based Lessons in Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. A.; Preston, L.; Graham, K.

2007-12-01

Partnering science graduate students with high school teachers in their classroom is a mutually beneficial relationship. Graduate students who may become future university level faculty are exposed to teaching, classroom management, outreach scholarship, and managing time between teaching and research. Teachers benefit by having ready access to knowledgeable scientists, a link to university resources, and an additional adult in the classroom. Partnerships in Research Opportunities to Benefit Education (PROBE), a recent NSF funded GK-12 initiative, formed partnerships between science and math graduate students from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and local high school science teachers. A primary goal of this program was to promote inquiry-based science lessons. The teacher-graduate student teams worked together approximately twenty hours per week on researching, preparing, and implementing new lessons and supervising student-led projects. Several new inquiry-based activities in Geology and Astronomy were developed as a result of collaboration between an Earth Science graduate student and high school teacher. For example, a "fishbowl" activity was very successful in sparking a classroom discussion about how minerals are used in industrial materials. The class then went on to research how to make their own paint using minerals. This activity provided a capstone project at the end of the unit about minerals, and made real world connections to the subject. A more involved geology lesson was developed focusing on the currently popular interest in forensics. Students were assigned with researching how geology can play an important part in solving a crime. When they understood the role of geologic concepts within the scope of the forensic world, they used techniques to solve their own "crime". Astronomy students were responsible for hosting and teaching middle school students about constellations, using a star- finder, and operating an interactive planetarium computer program. In order to successfully convey this information to the younger students, the high school students had to learn their material well. This model of pairing graduate students with science teachers is continuing as a component of the Transforming Earth System Science Education (TESSE) program.

Mentoring a new science teacher in reform-based ways: A focus on inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schomer, Scott D.

The processes, understandings, and uses of inquiry are identified by the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996) as a key component of science instruction. Currently, there are few examples in the literature demonstrating how teachers go about co-constructing inquiry-based activities and how mentors can promote the use of reform-based practices by novices. The purpose of this interpretive case study was to investigate how a mentor and her protege collaboratively developed, implemented and assessed three inquiry-based experiences. The questions that guided this research were: (1) How does the mentor assist protege growth in the development, implementation and assessment of inquiry-based experiences for secondary science students? (2) How are the protege's perceptions of inquiry influenced by her participation in developing, implementing and assessing inquiry-based experiences for secondary science students? The co-construction of the inquiry activities and the facilitation provided by the mentor represented Lev Vygotsky's (1978) social construction of information as the mentor guided the protege beyond her cognitive zone of proximal development. The participants in this study were a veteran science teacher who was obtaining her mentor certification, or Teacher Support Specialist, and her protege who was a science teacher in the induction phase of her career. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, tape recordings of planning sessions, researcher field notes, and email reflections during the co-construction process. Inductive analysis of the data led to the identification of common categories and subsequent findings, which reflected what the mentor and protege discussed about inquiry and the process of collaboration. The six themes that emerged from this study led to several implications that are significant for science teacher preparation and the mentoring community. The teachers indicated tools, such as the "Essential Features and Variations of Inquiry" table, were helpful for planning and assessing inquiry-based experiences. Examination of findings revealed how the process of purposefully collaborating on the development of inquiry-based lessons fostered a more student-centered approach to teaching and learning by the protege. Therefore, having new teachers continue to collaborate with reform-minded mentors beyond their first year of teaching may help new teachers develop inquiry-based pedagogies.

Development and use of an instrument to measure scientific inquiry and related factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunbar, Terry Frank

The use of the scientific inquiry method of teaching science was investigated in one district's elementary schools. The study generated data directly from Albuquerque Public Schools fourth- and fifth-grade teachers through a mail-out survey and through observation. Two forms of an inquiry evaluation research instrument (Elementary Science Inquiry Survey - ESIS) were created. The ESIS-A is a classroom observation tool. The ESIS-B is a survey questionnaire designed to collect information from teachers. The study was designed first to establish reliability and validity for both forms of the instrument. The study made use of multiple regression and exploratory factor analysis. Sources used to establish the instruments' reliability and validity included: (1) Input from an international panel (qualitative analysis of comments sent by raters and quantitative analysis of numerical ratings sent by raters); (2) Cronbach's alpha; (3) Results of factor analysis; (4) Survey respondents' comments (qualitative analysis); (5) Teacher observation data. Cronbach's alpha for the data set was .8955. Inquiry practices were reported to occur between twice per week and three times per week. Teachers' comments regarding inquiry were reported. The ESIS was used to collect inquiry self-report data and teacher background data. The teacher background data included teacher science knowledge and information about their standards awareness and implementation. The following teacher knowledge factors were positively correlated with inquiry use: semesters of college science, science workshops taken, conducted scientific research, and SIMSE (NSF institute) participation. The following standards awareness and implementation factors were positively correlated with inquiry use: familiarity with the National Science Education Standards, familiarity with New Mexico science standards, state or national standards as a curriculum selection factor, student interest as a curriculum selection factor, and "no limits" indicated as an inquiry-limiting factor. The following eight variables (all inquiry-limiting factors) were negatively correlated with inquiry use: available instructional materials, student prior knowledge/reading level, lack of experience with inquiry, not enough time, unsuccessful previous attempts, doubts about students' capability, insufficient time and support, and insufficient background in science.

The effects of a technology-enhanced inquiry instructional model on students' understanding of science in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lertwanasiriwan, Chaiwuti

The study examined the effects of a technology-enhanced inquiry instructional model on students' understanding of science in Thailand. A mixed quantitative research design was selected for the research design. A pretest-posttest control-group design was implemented for the experimental research. A causal-comparative design using questionnaire and classroom observation was employed for the non-experimental research. Two sixth-grade classrooms at a medium-sized public school in Bangkok, Thailand were randomly selected for the study - one as the control group and the other as the experimental group. The 34 students in the control group only received the inquiry instructional model, while the 35 students in the experimental group received the technology-enhanced inquiry instructional model. Both groups of students had been taught by the same science teacher for 15 weeks (three periods per week). The results and findings from the study seemed to indicate that both the technology-enhanced inquiry instructional model and the inquiry instructional model significantly improve students' understanding of science. However, it might be claimed that students receiving the technology-enhanced inquiry instructional model gain more than students only receiving the inquiry instructional model. In addition, the technology-enhanced inquiry instructional model seemed to support the assessment during the 5E Model's evaluation stage. Most students appeared to have very good attitudes toward using it in the science classroom suggesting that the technology-enhanced inquiry instructional model motivates students to learn science.

Moving from answer finding to sensemaking: Supporting middle school students' online inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Meilan

Online inquiry, use of the Web as an information source to conduct inquiry for a scientific question, has become increasingly common in middle schools in recent years. However, while valuable Web resources provide unprecedented learning opportunities, easy access to information does not guarantee learning. Previous research has found that middle school students tend to use the Web in a superficial manner. To address the challenges that students face in online inquiry, this study explored several supporting strategies implemented in Digital IdeaKeeper, a scaffolded software tool to help students move from passively finding a ready-made answer to actively making sense of the information they encounter through support for inquiry planning, information search, analysis, and synthesis. This study examined the differences and similarities between regular online inquiry and supported online inquiry performed by several sixth-graders in real classroom settings. Four pairs from a sixth grade class used IdeaKeeper for their online inquiry project, and another four pairs from a different sixth grade class taught by the same teacher used regular online search engines only. Both groups worked on the same science topic-water, and the entire project lasted about four weeks. During that time, students in both groups used computers for about 10-14 days to conduct online research. Multiple sources of data were collected, including video recordings of students' computer activities and conversations, students' artifacts, log files and student final writings. Several themes emerged from the data analysis. First, the findings refer to the importance of providing a structure for students' online inquiry, to promote a more integrated, efficient, continuous, metacognitive and engaging online inquiry. In addition, guidance is important to promote more careful, thorough, and purposeful online reading, Overall, the results suggest that middle school students' online inquiry needs to be structured and their online reading needs to be guided. However, challenges still remain to engage students in high-level critical thinking in online inquiry, because some prompts designed to guide students' reading do not seem effective. Implications of the research findings are discussed.

The effects of inquiry-based summer enrichment activities on rising eighth graders' knowledge of science processes, attitude toward science, and perceptions of scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Juanita Martin

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of summer science enrichment on eighth-graders' science process skills knowledge, attitude toward science and perceptions of scientists. A single group pre- and post-test design was used to test participants in a summer science enrichment camp, which took place over a three-week period in the summer of 2000. Participants, all of whom were residents of the Mississippi area known as the Delta, lived on the campus of Mississippi Valley State University for the entire course of the camp. Activities included several guided inquiry-based projects such as water rocket design and solar or battery-powered car design. Participants also took trips to an environmental camp in north Mississippi and to the Stennis Space Center on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Participants worked on their projects in groups, supervised by an undergraduate student "mentor". Participants were encouraged to keep journals of their experiences throughout the camp, and the researcher developed a rubric to evaluate student journals for process knowledge, evidence of planning, reflective thought, and disposition toward science. Tests were used to evaluate student knowledge of process skills, attitude toward science, and perceptions of scientists. On the Test of Integrated Process Skills (Dillashaw & Okey, 1983), the students showed significant improvement overall, but when evaluated separately, males showed significant improvement while females did not. On the Attitude toward Science in School Assessment (Germane, 1988), data indicated that attitude toward science improved significantly for the group as a whole, but upon closer inspection, indicated a significant improvement for the female students only. On Chamber's Draw-a-Scientist Test (1983), analysis of student drawings indicated no significant change in stereotypical images of scientists for the group overall. However, boys' scores indicated a significant improvement when analyzed separately. Journal analysis revealed a need for instruction in their use, but provided an interesting glimpse into students' thoughts. The researcher concluded that summer enrichment camps have potential m terms of helping students improve their science knowledge and their thinking about science. Further research on summer opportunities, inquiry-based instruction, work with mentors, and use of journals is suggested by this work.

Inquiry identity and science teacher professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryce, Nadine; Wilmes, Sara E. D.; Bellino, Marissa

2016-06-01

An effective inquiry-oriented science teacher possesses more than the skills of teaching through investigation. They must address philosophies, and ways of interacting as a member of a group of educators who value and practice science through inquiry. Professional development opportunities can support inquiry identity development, but most often they address teaching practices from limited cognitive perspectives, leaving unexplored the shifts in identity that may accompany teachers along their journey in becoming skilled in inquiry-oriented instruction. In this forum article, we envision Victoria Deneroff's argument that "professional development could be designed to facilitate reflexive transformation of identity within professional learning environments" (2013, p. 33). Instructional coaching, cogenerative dialogues, and online professional communities are discussed as ways to promote inquiry identity formation and collaboration in ways that empower and deepen science teachers' conversations related to personal and professional efficacy in the service of improved science teaching and learning.

Impact of instructional Approaches to Teaching Elementary Science on Student Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kensinger, Seth H.

Strengthening our science education in the United States is essential to the future success of our country in the global marketplace. Immersing our elementary students with research-based quality science instruction is a critical component to build a strong foundation and motivate our students to become interested in science. The research for this study pertained to the type of elementary science instruction in correlation to academic achievement and gender. Through this study, the researcher answered the following questions: 1. What is the difference in achievement for elementary students who have been taught using one of the three science instructional approaches analyzed in this study: traditional science instruction, inquiry-based science instruction with little or no professional development and inquiry-based science instruction with high-quality professional development? 2. What is the difference in student achievement between inquiry-based instruction and non-inquiry based (traditional) instruction? 3. What is the difference in student achievement between inquiry with high quality professional development and inquiry with little or no professional development? 4. Do the three instructional approaches have differentiated effects across gender? The student achievement was measured using the 2010 fourth grade Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) in Science. Data was collected from 15 elementary schools forming three main groupings of similar schools based on the results from the 2009 third grade PSSA in Mathematics and student and community demographics. In addition, five sub-group triads were formed to further analyze the data and each sub-group was composed of schools with matching demographic data. Each triad contained a school using a traditional approach to teaching science, a school utilizing an inquiry science approach with little or no professional development, and a school incorporating inquiry science instruction with high quality professional development. The five schools which provided its students with inquiry science and high quality professional development were Science Its Elementary (SIE) schools, as provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). The findings of the study indicated that there is evidence to suggest that elementary science achievement improves significantly when teachers have utilized inquiry instruction after receiving high-quality professional development. Specifically, the analysis of the whole group and the majority of the triad sub-groupings did result in a consistent trend to support science instruction utilizing inquiry with high-quality professional development compared to a traditional approach and an inquiry-based approach with little or no professional development. The gender analysis of this study focused on whether or not girls at the elementary school level would perform better than boys depending upon method of science instruction. The study revealed no relationship between approach to teaching science and achievement level based on gender. The whole group results and sub-group triads produced no significant findings for this part of the data analysis.

The Development of Scientific Literacy through Nature of Science (NoS) within Inquiry Based Learning Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widowati, A.; Widodo, E.; Anjarsari, P.; Setuju

2017-11-01

Understanding of science instructional leading to the formation of student scientific literacy, seems not yet fully understood well by science teachers. Because of this, certainly needs to be reformed because science literacy is a major goal in science education for science education reform. Efforts of development science literacy can be done by help students develop an information conception of the Nature of Science (NoS) and apply inquiry approach. It is expected that students’ science literacy can develop more optimal by combining NoS within inquiry approach. The purpose of this research is to produce scientific literacy development model of NoS within inquiry-based learning. The preparation of learning tools will be maked through Research and Development (R & D) following the 4-D model (Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate) and Borg & Gall. This study is a follow-up of preliminary research results about the inquiry profile of junior high school students indicating that most categories are quite good. The design of the model NoS within inquiry approach for developing scientific literacy is using MER Model in development educational reconstruction. This research will still proceed to the next stage that is Develop.

The Science Semester: Cross-Disciplinary Inquiry for Prospective Elementary Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Danielle J.; Fifield, Steve; Madsen, John; Qian, Xiaoyu

2013-10-01

We describe the Science Semester, a semester-long course block that integrates three science courses and a science education methods course for elementary teacher education majors, and examine prospective elementary teachers’ developing conceptions about inquiry, science teaching efficacy, and reflections on learning through inquiry. The Science Semester was designed to provide inquiry-oriented and problem-based learning experiences, opportunities to examine socially relevant issues through cross-disciplinary perspectives, and align with content found in elementary curricula and standards. By the end of the semester, prospective elementary teachers moved from naïve to intermediate understandings of inquiry and significantly increased self-efficacy for science teaching as measured on one subscore of the STEBI-B. Reflecting on the semester, prospective teachers understood and appreciated the goals of the course and the PBL format, but struggled with the open-ended and student-directed elements of the course.

At the Elbows of Scientists: Shaping Science Teachers' Conceptions and Enactment of Inquiry-Based Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Cheryl A.; MacFadden, Bruce J.

2014-01-01

This study stemmed from concerns among researchers that reform efforts grounded in promoting inquiry as the basis for teaching science have not achieved the desired changes in American science classrooms. Many science teachers assume that they are employing inquiry-based strategies when they use cookbook investigations with highly structured…

A Rights-Based Approach to Science Literacy Using Local Languages: Contextualising Inquiry-Based Learning in Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Babaci-Wilhite, Zehlia

2017-01-01

This article addresses the importance of teaching and learning science in local languages. The author argues that acknowledging local knowledge and using local languages in science education while emphasising inquiry-based learning improve teaching and learning science. She frames her arguments with the theory of inquiry, which draws on…

Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program for Middle School-Aged Female Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hanna

2016-01-01

This study investigates the effects of an intensive 1-week Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program (InSTEP) designed for middle school-aged female students. InSTEP uses a guided/open inquiry approach that is deepened and redefined as eight sciences and engineering practices in the Next Generation Science Standards, which aimed at…

Examining Arguments Generated by Year 5, 7, and 10 Students in Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Aeran; Notebaert, Andrew; Diaz, Juan; Hand, Brian

2010-01-01

A critical component of science is the role of inquiry and argument in moving scientific knowledge forward. However, while students are expected to engage in inquiry activities in science classrooms, there is not always a similar emphasis on the role of argument within the inquiry activities. Building from previous studies on the Science Writing…

Inquiry-Based Instruction and Teaching about Nature of Science: Are They Happening?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capps, Daniel K.; Crawford, Barbara A.

2013-01-01

Anecdotal accounts from science educators suggest that few teachers are teaching science as inquiry. However, there is little empirical evidence to support this claim. This study aimed to provide evidence-based documentation of the state-of-use of inquiry-based instruction and explicit instruction about nature of science (NOS). We examined the…

The effects of inquiry instruction on student learning in technology-based undergraduate chemistry laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meade, Karen Marie

The purpose of this study was to identify conceptual and attitudinal effects of inquiry learning in technology-based undergraduate chemistry laboratories. There were 428 participants who were registered in general chemistry laboratory at the University of Iowa in the Spring of 2002. Conceptual and attitudinal pretest and posttest results were quantitative in nature. Qualitative results were collected from questionnaires and focus groups. Quantitative data were analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of variance to identify differences between treatment groups. A high-inquiry treatment group was open-ended and required student decisions regarding data collection, data representation, and interpretation. The low-inquiry treatment involved collaboration and traditional learning strategies. Major findings of this study were: (1) Pretest to posttest conceptual gains were significant for both treatment groups. Low-inquiry students performed significantly better on exploration questions than high-inquiry students. (2) Process skills developed at higher levels for high-inquiry students than low-inquiry students. (3) Positive attitudes decreased significantly for all students from pretest to posttest. More favorable attitudes toward science enjoyment and the ability to do well in science were found for high-inquiry students. More favorable attitudes toward science enjoyment and the ability to do well in science were found for low-inquiry males and high-inquiry females. (4) More favorable attitudes toward the nature of science caused by use of the learning cycle were reported by high-inquiry students. (5) Low-inquiry students reported more favorable attitudes toward technologies in the laboratory than did high-inquiry students. Favorable attitudes toward the use of infrared spectrometers and unfavorable attitudes toward the use of pH meters were reported by both treatment groups. (6) More formal reasoning skills were reported by high-inquiry students. Both groups reported that looking for patterns was a common theme in the laboratories. Hypotheses were reported as rarely used by both treatment groups. These findings are significant because they indicate that inquiry activities positively affect attitudes toward science, gender equality, and contribute to the development of formal reasoning skills and process skills.

An Exploration of Elementary Teachers' Beliefs and Perceptions About Science Inquiry: A Mixed Methods Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamadeh, Linda

In order for science-based inquiry instruction to happen on a large scale in elementary classrooms across the country, evidence must be provided that implementing this reform can be realistic and practical, despite the challenges and obstacles teachers may face. This study sought to examine elementary teachers' knowledge and understanding of, attitudes toward, and overall perceptions of inquiry-based science instruction, and how these beliefs influenced their inquiry practice in the classroom. It offered a description and analysis of the approaches elementary science teachers in Islamic schools reported using to promote inquiry within the context of their science classrooms, and addressed the challenges the participating teachers faced when implementing scientific inquiry strategies in their instruction. The research followed a mixed method approach, best described as a sequential two-strand design (Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2006). Sequential mixed designs develop two methodological strands that occur chronologically, and in the case of this research, QUAN→QUAL. Findings from the study supported the notion that the school and/or classroom environment could be a contextual factor that influenced some teachers' classroom beliefs about the feasibility of implementing science inquiry. Moreover, although teacher beliefs are influential, they are malleable and adaptable and influenced primarily by their own personal direct experiences with inquiry instruction or lack of.

Comparing Two Inquiry Professional Development Interventions in Science on Primary Students' Questioning and Other Inquiry Behaviours

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Kim; Burgh, Gilbert; Kennedy, Callie

2017-01-01

Developing students' skills to pose and respond to questions and actively engage in inquiry behaviours enables students to problem solve and critically engage with learning and society. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of providing teachers with an intervention in inquiry pedagogy alongside inquiry science curriculum in comparison…

Over Reported and Misunderstood? A Study of Teachers' Reported Enactment and Knowledge of Inquiry-Based Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capps, Daniel K.; Shemwell, Jonathan T.; Young, Ashley M.

2016-01-01

Science education reforms worldwide call on teachers to engage students in investigative approaches to instruction, like inquiry. Studies of teacher self-reported enactment indicate that inquiry is used frequently in the classroom, suggesting a high level of proficiency with inquiry that would be amenable to inquiry reform. However, it is unclear…

An investigation of the practice of scientific inquiry in secondary science and agriculture courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grady, Julie R.

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to investigate the practice of scientific inquiry in two secondary biology classes and one agriculture class from different schools in different communities. The focus was on teachers' interests and intentions for the students' participation in inquiry, the voices contributing to the inquiry, and students' opportunities to confront their conceptions of the nature of science (NOS). The Partnership for Research and Education in Plants (PREP) served as the context by providing students with opportunities to design and conduct original experiments to help elucidate the function(s) of a disabled gene in Arabidopsis thaliana . Transcripts of teacher and student semi-structured interviews, field notes of classroom observations and classroom conversations, and documents (e.g., student work, teacher handouts, school websites, PREP materials) were analyzed for evidence of the practice of scientific inquiry. Teachers were interested in implementing inquiry because of potential student learning about scientific research and because PREP supports course content and is connected to a larger scientific project outside of the school. Teachers' intentions regarding the implementation of inquiry reflected the complexity of their courses and the students' previous experiences. All inquiries were student-directed. The biology students' participation more closely mirrored the practice of scientists, while the agriculture students were more involved with the procedural display of scientific inquiry. All experiences could have been enhanced from additional knowledge-centered activities regarding scientific reasoning. No activities brought explicit attention to NOS. Biology activities tended to implicitly support NOS while the agriculture class activities tended to implicitly contradict NOS. Scientists' interactions contributed to implied support of the NOS. There were missed opportunities for explicit attention to NOS in all classes. The major voices contributing to the inquiry in all classrooms included those of teachers, students, technology, scientists, textbooks, and mandated standards; however, they were more prevalent in the biology classrooms than the agriculture classroom. The powers influencing the voice frequency may be related to the teachers' own teaching and research experiences, as well as the alignment of the expectations and values of students' participation in scientific inquiry and those associated with the school-classroom communities and the students' identities.

Abductive Science Inquiry Using Mobile Devices in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Sohaib; Parsons, David

2013-01-01

Recent advancements in digital technology have attracted the interest of educators and researchers to develop technology-assisted inquiry-based learning environments in the domain of school science education. Traditionally, school science education has followed deductive and inductive forms of inquiry investigation, while the abductive form of…

Variations on an Historical Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, Patrick

2006-01-01

The National Inquiry Standard for Science Education Preparation requires science teachers to introduce students to scientific inquiry to solve problems by various methods, including active learning in a collaborative environment. In order for science teachers to comply with this inquiry standard, activities must be designed for students to…

Differentiated Science Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llewellyn, Douglas

2010-01-01

Given that each child learns differently, it makes sense that one type of science instruction does not fit all. Best-selling author Douglas Llewellyn gives teachers standards-based strategies for differentiating inquiry-based science instruction to more effectively meet the needs of all students. This book takes the concept of inquiry-based…

Journeying "Down the Rabbit Hole"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossman, Alan; Dummer, John

2004-01-01

In describing the professional development journey of science teachers, the National Science Standards (NRC 1996) provides a useful cartography. Inquiry, those standards suggest, is the central strategy for the teaching of science. By illustrating the parallels between inquiry as a form of scientific investigation and inquiry as a classroom…

Teacher Perceptions of Inquiry and STEM Education in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahidullah, Kazi K.

This dissertation reports lower secondary science teachers perceptions of current practice in Dhaka, Bangladesh concerning inquiry and STEM Education in order to establish a baseline of data for reform of science education in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been trying to incorporate inquiry-based science curricula since the 1970s. Over time, the science curricula also aligned with different international science education movements such as Science for All, Scientific Literacy, Science, Technology, and Society. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is the most recent science education movement in international science education. This study explored current practices and perceptions of lower secondary science teachers in order to establish a baseline of current practice so that future reform recommendations may be pursued and recommendations made for Bangladesh to overcome the inquiry-based challenges and to incorporate new STEM-based science education trends happening in the US and throughout the world. The study explored science teachers perceptions and readiness to transform their science classrooms based on self-reported survey. The survey utilized Likert-type scale with range 1 (very strongly disagree) to 6 (very strongly agree) among four hundred lower secondary science teachers, teacher training college faculty, and university faculty. The data is presented in four different categories: curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development. Results indicated that the participants understand and practice a certain level of inquiry in their science classrooms, though they do not have adequate professional development. Participants also stated that they do not have sufficient instructional materials and the curriculum is not articulated enough to support inquiry. On the other hand, the participants reported that they understand and practice a certain degree of inquiry and STEM-based science education, but they also state that the current curriculum and instructional materials are not sufficient to practice inquiry nor to integrate more than one or two disciplines with science as is required in STEM integrated teaching. Finally, this study recommends a framework for science education reform for Bangladesh based upon a combination of successful international science education reformation practices.

Inquiry based Teacher Professional development from a multidisciplinary perspective: The NEOGEO Lake Erie Earth Science Field Trip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, J. D.; Munro-Stasiuk, M. J.; Hart, B. I.; Mokaren, D. M.; Arnold, B.; Chermansky, J. V.; Vlack, Y. A.

2006-12-01

State and national educational standards stress the need to incorporate inquiry-based approaches into the K- 12 science curriculum. However, many teachers either lack training in these pedagogical techniques or science content mastery. Both of these are needed to confidently approach science teaching in the less structured framework associated with a real world exploration of the natural environment. To overcome these barriers to implementation, we have developed an intensive, field-based professional development workshop which explores the connections between the bedrock geology, glacial geomorphology, ecology, and geography of the Lake Erie Islands and the shore of its western basin. This workshop is part of a series of three workshops that form the professional development activities of our NSF funded Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) project, the Northeast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach (NEOGEO) Program which seeks to improve the quality of Earth Science education at the middle and high school levels in Northeast Ohio. During the workshop students explored the ecology and geomorphology of a series of coastal wetlands, collecting instrumental data and field observations to evaluate water quality and the forces that created these surface features. Exceptional exposure of glacial scours and striations at Kelleys Island and along the Marblehead Peninsula allowed the participants to reconstruct evolving ice flow paths to see how recent geological history shaped the landscape. Finally, stratigraphic observations in a local quarry enabled the students to understand why the observed glacial features varied as a function of bedrock type. Response to the workshop was overwhelming positive with participants commenting positively on quality and quantity of the material presented and the manner in which inquiry based teaching was modeled. End of term projects which included the conceptualization of a teaching plan to incorporate the approaches learned during the workshop demonstrated effective transference of the knowledge. NEOGEO graduate fellows are available during the academic year to help the workshop participants implement their teaching plans.

Dynamic Open Inquiry Performances of High-School Biology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zion, Michal; Sadeh, Irit

2010-01-01

In examining open inquiry projects among high-school biology students, we found dynamic inquiry performances expressed in two criteria: "changes occurring during inquiry" and "procedural understanding". Characterizing performances in a dynamic open inquiry project can shed light on both the procedural and epistemological…

Presto: Open Inquiry!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermann, Ronald S.; Miranda, Rommel J.

2010-01-01

Although inquiry-based science teaching has been around since the 1960s, many teachers are slow to incorporate inquiry principles into their science lessons. The authors address this issue by using an analogy between a magician's card trick and open inquiry. This analogy was chosen to portray a difference of perspective and demonstrate how the…

Multiple Modes of Inquiry in Earth Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kastens, Kim A.; Rivet, Ann

2008-01-01

To help teachers enrich their students' understanding of inquiry in Earth science, this article describes six modes of inquiry used by practicing geoscientists (Earth scientists). Each mode of inquiry is illustrated by using examples of seminal or pioneering research and provides pointers to investigations that enable students to experience these…

Which Type of Inquiry Project Do High School Biology Students Prefer: Open or Guided?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadeh, Irit; Zion, Michal

2012-01-01

In teaching inquiry to high school students, educators differ on which method of teaching inquiry is more effective: Guided or open inquiry? This paper examines the influence of these two different inquiry learning approaches on the attitudes of Israeli high school biology students toward their inquiry project. The results showed significant…

From Local to EXtreme Environments (FLEXE) Student-Scientist Online Forums: hypothesis-based research examining ways to involve scientists in effective science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehring, L.; Carlsen, W.; Fisher, C. R.; Kerlin, S.; Trautmann, N.; Petersen, W.

2011-12-01

Science education reform since the mid-1990's has called for a "new way of teaching and learning about science that reflects how science itself is done, emphasizing inquiry as a way of achieving knowledge and understanding about the world" (NRC, 1996). Scientists and engineers, experts in inquiry thinking, have been called to help model these practices for students and demonstrate scientific habits of mind. The question, however, is "how best to involve these experts?" given the very real challenges of limited availability of scientists, varying experience with effective pedagogy, widespread geographic distribution of schools, and the sheer number of students involved. Technology offers partial solutions to enable Student-Scientist Interactions (SSI). The FLEXE Project has developed online FLEXE Forums to support efficient, effective SSIs, making use of web-based and database technology to facilitate communication between students and scientists. More importantly, the FLEXE project has approached this question of "how best to do this?" scientifically, combining program evaluation with hypothesis-based research explicitly testing the effects of such SSIs on student learning and attitudes towards science. FLEXE Forums are designed to showcase scientific practices and habits of mind through facilitated interaction between students and scientists. Through these Forums, students "meet" working scientists and learn about their research and the environments in which they work. Scientists provide students with intriguing "real-life" datasets and challenge students to analyze and interpret the data through guiding questions. Students submit their analyses to the Forum, and scientists provide feedback and connect the instructional activity with real-life practice, showcasing their activities in the field. In the FLEXE project, Forums are embedded within inquiry-based instructional units focused on essential learning concepts, and feature the deep-sea environment in contrast to students' local environments to deepen students' understanding of earth systems processes. This presentation will provide an overview of the FLEXE project, a partnership between the Ridge2000 research scientists, science learning researchers, and educators, and will report findings from pilot studies implemented in collaboration with the GLOBE program, a worldwide network of scientists, science educators, and their students. FLEXE Forums have been tested with approximately 1400 students in the US, Germany, Australia and Thailand in 2009, and 1100 students in the US, Thailand, England and Costa Rica in 2010. Description of research methods (e.g., educational hypotheses, assessment of student learning and attitudes through analysis of student writing, and "quick question" surveys) and results will be shared, along with current tests examining the transferability of the approach to other scientists/science educator teams.

Supporting Young Children's Explanations through Inquiry Science in Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Shira May; French, Lucia

2008-01-01

This study examines the ways in which preschool teachers support the development of children's explanatory language through science inquiry. Two classrooms in a preschool center using a science inquiry curriculum were videotaped during a 5-week unit on color mixing. Videotapes were analyzed for how teachers facilitated children's explanatory…

Physiology Should Be Taught as Science Is Practiced: An Inquiry-Based Activity to Investigate the "Alkaline Tide"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lujan, Heidi L.; DiCarlo, Stephen E.

2015-01-01

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) strongly recommends that "science be taught as science is practiced." This means that the teaching approach must be consistent with the nature of scientific inquiry. In this article, the authors describe how they added scientific inquiry to a large lecture-based physiology…

Comparing an Inquiry-Based Approach Known as the Science Writing Heuristic to Traditional Science Teaching Practices: Are There Differences?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akkus, Recai; Gunel, Murat; Hand, Brian

2007-01-01

Many state and federal governments have mandated in such documents as the National Science Education Standards that inquiry strategies should be the focus of the teaching of science within school classrooms. The difficult part for success is changing teacher practices from perceived traditional ways of teaching to more inquiry-based approaches.…

Microteaching Lesson Study: An Approach to Prepare Teacher Candidates to Teach Science through Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, George; Xu, Judy

2017-01-01

Inquiry-based teaching has become the most recommended approach in science education for a few decades; however, it is not a common practice yet in k-12 school classrooms. In order to prepare future teachers to teach science through inquiry, a Microteaching Lesson Study (MLS) approach was employed in our science methods courses. Instead of asking…

Informal science educators network project Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-05-09

Funding from the Department of Energy and the Annenberg/CPB Math and Science Project have helped the Association of Science-technology Centers Incorporated (ASTC) to establish and sustain an on-line community of informal science educators nationwide. The Project, called the Informal Science Educators Network Project (ISEN), is composed primarily of informal science educators and exhibit developers from science centers, museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, parks, and nature centers. Although museum-based professionals represent the majority of subscribers to ISEN, also involved are some classroom teachers and teacher educators from colleges and universities. Common to all ISEN participants is a commitment to school andmore » science education reform. Specifically, funding from the Department of Energy helped to boot strap the effort, providing Barrier Reduction Vouchers to 123 educators that enabled them participate in ISEN. Among the major accomplishments of the Project are these: (1) assistance to 123 informal science educators to attend Internet training sessions held in connection with the Project and/or purchase hardware and software that linked them to the Internet; (2) Internet training for 153 informal science educators; (3) development of a listserv which currently has over 180 subscribers--an all-time high; (4) opportunity to participate in four web chats involving informal science educators with noted researchers; (5) development of two sites on the World Wide Web linking informal science educators to Internet resources; (6) creation of an on-line collection of over 40 articles related to inquiry-based teaching and science education reform. In order to continue the momentum of the Project, ASTC has requested from the Annenberg/CPB Math and Science project a no/cost extension through December 1997.« less

"I Disagree!" Said a Second-Grader: Butterflies, Conflict, and Literate Thinking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salyer, David M.

2000-01-01

Describes how an inquiry-based science project on the life cycle of butterflies provided a developmentally appropriate learning experience in a first and second grade multiage classroom. Maintains that the critical exchange of ideas among students made students' thinking available for inspection, and allowed students to use their talk as a tool…

Shoe Box Circuits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandifer, Cody

2009-01-01

Students' eyes grow wide with wonder as they get a motor to work or make a bulb light for the first time. As these daunting feats of electrical engineering remind us, teaching electricity is invariably rewarding and worthwhile. In this inquiry-based science project, elementary students work in pairs to design and wire a shoe box "room" that meets…

The Ground They Walk on: Photography and Narrative Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ketelle, Diane

2010-01-01

In this project, the author explores a novel variation on an established social science research method, photo-elicitation. The author photographed eight school principals during a two-year period and asked the principals to respond to the photographs by writing narratives below each. The author uses photography, reflections, and her own memories…

The Utility of Using Immersive Virtual Environments for the Assessment of Science Inquiry Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Code, Jillianne; Clarke-Midura, Jody; Zap, Nick; Dede, Chris

2013-01-01

Determining the effectiveness of any educational technology depends upon teachers' and learners' perception of the functional utility of that tool for teaching, learning, and assessment. The Virtual Performance project at Harvard University is developing and studying the feasibility of using immersive technology to develop performance…

Flying into Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trautmann, Nancy; Fee, Jennifer; Kahler, Phil

2012-01-01

What bird species live in your area? Which migrate and which stay year-round? How do bird populations change over time? Citizen science provides the essential tools to address these questions and more. With ever-growing databases such as Project FeederWatch and eBird, students can connect with people around the world as they make observations,…

Teaching with Technology: Applications of Collaborative Online Learning Units to Improve 21st Century Skills for All

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terrazas-Arellanes, Fatima E.; Strycker, Lisa A.; Walden, Emily D.; Gallard, Alejandro

2017-01-01

Inquiry-based learning methods, coupled with advanced technology, hold promise for closing the science literacy gap for English learners (ELs) and students with learning difficulties (SWLDs). Project ESCOLAR (Etext Supports for Collaborative Online Learning and Academic Reading) created collaborative online learning units for middle school science…

Evolution of the Air Toxics under the Big Sky Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marra, Nancy; Vanek, Diana; Hester, Carolyn; Holian, Andrij; Ward, Tony; Adams, Earle; Knuth, Randy

2011-01-01

As a yearlong exploration of air quality and its relation to respiratory health, the "Air Toxics Under the Big Sky" program offers opportunities for students to learn and apply science process skills through self-designed inquiry-based research projects conducted within their communities. The program follows a systematic scope and sequence…

Using Video Games to Understand Thermoregulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dibley, Jeremiah; Parish, Jamie

2007-01-01

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, a research project was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of video games as inquiry-based learning experiences for the science classroom. As a result, the video game, "Creature Control: The Quest for Homeostasis" was developed and field-tested in select middle schools in the United States.…

The Effect of Three Levels of Inquiry on the Improvement of Science Concept Understanding of Elementary School Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Artayasa, I. Putu; Susilo, Herawati; Lestari, Umie; Indriwati, Sri Endah

2018-01-01

This research aims to compare the effect of the implementation of three levels of inquiry: level 2 (structured inquiry), level 3 (guided inquiry), and level 4 (open inquiry) toward science concept understanding of elementary school teacher candidates. This is a quasi experiment research with pre-test post-test nonequivalent control group design.…

Kindergarten Teachers' Understanding of the Elements of Implementing Inquiry-Based Science Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blevins, Kathryn

The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to identify the extent to which kindergarten teachers understand and implement inquiry-based instruction in their science classrooms. This study was conducted in response to the indication that traditional didactic teaching methods were not enough to adequately prepare American students to compete in the global economy. Inquiry is a teaching method that could prepare students for the critical thinking skills needed to enter society in the 21st century. It is vital that teachers be sufficiently trained in teaching using the necessary components of inquiry-based instruction. This study could be used to inform leaders in educational administration of the gaps in teachers' understanding as it pertains to inquiry, thus allowing for the delivery of professional development that will address teachers' needs. Existing literature on inquiry-based instruction provides minimal information on kindergarten teachers' understanding and usage of inquiry to teach science content, and this information would be necessary to inform administrators in their response to supporting teachers in the implementation of inquiry. The primary research question for this study was "To what extent do kindergarten teachers understand the elements of implementing inquiry-based lessons in science instruction?" The 10 participants in this study were all kindergarten teachers in a midsized school district in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Data were collected using face-to-face semistructured interviews, observations of the teachers implementing what they perceived to be inquiry-based instruction, and the analysis of lesson plans to indicate the components used to plan for inquiry-instruction. The findings of this study indicated that while teachers believed inquiry to be a beneficial method for teaching science, they did not understand the components of inquiry and tended to implement lesson plans created at the district level. By analyzing the findings of this study, it became evident that kindergarten teachers could benefit from scaffolded, ongoing professional development focusing on the components of inquiry and how to implement inquiry in their science instruction.

Effects of 3D Printing Project-based Learning on Preservice Elementary Teachers' Science Attitudes, Science Content Knowledge, and Anxiety About Teaching Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, Elena; Wisdom, Sonya

2018-05-01

3D printing technology is a powerful educational tool that can promote integrative STEM education by connecting engineering, technology, and applications of science concepts. Yet, research on the integration of 3D printing technology in formal educational contexts is extremely limited. This study engaged preservice elementary teachers (N = 42) in a 3D Printing Science Project that modeled a science experiment in the elementary classroom on why things float or sink using 3D printed boats. The goal was to explore how collaborative 3D printing inquiry-based learning experiences affected preservice teachers' science teaching self-efficacy beliefs, anxiety toward teaching science, interest in science, perceived competence in K-3 technology and engineering science standards, and science content knowledge. The 3D printing project intervention significantly decreased participants' science teaching anxiety and improved their science teaching efficacy, science interest, and perceived competence in K-3 technological and engineering design science standards. Moreover, an analysis of students' project reflections and boat designs provided an insight into their collaborative 3D modeling design experiences. The study makes a contribution to the scarce body of knowledge on how teacher preparation programs can utilize 3D printing technology as a means of preparing prospective teachers to implement the recently adopted engineering and technology standards in K-12 science education.

Scientix: the new internet-based community for science education in europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunha, C.; Gras-Velázquez, À.; Gerard, E.

2012-04-01

The objectives of the Lisbon declaration (2000) and the affirmation of the European Commission that there is a need to promote more widely inquiry based science education methodologies in primary and secondary schools and to support teachers' networks (2007), were the basis for launch by European Schoolnet (EUN) of Scientix, a new web-based information platform for science education in Europe. It's aim is to ensure the regular dissemination and sharing of progress, know-how, and best practices in the field of science education and providing a feedback mechanism. Scientix is a three-year project run by EUN since December 2009 on behalf of the European Commission Directorate General Research and is funded under the 7th Framework Programme. The portal (http://www.scientix.eu), available in six European languages, offers a resource repository containing hundreds of teaching materials from European projects, but also research reports and policy-making documents; a translation on demand service for the teaching materials towards any of the 23 languages of the European Union; a community including a forum and chat rooms; an online news service featuring international science education topics and a calendar of forthcoming events and training opportunities; and also a newsletter sent once a month to registered users. The Scientix main targets are teachers, providing teaching materials, scientific support and documentation that are able to give them some quality tools for the development and implementation of inquiry based science education teaching methodologies. Besides the website, several events and workshops will be organized during the three years of the project. Workshops and newsletters to inform science teachers, give them tools to use the Scientix platform in class effectively and meet other science teachers in Europe will be organized from 2010 to 2012 and will take place in several European countries. An example of this was the Scientix European Conference that took place at Brussels from 6 to 8 of May 2011, which had the participation of around 400 teachers and education staff from 37 countries.

The PRIME Partnership: 9th Graders, Graduate Students and Integrated, Inquiry-Based Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaffney, A. M.; Miguelez, S.

2001-12-01

The PRIME program (Partnership for Research in Inquiry-based Math, science and engineering Education) is a collaboration between the UW Colleges of Education and Engineering and several Seattle-area school districts. This project, funded by the NSF GK-12 program, pairs UW graduate students from math, science and engineering disciplines with local middle school teachers. The graduate student spends a year working with the teacher, on projects designed to meet the needs and interests of the specific partnership and classroom. In the partnership, the graduate student spends 15 hours per week in the classroom, interacting with the students, as well as additional planning time outside of the classroom. Goals of the PRIME program are enriched learning by middle school students, professional development for middle school teachers, improved communication and teaching skills for the graduate students, and strengthened partnerships between the University of Washington and local school districts. The goal of our partnership was to develop an inquiry-based, 9th grade unit that integrates the pre-existing Earth Science and Chemistry units, and to assess the effectiveness of teaching Chemistry in the context of Earth Science. We have observed that students often become engaged and excited when they do hands-on activities that utilize the intrinsic understanding that they have of concepts that draw upon experiences in their daily lives. When science is taught and learned in one such context - in the context of the natural world - the students may gain a more solid fundamental understanding of the science that they learn. The day-to-day activities for this unit vary widely. We started each topic with a question designed to get the students thinking independently and to identify the preconceptions that the students brought into the classroom. Discussions of students' preconceptions served as a justification and springboard for the subsequent activities and experiments. Examples of questions used to spark student thought are: "What do you think the inside of the Earth looks like?," "What makes a volcano erupt?," and "Do mountains last forever?." We evaluated the effectiveness of this approach through a combination of classroom observations, formal and informal interviews, and surveys

Theory versus practice at implementation of inquiry-based approaches into physics education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfefferová, Miriam Spodniaková; Raganová, Janka; Hruška, Martin; Holec, Stanislav

2017-01-01

At present a lot of ideas for student inquiry-based activities accompanied with methodical remarks and instructions for teachers exist and can be used at physics lessons at lower and upper secondary levels. A need of the use of the teaching methods that support an independent student work as well as active learning approaches has been reflected also in the Slovak state educational program at various educational levels. Experiences of teachers who have used inquiry-based approaches in the classrooms are often in the contrary with expectations of these didactical trends. The paper aims to compare the theory and the practice of the implementation of inquiry-based activities in physics teaching. Practical experience was gained implementing activities for science education developed within the Chain Reaction project running at Matej Bel University Banska Bystrica. Opinions of teachers were investigated with the help of questionnaires, evaluation meetings and structured interviews. Their analysis identified many problems that the teachers had met during the implementation of the inquiry-based approaches in their teaching, as well as benefits of those activities for development of student competences.

Science Inquiry as Knowledge Transformation: Investigating Metacognitive and Self-regulation Strategies to Assist Students in Writing about Scientific Inquiry Tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Timothy A.

2011-12-01

Science inquiry is central to the science education reform efforts that began in the early 1990's. It is both a topic of instruction and a process to be experienced. Student engagement in the process of scientific inquiry was the focus of this study. The process of scientific inquiry can be conceived as a two-part task. In the initial part of the task, students identify a question or problem to study and then carry out an investigation to address the issue. In the second part of the task, students analyze their data to propose explanations and then report their findings. Knowing that students struggle with science inquiry tasks, this study sought to investigate ways to help students become more successful with the communication demands of science inquiry tasks. The study took place in a high school chemistry class. Students in this study completed a total of three inquiry tasks over the course of one school year. Students were split into four experimental groups in order to determine the effect of goal setting, metacognitive prompts, and sentence stems on student inquiry tasks. The quality of the student written work was assessed using a scoring rubric familiar to the students. In addition, students were asked at four different times in the school year to respond to a self-efficacy survey that measured student self-efficacy for chemistry content and science inquiry processes. Student self-efficacy for the process of scientific inquiry was positive and did not change over the course of the study while student scores on the science inquiry tasks rose significantly. The metacognitive prompts and instruction in goal setting did not have any effect on student inquiry scores. Results related to the effect of the sentence stems were mixed. An analysis of student work indicated that students who received high marks on their initial inquiry task in this study were the ones that adopted the use of the sentence stems. Students who received low marks on their initial inquiry task did not tend to use the sentence stems. An analysis of word counts that compared the number of words used in the Framing section to the number of words used in the Analysis section indicated that students may have been using insufficient writing strategies. This study concludes with implications for classroom practice and recommendations for future research around student writing in the science classroom.

Collaborative Visualization Project: shared-technology learning environments for science learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pea, Roy D.; Gomez, Louis M.

1993-01-01

Project-enhanced science learning (PESL) provides students with opportunities for `cognitive apprenticeships' in authentic scientific inquiry using computers for data-collection and analysis. Student teams work on projects with teacher guidance to develop and apply their understanding of science concepts and skills. We are applying advanced computing and communications technologies to augment and transform PESL at-a-distance (beyond the boundaries of the individual school), which is limited today to asynchronous, text-only networking and unsuitable for collaborative science learning involving shared access to multimedia resources such as data, graphs, tables, pictures, and audio-video communication. Our work creates user technology (a Collaborative Science Workbench providing PESL design support and shared synchronous document views, program, and data access; a Science Learning Resource Directory for easy access to resources including two-way video links to collaborators, mentors, museum exhibits, media-rich resources such as scientific visualization graphics), and refine enabling technologies (audiovisual and shared-data telephony, networking) for this PESL niche. We characterize participation scenarios for using these resources and we discuss national networked access to science education expertise.

Bringing Inquiry Science to K-5 Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schachtel, Paula L.; Messina, D. L.; McDermott, L. C.

2006-12-01

As a science coach in the Seattle School District, I am responsible for helping other elementary teachers teach science. For several years, I have been participating in a program that consists of intensive NSF Summer Institutes and an ongoing academic-year Continuation Course. Teachers in this program work through modules in Physics by Inquiry, a research-based curriculum developed by the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington.1 I will discuss how this type of professional development has deepened my understanding of topics in physical science, helped me to teach science by inquiry to my own students, and enabled me to assist my colleagues in implementing inquiry science in their K-5 classrooms. Sponsored by Lillian C. McDermott. 1. A research-based curriculum developed by L.C. McDermott and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington, Physics by Inquiry, New York, NY, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1996.)

Educating Through Exploration: Emerging Evidence for Improved Learning Outcomes Using a New Theory of Digital Learning Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anbar, Ariel; Center for Education Through eXploration

2018-01-01

Advances in scientific visualization and public access to data have transformed science outreach and communication, but have yet to realize their potential impacts in the realm of education. Computer-based learning is a clear bridge between visualization and education that benefits students through adaptative personalization and enhanced access. Building this bridge requires close partnerships among scientists, technologists, and educators.The Infiniscope project fosters such partnerships to produce exploration-driven online learning experiences that teach basic science concepts using a combination of authentic space science narratives, data, and images, and a personalized guided inquiry approach. Infiniscope includes a web portal to host these digital learning experiences, as well as a teaching network of educators using and modifying these experiences. Infiniscope experiences are built around a new theory of digital learning design that we call “education through exploration” (ETX) developed during the creation of successful online, interactive science courses offered at ASU and other institutions. ETX builds on the research-based practices of active learning and guided inquiry to provide a set of design principles that aim to develop higher order thinking skills in addition to understanding of content. It is employed in these experiences by asking students to solve problems and actively discover relationships, supported by an intelligent tutoring system which provides immediate, personalized feedback and scaffolds scientific thinking and methods. The project is led by ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration working with learning designers in the Center for Education Through eXploration, with support from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate as part of the NASA Exploration Connection program.We will present an overview of ETX design, the Infinscope project, and emerging evidence of effectiveness.

Designing for student engagement in middle school science: Collaborative problem-solving in environmental science, using nanotechnology and electron microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmer, Andrea J.

Engaging middle-school students in scientific inquiry is typically recognized as important, but difficult. Designed to foster learner engagement, this method used an online, problem-based, science inquiry that investigated the Lehigh Gap, Palmerton Superfund Site during five weeks of collaborative classroom sessions. The inquiry prototype was authored in WISE, the Web-Based Science Inquiry Environment headquartered at UC, Berkeley. Online materials, readings, and class sessions were augmented with remote access to an electron microscope to analyze Lehigh Gap samples and an introduction to nanoscale science and nanotechnology through the ImagiNations Web site at Lehigh University. Students contributed the artifacts they generated during their research to a university database and presented them to researchers at the university working on the same problem. This approach proved highly engaging and generated design and development guidelines useful to others interested in designing for student engagement and introducing nanoscale science and electron microscopy in middle school science. This study further found that students' engaged in science inquiry both behaviorally and emotionally and on several different levels. The various levels appeared to create two hierarchies of engagement, one based on behavioral criteria and the other based on emotional criteria. For students involved in the collaborative, problem-solving science, which included experts and access to their microscopes, the highest levels of engagement seemed to empower students and create in them a passion towards science. These hierarchies are illustrated with students' direct quotes, which prove that students engaged in this particular design of science inquiry. Students' engagement in the inquiry led to their achievements in understanding nanoscale science, nanotechnology, and electron microscopy and initiated positive attitude changes towards learning science.

An Analysis of Activities in Saudi Arabian Middle School Science Textbooks and Workbooks for the Inclusion of Essential Features of Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldahmash, Abdulwali H.; Mansour, Nasser S.; Alshamrani, Saeed M.; Almohi, Saeed

2016-12-01

This study examines Saudi Arabian middle school science textbooks' coverage of the essential features of scientific inquiry. All activities in the middle school science textbooks and workbooks were analyzed by using the scientific inquiry `essential features' rubric. The results indicated that the essential features are included in about 59 % of the analyzed science activities. However, feature 2, `making learner give priority to evidence in responding to questions' and feature 3, `allowing learner to formulate explanations from evidence' appeared more frequently than the other three features (feature 1: engaging learner in scientifically oriented questions, feature 4: helping learner connect explanations to scientific knowledge, and feature 5: helping learner communicate and justify explanations to others), whether in the activities as a whole, or in the activities included in each of the four science domains (physical science, Earth science, life science and chemistry). These features are represented in almost all activities. This means that almost all activities in the middle school science textbooks and the workbooks include features 2 and 3. Meanwhile, the mean level of inclusion of the five essential features of scientific inquiry found in the middle school science textbooks and workbooks as a whole is 2.55. However, results found for features 1, 4, 5 and for in-level inclusion of the inquiry features in each of the science domains indicate that the inclusion of the essential inquiry features is teacher-centred. As a result, neither science textbooks nor workbooks provide students with the opportunity or encouragement to develop their inquiry skills. Consequently, the results suggest important directions for educational administrators and policy-makers in the preparation and use of science educational content.

Enhancing Scientific Inquiry Literacy of Prospective Biology Teachers through Inquiry Lab Project in Microbiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusnadi, K.; Rustaman, N. Y.; Redjeki, S.; Aryantha, I. N. P.

2017-09-01

The implementation of the inquiry laboratory based project to enhance scientific inquiry literacy of prospective biology teachers in Microbiology course has been done. The inquiry lab based project was designed by three stages were debriefing of basic microbiology lab skills, guided inquiry and free inquiry respectively. The Study was quasi experimental with control group pretest-posttest design. The subjects were prospective biology teachers consists of 80 students. The scientific inquiry literacy instrument refers to ScInqLiT by Wenning. The results showed that there was significant difference of scientific inquiry literacy posttest scores between experiment and control (α 0,05) and was obtained N-gain score was 0.49 (medium) to experiment and 0.24 (low) to control. Based on formative assessment showed that development of student’s scientific attitude, research and microbiology lab skills during conducting project were increased. Student’s research skills especially in identification of variables, constructing a hypothesis, communicating and concluding were increased. During implementation of inquiry project also showed that they carried out mind and hands-on and so collaborative group investigation lab activities. Our findings may aid in reforming higher-education, particularly in microbiology laboratory activities to better promote scientific inquiry literacy, scientific attitude, research and laboratory skills.

The ERESE project: Bridging the gap between Digital Science Libraries and Education through Professional Development of Teachers and Database Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staudigel, H.; Helly, M.; Helly, J.; Koppers, A.; Massel-Symons, C.; Miller, S.

2004-12-01

The ERESE (Enduring Resources in Earth Science Education) project involves a close collaboration between teachers, librarians, educators, data archive managers and scientists in Earth sciences and information technology, to create a digital library environment for Earth science education. We report here on an ongoing (NSF-NSDL) project involving teachers' professional development in the pedagogy of plate tectonics in middle and high schools. This work included efforts in scientific database development in terms of contents and search tools, the development of an inquiry based learning approach, a two week professional development workshop attended by 15 teachers from across the nation, a classroom implementation of lesson plans developed by the teachers at the workshop and an evaluation/validation process for the success of their pedagogic approaches. This ERESE project offers a novel path for both science teaching and professional outreach for scientists, and includes four key components: (1) A true, long-term research partnership between educators and scientists, guiding each other with respect to the authenticity of the science taught and the educational soundness of a scientists' elaborations on science concepts. (2) Expansion of existing scientific databases through the use of metadata that tie scientific materials to a particular expert level and teaching goal. (3) The design of interfaces that make data accessible to the educational community. (4) The use of an inquiry based teaching approach that integrates the scientist-educator collaboration and the data base developments. Our pedagogic approach includes the development of a central hypotheses by the student in response to an initial general orientation and presentation of a well chosen central provocative phenomenon by the teacher. Then, the student develops a research plan that is devoted to address this hypothesis through the use of the materials provided by a scientific database allowing a students prove or disprove their hypothesis and to explore the limits of the (current) understanding of a particular science question. Our first experience with this ERESE project involved a steep learning curve, but the initial results are very promising, providing true professional development for educators as well as for the scientists, whereby the former learn about new ways of teaching science and the latter learn to communicate with teachers.

The function of questions in Omani fourth grade inquiry-based science classrooms: A sociocultural perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Shaibani, Madiha Ahmed

2005-11-01

Studies indicate that science education reforms are globally converging. Many countries are adopting the globally advocated science education reforms for the purpose of obtaining the competitive edge in science education and technology that are viewed as the driving forces of modern economies. Globally, science education reforms are emphasizing paradigm shifts in which constructivist instructional are foregrounded. Many science education curricular documents advocate teaching science through engaging students in scientific inquiry. As a result, science classrooms are becoming more student-centered where students are typically actively engaged in inquiry learning. Even though inquiry instruction has become the common approach in teaching science, the actual implementation of inquiry in classrooms indicates that there is a big gap between the intended inquiry advocated in curricula documents and the actual practices in classroom settings. One of the main features of inquiry instruction is student questions. Authentic student questions are essential for the initiating and main scientific inquiry. However, studies have also illustrated the rarity of student questions in classrooms. This dearth in student questions has been attributed to the discursive practices in classrooms. Classrooms that implement the traditional IRE discourse structure tend to have less student questions. On the other hand, reflective questioning is considered a more appropriate classroom discourse structure because it intentionally invites student questions and engages students in classroom discussions. This qualitative study addresses the issue of questioning in fourth grade inquiry-based science classrooms of the Omani Basic Education system. Methods employed in this study included: participant observation, individual interviews, focus group interviews and the collection of artifacts. Findings of this study illustrated the rarity of student questions in the classrooms. However this investigation also revealed the connection between teacher beliefs and implementation of reforms. Teachers whose beliefs were aligned with reforms came closer to implementing reform initiatives as opposed to teachers whose beliefs were not aligned with reform initiatives. The findings of this study were inconclusive when it came to linking teachers' questioning practices to teachers' understanding of inquiry methods.

Empowering Rural Appalachian Youth Through Integrated Inquiry-based Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartwright, T. J.; Hogsett, M.

2009-05-01

Science education must be relevant and inspiring to keep students engaged and receptive to learning. Reports suggest that science education reform can be advanced by involving students in active research (NSF 1996). Through a 2-year Geoscience Education award from the National Science Foundation, a program called IDGE (Integrated Design for Geoscience Education) has targeted low-income, under-represented, and minority high school students in rural Appalachia in inquiry-based projects, international collaboration, and an international environmental expedition incorporating the GLOBE program protocols. This program targeted Upward Bound students at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. The Upward Bound is a federally-supported program targeting low-income, under-represented, and minority students for inclusion in a summer academic- enrichment program. IDGE builds on the mission of Upward Bound by encouraging underprivileged students to investigate science and scientific careers. This outreach has proven to be successful in enhancing positive attitudes and understanding about science and increasing the number of students considering science careers. IDGE has found that students must be challenged to observe the world around them and to consider how their decisions affect the future of our planet, thus making geoscience relevant and interesting to the students. By making the geoscience course inquiry-based and incorporating field research that is relevant to local environmental issues, it becomes possible for students to bridge the gap between science in theory and science in practice while remaining engaged. Participants were able to broaden environmental connections through an ecological expedition experience to Costa Rica, serving as an opportunity to broaden the vision of students as members of an international community of learners and scientists through their experiences with a diverse natural environment. This trip, in coordination with the inclusion of scientific instruments such as GPS and probeware, fostered additional student interest in earth science. IDGE has shown to have a lasting effect on the participating students who learn from the experience that science is a dynamic field in need of creative minds who want to make discoveries. Through relevant inquiry, the quality of geoscience instruction is inspiring a new generation of geoscientists. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under award 0735596. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation.

Changes in Students' Views about Nature of Scientific Inquiry at a Science Camp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leblebicioglu, G.; Metin, D.; Capkinoglu, E.; Cetin, P. S.; Eroglu Dogan, E.; Schwartz, R.

2017-12-01

Although nature of science (NOS) and nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI) are related to each other, they are differentiated as NOS is being more related to the product of scientific inquiry (SI) which is scientific knowledge whereas NOSI is more related to the process of SI (Schwartz et al. 2008). Lederman et al. (Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 51, 65-8, 2014) determined eight NOSI aspects for K-16 context. In this study, a science camp was conducted to teach scientific inquiry (SI) and NOSI to 24 6th and 7th graders (16 girls and 8 boys). The core of the program was guided inquiry in nature. The children working in small groups under guidance of science advisors conducted four guided-inquiries in the nature in morning sessions on nearby plants, animals, water, and soil. NOSI aspects were made explicit during and at the end of each inquiry session. Views about scientific inquiry (VASI) (Lederman et al. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 51, 65-8, 2014) questionnaire was applied as pre- and post-test. The results of the study showed that children developed in all eight NOSI aspects, but higher developments were observed in "scientific investigations all begin with a question" and "there is no single scientific method," and "explanations are developed from data and what is already known" aspects. It was concluded that the science camp program was effective in teaching NOSI.

Changes in Students' Views about Nature of Scientific Inquiry at a Science Camp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leblebicioglu, G.; Metin, D.; Capkinoglu, E.; Cetin, P. S.; Eroglu Dogan, E.; Schwartz, R.

2017-11-01

Although nature of science (NOS) and nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI) are related to each other, they are differentiated as NOS is being more related to the product of scientific inquiry (SI) which is scientific knowledge whereas NOSI is more related to the process of SI (Schwartz et al. 2008). Lederman et al. ( Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 51, 65-8, 2014) determined eight NOSI aspects for K-16 context. In this study, a science camp was conducted to teach scientific inquiry (SI) and NOSI to 24 6th and 7th graders (16 girls and 8 boys). The core of the program was guided inquiry in nature. The children working in small groups under guidance of science advisors conducted four guided-inquiries in the nature in morning sessions on nearby plants, animals, water, and soil. NOSI aspects were made explicit during and at the end of each inquiry session. Views about scientific inquiry (VASI) (Lederman et al. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 51, 65-8, 2014) questionnaire was applied as pre- and post-test. The results of the study showed that children developed in all eight NOSI aspects, but higher developments were observed in "scientific investigations all begin with a question" and "there is no single scientific method," and "explanations are developed from data and what is already known" aspects. It was concluded that the science camp program was effective in teaching NOSI.

The Effect of Guided-Inquiry Instruction on 6th Grade Turkish Students' Achievement, Science Process Skills, and Attitudes Toward Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koksal, Ela Ayse; Berberoglu, Giray

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of guided-inquiry approach in science classes over existing science and technology curriculum in developing content-based science achievement, science process skills, and attitude toward science of grade level 6 students in Turkey. Non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design was used to investigate the treatment effect. There were 162 students in the experimental group and 142 students in the control group. Both the experimental and control group students took the Achievement Test in Reproduction, Development, and Growth in Living Things (RDGLT), Science Process Skills Test, and Attitudes Toward Science Questionnaire, as pre-test and post-test. Repeated analysis of variance design was used in analyzing the data. Both the experimental and control group students were taught in RDGLT units for 22 class hours. The results indicated the positive effect of guided-inquiry approach on the Turkish students' cognitive as well as affective characteristics. The guided inquiry enhanced the experimental group students' understandings of the science concepts as well as the inquiry skills more than the control group students. Similarly, the experimental group students improved their attitudes toward science more than the control group students as a result of treatment. The guided inquiry seems a transition between traditional teaching method and student-centred activities in the Turkish schools.

Collaboration Modality, Cognitive Load, and Science Inquiry Learning in Virtual Inquiry Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erlandson, Benjamin E.; Nelson, Brian C.; Savenye, Wilhelmina C.

2010-01-01

Educational multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) have been shown to be effective platforms for situated science inquiry curricula. While researchers find MUVEs to be supportive of collaborative scientific inquiry processes, the complex mix of multi-modal messages present in MUVEs can lead to cognitive overload, with learners unable to…

Learning Logs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heuser, Daniel

2005-01-01

Just what do children get out of inquiry? Good inquiry activities help students hone their inquiry abilities and teach them about the nature of science. But inquiry is also a way to teach science content, and teachers need to know if this instruction is helping children gain these important ideas. So, how do teachers know what students are…

Conducting Guided Inquiry in Science Classes Using Authentic, Archived, Web-Based Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ucar, Sedat; Trundle, Kathy Cabe

2011-01-01

Students are often unable to collect the real-time data necessary for conducting inquiry in science classrooms. Web-based, real-time data could, therefore, offer a promising tool for conducting scientific inquiries within classroom environments. This study used a quasi-experimental research design to investigate the effects of inquiry-based…

The Wisdom of Scientific Inquiry on Education. Science Education Information Reports, Occasional Paper Series, Science Paper 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glass, Gene V.

After distinguishing between elucidatory inquiry (directed toward theory and model construction for understanding and explaining phenomena) and evaluative inquiry (determining the worth of a thing), and providing nine differentiating characteristics, the author discusses the progress of educational elucidatory inquiry. He concludes that it has not…

Approaches to Inquiry Teaching: Elementary Teachers' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ireland, Joseph; Watters, James J.; Lunn Brownlee, J.; Lupton, Mandy

2014-01-01

Learning science through the process of inquiry is advocated in curriculum documents across many jurisdictions. However, a number of studies suggest that teachers struggle to help students engage in inquiry practices. This is not surprising as many teachers of science have not engaged in scientific inquiry and possibly hold naïve ideas about what…

Mentoring and Community: Inquiry as Stance and Science as Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melville, Wayne; Bartley, Anthony

2010-01-01

In this article, we investigate how mentoring relationships founded on inquiry as stance can work to emphasize the conditions that promote the development of teachers of science as inquiry. Drawing on data collected through semi-structured interviews, we have developed two narrative case studies based on the two mentoring relationships that exist…

Questioning the Validity of Inquiry Assessment in a High Stakes Physical Sciences Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramnarain, Umesh

2014-01-01

The South African science curriculum advocates an inquiry-based approach to practical work. Inquiry is a complex and multifaceted activity involving both cognitive and physical activity; thus, paper-and-pencil items do not provide the authentic context for this assessment. This study investigates the construct validity of inquiry-related questions…

Recognizing Mechanistic Reasoning in Student Scientific Inquiry: A Framework for Discourse Analysis Developed from Philosophy of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russ, Rosemary S.; Scherr, Rachel E.; Hammer, David; Mikeska, Jamie

2008-01-01

Science education reform has long focused on assessing student inquiry, and there has been progress in developing tools specifically with respect to experimentation and argumentation. We suggest the need for attention to another aspect of inquiry, namely "mechanistic reasoning." Scientific inquiry focuses largely on understanding causal…

Using the Virtual Vee Map for Inquiry with Geoscience Research Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutherford, S.

2009-04-01

The Vee Map is a method by which any teacher can implement guided inquiry in their classroom. It was originally designed to work with classic laboratories. However, Coffman and Riggs (2006) used the idea so that students could gather online scientific data to answer a research question. This is known as the "Virtual Vee Map" because the scientific data collected is online or virtual. Students have great difficulty with designing and conducting a research project. They also are not able to work with scientific data. Many organizations are now making their scientific data available for use by the educational community. However, many educators and students have found geoscience data difficult to find and use. Ledley et al. (2008) suggests that organizations use educationally relevant review criteria for their data sites. As part of a National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) research project, a website was developed using the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory's (GLERL) scientific data about the Great Lakes. This data was made available such that pre-service Earth Science elementary teachers could design a research question for use with the Virtual Vee Map's guided inquiry approach.

The influence of the Inquiry Institute on elementary teachers' perceptions of inquiry learning in the science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams-Rossi, Dara

Despite the positive outcomes for inquiry-based science education and recommendations from national and state standards, many teachers continue to rely upon more traditional methods of instruction This causal-comparative study was designed to determine the effects of the Inquiry Institute, a professional development program that is intended to strengthen science teachers' pedagogical knowledge and provide practice with inquiry methods based from a constructivist approach. This study will provide a understanding of a cause and effect relationship within three levels of the independent variable---length of participation in the Inquiry Institute (zero, three, or six days)---to determine whether or not the three groups differ on the dependent variables---beliefs, implementation, and barriers. Quantitative data were collected with the Science Inquiry Survey, a researcher-developed instrument designed to also ascertain qualitative information with the use of open-ended survey items. One-way ANOVAs were applied to the data to test for a significant difference in the means of the three groups. The findings of this study indicate that lengthier professional development in the Inquiry Institute holds the most benefits for the participants.

The Science Management Observation Protocol: Using Structured Observations to Improve Teachers' Management of Inquiry-Based Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, Victor

2004-01-01

With the publication of the National Science Education Standards and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy, people now have a thorough idea of what an inquiry-based teacher is, and what he or she needs to do within a classroom in order to be successful. However, one major barrier in learning how to become an effective inquiry-based science teacher…

Inquiry-Based Science Education Competencies of Primary School Teachers: A Literature Study and Critical Review of the American National Science Education Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alake-Tuenter, Ester; Biemans, Harm J. A.; Tobi, Hilde; Wals, Arjen E. J.; Oosterheert, Ida; Mulder, Martin

2012-01-01

Inquiry-based science education is an important innovation. Researchers and teachers consider it to be stimulating for pupils' application of research skills, construction of meaning and acquiring scientific knowledge. However, there is ambiguity as to what competencies are required to teach inquiry-based science. Our purpose is to develop a…

How to Help Teachers Develop Inquiry Teaching: Perspectives from Experienced Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tseng, Chung-Hsien; Tuan, Hsiao-Lin; Chin, Chi-Chin

2013-01-01

This study has two purposes: the first is to explore experienced science teachers' perspectives on inquiry teaching, and the second is to categorize these perspectives into patterns. Fifteen junior high school science teachers experienced at inquiry teaching were selected, and a semi-structured interview was conducted to collect the teachers'…

An Investigation of Teacher Impact on Student Inquiry Science Performance Using a Hierarchical Linear Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ou Lydia; Lee, Hee-Sun; Linn, Marcia C.

2010-01-01

Teachers play a central role in inquiry science classrooms. In this study, we investigate how seven teacher variables (i.e., gender, experience, perceived importance of inquiry and traditional teaching, workshop attendance, partner teacher, use of technology) affect student knowledge integration understanding of science topics drawing on previous…

Being in the Hot Spot: A Phenomenological Study of Two Beginning Teachers' Experiences Enacting Inquiry Science Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dreon, Oliver; McDonald, Scott

2012-01-01

This phenomenological study demonstrates the influence that affective factors have on beginning teachers' ability to enact inquiry science pedagogy. Through narratives shared in interviews and weblog postings, two beginning science teachers' emotional engagement with their teaching practices, especially that of implementing inquiry-based…

Exploring Exemplary Elementary Teachers' Conceptions and Implementation of Inquiry Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Judith A.

2013-01-01

This study was an exploration of the conceptions of inquiry science held by exemplary elementary teachers. The origins of these conceptions were explored in order to establish how best to improve elementary teachers' understanding and implementation of inquiry science teaching. Four focus group sessions were held as well as classroom observations.…

The Relationship between Teachers' Knowledge and Beliefs about Science and Inquiry and Their Classroom Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saad, Rayana; BouJaoude, Saouma

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between teachers' attitudes toward science, knowledge and beliefs about inquiry, and science classroom teaching practices. Specifically, the study addressed three questions: What are teachers' beliefs and knowledge about inquiry? What are teachers' teaching related classroom practices? Do…

Demonstrating Inquiry-Based Teaching Competencies in the Life Sciences--Part 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Stephen

2007-01-01

This set of botany demonstrations is a continuation of the inquiry-based lecture activities that provide realistic connections to the history and nature of science and employ technology in data collection. The demonstrations also provide examples of inquiry-based teaching practices in the life sciences. (Contains 5 figures.) [For Part 1, see…

Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program: Green Earth Enhanced with Inquiry and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hanna

2011-01-01

This study investigated the effectiveness of a guided inquiry integrated with technology, in terms of female middle-school students' attitudes toward science/scientists and content knowledge regarding selective science concepts (e.g., Greenhouse Effect, Air/Water Quality, Alternative Energy, and Human Health). Thirty-five female students who were…

Action Research Study. A Framework To Help Move Teachers toward an Inquiry-Based Science Teaching Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staten, Mary E.

This action research study developed a framework for moving teachers toward an inquiry-based approach to teaching science, emphasizing elements, strategies, and supports necessary to encourage and sustain teachers' use of inquiry-based science instruction. The study involved a literature review, participant observation, focus group discussions,…

Inquiry Learning in the Singaporean Context: Factors affecting student interest in school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jocz, Jennifer Ann; Zhai, Junqing; Tan, Aik Ling

2014-10-01

Recent research reveals that students' interest in school science begins to decline at an early age. As this lack of interest could result in fewer individuals qualified for scientific careers and a population unprepared to engage with scientific societal issues, it is imperative to investigate ways in which interest in school science can be increased. Studies have suggested that inquiry learning is one way to increase interest in science. Inquiry learning forms the core of the primary syllabus in Singapore; as such, we examine how inquiry practices may shape students' perceptions of science and school science. This study investigates how classroom inquiry activities relate to students' interest in school science. Data were collected from 425 grade 4 students who responded to a questionnaire and 27 students who participated in follow-up focus group interviews conducted in 14 classrooms in Singapore. Results indicate that students have a high interest in science class. Additionally, self-efficacy and leisure-time science activities, but not gender, were significantly associated with an increased interest in school science. Interestingly, while hands-on activities are viewed as fun and interesting, connecting learning to real-life and discussing ideas with their peers had a greater relation to student interest in school science. These findings suggest that inquiry learning can increase Singaporean students' interest in school science; however, simply engaging students in hands-on activities is insufficient. Instead, student interest may be increased by ensuring that classroom activities emphasize the everyday applications of science and allow for peer discussion.

Inquiry-based science: Preparing human capital for the 21 st century and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyd, Yolanda F.

High school students need to graduate with 21st century skills to be college and career ready and to be competitive in a global marketplace. A positive trend exists favoring inquiry-based instructional practices that purportedly not only increase science content knowledge, but also 21 st century skill development. A suburban school district, Areal Township (pseudonym), implemented an inquiry-based science program based on this trend; however, the degree to which the program has been meeting students' needs for science content knowledge and 21st century skills development has not been explored. If we were to understand the process by which an inquiry-based science program contributes to attainment of science content and 21st century skill development, then we might be able to improve the delivery of the program and provide a model to be adopted by other schools. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to engage with multiple stakeholders to formatively assess the successes and obstacles for helping students to achieve science content and 21st century skills through an inquiry-based curriculum. Using constructivist theory, this study aimed to address the following central research question: How does the implementation of an inquiry-based program within the Areal Township School District (ATSD) support the acquisition of science content knowledge and the development of 21st century skills? This study found that 21st century skill development is embedded in inquiry-based instructional practices. These practices engage students in meaningful learning that spirals in content and is measured using diverse assessments. Time to do inquiry-based science and adequate time for collegial collaboration were obstacles for educators in grades K-5. Other obstacles were turnkey professional development and a lack of ongoing program monitoring, as a result of imposed extrinsic factors from state and federal mandates. Lastly, it was discovered that not all parts of the curriculum adopted a full inquiry-based approach.

Explore the concept of “light” and its interaction with matter: an inquiry-based science education project in primary school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varela, P.; Costa, M. F.

2015-04-01

The exploration process leading to the understanding of physical phenomena, such as light and its interaction with matter, raises great interest and curiosity in children. However, in most primary schools, children rarely have the opportunity to conduct science activities in which they can engage in an enquiry process even if by the action of the teacher. In this context, we have organised several in-service teacher training courses and carried out several pedagogic interventions in Portuguese primary schools, with the aim of promoting inquiry- based science education. This article describes one of those projects, developed with a class of the third grade, which explored the curricular topic “Light Experiments”. Various activities were planned and implemented, during a total of ten hours spread over five lessons. The specific objectives of this paper are: to illustrate and analyse the teaching and learning process promoted in the classroom during the exploration of one of these lessons, and to assess children's learning three weeks after the lessons. The results suggest that children made significant learning which persisted. We conclude discussing some processes that stimulated children’ learning, including the importance of teacher questioning in scaffolding children's learning and some didactic implications for teacher training.

Enhancing the Student Experiment Experience: Visible Scientific Inquiry Through a Virtual Chemistry Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnelly, Dermot; O'Reilly, John; McGarr, Oliver

2013-08-01

Practical work is often noted as a core reason many students take on science in secondary schools (high schools). However, there are inherent difficulties associated with classroom practical work that militate against scientific inquiry, an approach espoused by many science educators. The use of interactive simulations to facilitate student inquiry has emerged as a complement to practical work. This study presents case studies of four science teachers using a virtual chemistry laboratory (VCL) with their students in an explicitly guided inquiry manner. Research tools included the use of the Inquiry Science Implementation Scale in a `talk-aloud' manner, Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol for video observations, and teacher interviews. The findings suggest key aspects of practical work that hinder teachers in adequately supporting inquiry and highlight where a VCL can overcome many of these difficulties. The findings also indicate considerations in using the VCL in its own right.

Science inquiry and student diversity: Enhanced abilities and continuing difficulties after an instructional intervention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Okhee; Buxton, Cory; Lewis, Scott; Leroy, Kathryn

2006-09-01

This study examines elementary students' abilities to conduct science inquiry through their participation in an instructional intervention over a school year. The study involved 25 third and fourth grade students from six elementary schools representing diverse linguistic and cultural groups. Prior to and at the completion of the intervention, the students participated in elicitation sessions as they conducted a semistructured inquiry task on evaporation. The results indicate that students demonstrated enhanced abilities with some aspects of the inquiry task, but continued to have difficulties with other aspects of the task even after instruction. Although students from all demographic subgroups showed substantial gains, students from non-mainstream and less privileged backgrounds in science showed greater gains in inquiry abilities than their more privileged counterparts. The results contribute to the emerging literature on designing learning environments that foster science inquiry of elementary students from diverse backgrounds.

Inquiry Coaching: Scientists & Science Educators Energizing the Next Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shope, R. E.; Alcantara Valverde, L.

2007-05-01

A recent National Academy of Sciences report recommends that science educators focus strategically on teaching the practice of science. To accomplish this, we have devised and implemented the Science Performance Laboratory, a collaborative research, education, and workforce model that brings scientists and science educators together to conduct scientific inquiry. In this session, we demonstrate how to form active inquiry teams around Arctica Science Research content areas related to the International Polar Year. We use the term "Arctica Science Research" to refer to the entire scope of exploration and discovery relating to: polar science and its global connections; Arctic and Antarctic research and climate sciences; ice and cryospheric studies on Earth; polar regions of the Moon, Mars, and Mercury; icy worlds throughout the Solar System, such as Europa, Enceladus, Titan, Pluto and the Comets; cryovolcanism; ice in interstellar space, and beyond. We apply the notion of teaching the practice science by enacting three effective strategies: 1) The Inquiry Wheel Game, in which we develop an expanded understanding of what has been traditionally taught as "the scientific method"; 2) Acting Out the Science Story, in which we develop a physicalized expression of our conceptual understanding; and 3) Selecting Success Criteria for Inquiry Coaching, in which we reframe how we evaluate science learning as we teach the practice of science.

Effects of explicit instruction on the acquisition of students' science inquiry skills in grades 5 and 6 of primary education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruit, P. M.; Oostdam, R. J.; van den Berg, E.; Schuitema, J. A.

2018-03-01

In most primary science classes, students are taught science inquiry skills by way of learning by doing. Research shows that explicit instruction may be more effective. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of explicit instruction on the acquisition of inquiry skills. Participants included 705 Dutch fifth and sixth graders. Students in an explicit instruction condition received an eight-week intervention of explicit instruction on inquiry skills. In the lessons of the implicit condition, all aspects of explicit instruction were absent. Students in the baseline condition followed their regular science curriculum. In a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design, two paper-and-pencil tests and three performance assessments were used to examine the acquisition and transfer of inquiry skills. Additionally, questionnaires were used to measure metacognitive skills. The results of a multilevel analysis controlling for pre-tests, general cognitive ability, age, gender and grade level indicated that explicit instruction facilitates the acquisition of science inquiry skills. Specifically on the performance assessment with an unfamiliar topic, students in the explicit condition outperformed students of both the implicit and baseline condition. Therefore, this study provides a strong argument for including an explicit teaching method for developing inquiry skills in primary science education.

Impact of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) use and score interpretation on states' inquiry-based science education policies and practices: A descriptive study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conley, David M.

This study examined the influence of use and interpretation of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science results on science education policies and practices in the United States, in the context of teaching and learning through inquiry and the assessment of student inquiry achievement. State assessment directors, NAEP coordinators, and science education specialists nationwide were invited to participate in the study by responding to a Web-based self-administered survey instrument. Sixty-seven percent of the population responded, providing both quantitative and qualitative data through selected-response and open-ended survey items, respectively. The findings of this study revealed that: (a) not all states interpret NAEP science results as an indicator of students' abilities to undertake inquiry investigations or understand the nature of inquiry---in fact, states view their own science assessments as more indicative of expectations regarding inquiry achievement; (b) most states have made changes to science curricular frameworks and assessments since the last NAEP science administration in 2000, so that more emphasis is placed on inquiry-based instruction and assessment of inquiry achievement---however, NAEP results have had a minor influence on these changes; (c) fewer states have made changes in legislation, policies, and professional development that reflect greater emphasis on inquiry, and those that did felt that NAEP results had no significant impact; (d) NAEP's influence has changed since the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, but it remains minor since NAEP is still perceived as a "low stakes" test; (e) state officials believe NAEP's influence will increase significantly after the results of NAEP science 2005 are released and interpreted and as NCLB accountability provisions in science take hold in 2007--2008. The implications of the study's findings are discussed in reference to the theoretical and practical knowledge-bases concerning the consequences of assessment; the interpretation and use of future NAEP results to inform state science education systems; and NAEP validity studies and revisions to the NAEP assessment framework that may ensue. Limitations of the study's findings and directions for future research are also addressed.

Science Teachers' Views and Stereotypes of Religion, Scientists and Scientific Research: A Call for Scientist-Science Teacher Partnerships to Promote Inquiry-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mansour, Nasser

2015-01-01

Despite a growing consensus regarding the value of inquiry-based learning (IBL) for students' learning and engagement in the science classroom, the implementation of such practices continues to be a challenge. If science teachers are to use IBL to develop students' inquiry practices and encourage them to think and act as scientists, a better…

Enactment of Scientific Inquiry: Observation of Two Cases at Different Grade Levels in China Mainland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Lei; Zhang, Ronghui; Clarke, David; Wang, Weizhen

2014-01-01

Enactment of scientific inquiry in classroom has attracted a great attention of science educators around the world. In this study, we examined two competent teachers' (one Grade 9 chemistry teacher and one Grade 4 science teacher) enactment of scientific inquiry in selected teaching units to reveal the characteristics of enacted inquiry at…

The Impact of a Professional Development Model on Middle School Science Teachers' Efficacy and Implementation of Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lotter, Christine; Smiley, Whitney; Thompson, Stephen; Dickenson, Tammiee

2016-01-01

This study investigated a professional development model designed to improve teachers' inquiry teaching efficacy as well as the quality of their inquiry instruction through engaging teachers in practice-teaching and reflection sessions. The programme began with a two-week summer Institute focused on both inquiry pedagogy and science content and…

Designing for Learner Engagement in Middle School Science: Technology, Inquiry, and the Hierarchies of Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harmer, Andrea J.; Cates, Ward Mitchell

2007-01-01

Engaging middle-school students in scientific inquiry is typically recognized as important, but difficult. Designed to foster learner engagement, this method used an online, problem-based, science inquiry that investigated the West Nile virus during four weeks of collaborative classroom sessions. The inquiry prototype was authored in WISE, the…

A Template for Open Inquiry: Using Questions to Encourage and Support Inquiry in Earth and Space Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermann, Ronald S.; Miranda, Rommel J.

2010-01-01

This article provides an instructional approach to helping students generate open-inquiry research questions, which the authors call the "open-inquiry question template." This template was created based on their experience teaching high school science and preservice university methods courses. To help teachers implement this template, they…

Experience and Reflection: Preservice Science Teachers' Capacity for Teaching Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melville, Wayne; Fazio, Xavier; Bartley, Anthony; Jones, Doug

2008-10-01

In this article, we investigate the relationship between preservice teachers’ inquiry experience and their capacity to reflect on the challenges involved in implementing inquiry into classrooms. For data, we draw on the personal narratives of preservice science teachers enrolled in science instruction courses. Preservice teachers with extensive inquiry experiences perceive implementation challenges principally in terms of teaching and student learning. This contrasts with the perceptions of preservice teachers with limited inquiry experience for whom the main concerns relate to the negative perceptions of others, time, the curriculum, and materials. By identifying these perceptions, it may be possible to develop courses that assist limited and moderate-experience preservice teachers’ move toward the perceptions of their more inquiry experienced colleagues.

Social Science at the Center for Adaptive Optics: Synergistic Systems of Program Evaluation, Applied Research, Educational Assessment, and Pedagogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goza, B. K.; Hunter, L.; Shaw, J. M.; Metevier, A. J.; Raschke, L.; Espinoza, E.; Geaney, E. R.; Reyes, G.; Rothman, D. L.

2010-12-01

This paper describes the interaction of four elements of social science as they have evolved in concert with the Center for Adaptive Optics Professional Development Program (CfAO PDP). We hope these examples persuade early-career scientists and engineers to include social science activities as they develop grant proposals and carry out their research. To frame our discussion we use a metaphor from astronomy. At the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), the CfAO PDP and the Educational Partnership Center (EPC) are two young stars in the process of forming a solar system. Together, they are surrounded by a disk of gas and dust made up of program evaluation, applied research, educational assessment, and pedagogy. An idea from the 2001 PDP intensive workshops program evaluation developed into the Assessing Scientific Inquiry and Leadership Skills (AScILS) applied research project. In iterative cycles, AScILS researchers participated in subsequent PDP intensive workshops, teaching social science while piloting AScILS measurement strategies. Subsequent "orbits" of the PDP program evaluation gathered ideas from the applied research and pedagogy. The denser regions of this disk of social science are in the process of forming new protoplanets as tools for research and teaching are developed. These tools include problem-solving exercises or simulations of adaptive optics explanations and scientific reasoning; rubrics to evaluate the scientific reasoning simulation responses, knowledge regarding inclusive science education, and student explanations of science/engineering inquiry investigations; and a scientific reasoning curriculum. Another applied research project is forming with the design of a study regarding how to assess engineering explanations. To illustrate the mutual shaping of the cross-disciplinary, intergenerational group of educational researchers and their projects, the paper ends with a description of the professional trajectories of some of the researchers involved in this complex solar system.

Agriscience Student Engagement in Scientific Inquiry: Representations of Scientific Processes and Nature of Science.

PubMed

Grady, Julie R; Dolan, Erin L; Glasson, George E

2010-01-01

Students' experiences with science integrated into agriscience courses contribute to their developing epistemologies of science. The purpose of this case study was to gain insight into the implementation of scientific inquiry in an agriscience classroom. Also of interest was how the tenets of the nature of science were reflected in the students' experiments. Participants included an agriscience teacher and her fifteen students who were conducting plant experiments to gain insight into the role of a gene disabled by scientists. Data sources included classroom observations, conversations with students, face-to-face interviews with the teacher, and students' work. Analysis of the data indicated that the teacher viewed scientific inquiry as a mechanical process with little emphasis on the reasoning that typifies scientific inquiry. Students' participation in their experiments also centered on the procedural aspects of inquiry with little attention to scientific reasoning. There was no explicit attention to the nature of science during the experiments, but the practice implied correct, incorrect, and underdeveloped conceptions of the nature of science. Evidence from the study suggests a need for collaboration between agriscience and science teacher educators to design and conduct professional development focused on scientific inquiry and nature of science for preservice and practicing teachers.

Agriscience Student Engagement in Scientific Inquiry: Representations of Scientific Processes and Nature of Science

PubMed Central

Grady, Julie R.; Dolan, Erin L.; Glasson, George E.

2013-01-01

Students’ experiences with science integrated into agriscience courses contribute to their developing epistemologies of science. The purpose of this case study was to gain insight into the implementation of scientific inquiry in an agriscience classroom. Also of interest was how the tenets of the nature of science were reflected in the students’ experiments. Participants included an agriscience teacher and her fifteen students who were conducting plant experiments to gain insight into the role of a gene disabled by scientists. Data sources included classroom observations, conversations with students, face–to–face interviews with the teacher, and students’ work. Analysis of the data indicated that the teacher viewed scientific inquiry as a mechanical process with little emphasis on the reasoning that typifies scientific inquiry. Students’ participation in their experiments also centered on the procedural aspects of inquiry with little attention to scientific reasoning. There was no explicit attention to the nature of science during the experiments, but the practice implied correct, incorrect, and underdeveloped conceptions of the nature of science. Evidence from the study suggests a need for collaboration between agriscience and science teacher educators to design and conduct professional development focused on scientific inquiry and nature of science for preservice and practicing teachers. PMID:23935256

Inquiry-Based Instruction and High Stakes Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cothern, Rebecca L.

Science education is a key to economic success for a country in terms of promoting advances in national industry and technology and maximizing competitive advantage in a global marketplace. The December 2010 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) ranked the United States 23rd of 65 countries in science. That dismal standing in science proficiency impedes the ability of American school graduates to compete in the global market place. Furthermore, the implementation of high stakes testing in science mandated by the 2007 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has created an additional need for educators to find effective science pedagogy. Research has shown that inquiry-based science instruction is one of the predominant science instructional methods. Inquiry-based instruction is a multifaceted teaching method with its theoretical foundation in constructivism. A correlational survey research design was used to determine the relationship between levels of inquiry-based science instruction and student performance on a standardized state science test. A self-report survey, using a Likert-type scale, was completed by 26 fifth grade teachers. Participants' responses were analyzed and grouped as high, medium, or low level inquiry instruction. The unit of analysis for the achievement variable was the student scale score average from the state science test. Spearman's Rho correlation data showed a positive relationship between the level of inquiry-based instruction and student achievement on the state assessment. The findings can assist teachers and administrators by providing additional research on the benefits of the inquiry-based instructional method. Implications for positive social change include increases in student proficiency and decision-making skills related to science policy issues which can help make them more competitive in the global marketplace.

Inquiry-Based Science Instruction in High School Biology Courses: A Multiple Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aso, Eze

2014-01-01

A lack of research exists about how secondary school science teachers use inquiry-based instruction to improve student learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how science teachers used inquiry-based instruction to improve student learning in high school biology courses. The conceptual framework was based on Banchi and Bell's…

How Do Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Science Units Impact Classroom Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hee-Sun; Linn, Marcia C.; Varma, Keisha; Liu, Ou Lydia

2010-01-01

We investigated how student understanding of complex science topics was impacted when 27 teachers switched from typical to inquiry instruction in a delayed cohort comparison design study. For the same set of science topics, the teachers used typical methods of instruction in the first year and online, visualization rich inquiry units in the second…

An Examination of How Middle School Science Teachers Conduct Collaborative Inquiry and Reflection about Students' Conceptual Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todd-Gibson, Christine

2013-01-01

This qualitative case study examined how middle school science teachers conducted collaborative inquiry and reflection about students' conceptual understanding, and how individual teachers in the middle school science group acted and made reflections in response to their collaborative inquiry. It also examined external influences that affected the…

Investigation of Inquiry-Based Science Pedagogy among Middle Level Science Teachers: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiland, Sunny Minelli

2012-01-01

This study implemented a qualitative approach to examine the phenomenon of "inquiry-based science pedagogy or inquiry instruction" as it has been experienced by individuals. Data was collected through online open-ended surveys, focus groups, and teacher reported self-reflections to answer the research questions: 1) How do middle level…

Formative Assessment to Support Students' Competences in Inquiry-Based Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grob, Regula; Holmeier, Monika; Labudde, Peter

2017-01-01

Inquiry-based education has been part of innovative science teaching for the last few decades. With the competence orientation now underlying many national curricula, one of the emerging questions is how the development of student competences can be fostered in the context of inquiry-based science education. One approach to supporting students in…

An Examination of How Middle School Science Teachers Conduct Collaborative Inquiry and Reflection about Students' Conceptual Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todd-Gibson, Christine

2017-01-01

This qualitative case study examined how middle school science teachers conducted collaborative inquiry and reflection about students' conceptual understanding, and how individual teachers in the middle school science group acted and made reflections in response to their collaborative inquiry. It also examined external influences that affected the…

Teaching with Insects: An Applied Life Science Course for Supporting Prospective Elementary Teachers' Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haefner, Leigh A.; Friedrichsen, Patricia Meis; Zembal-Saul, Carla

2006-01-01

The National Science Education Standards (National Research Council [NRC], 1996) call for a greater emphasis on scientific inquiry in K-12 science classes. The Inquiry Standards recommend that students be engaged with scientific questions in which they collect and interpret data, give priority to evidence to construct explanations, test those…

Environmental Inquiry by College Students: Original Research and Peer Review Using Web-Based Collaborative Tools. Preliminary Quantitative Data Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cakir, Mustafa; Carlsen, William S.

The Environmental Inquiry (EI) program (Cornell University and Pennsylvania State University) supports inquiry based, student-centered science teaching on selected topics in the environmental sciences. Texts to support high school student research are published by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) in the domains of environmental…

The Spectrum of Pedagogical Orientations of Malawian and South African Physical Science Teachers towards Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramnarain, Umesh; Nampota, Dorothy; Schuster, David

2016-01-01

This study investigated and compared the pedagogical orientations of physical sciences teachers in Malawi and South Africa towards inquiry or direct methods of science teaching. Pedagogical orientation has been theorized as a component of pedagogical content knowledge. Orientations were characterized along a spectrum of two variants of inquiry and…

Mathematical Modeling in Science: Using Spreadsheets to Create Mathematical Models and Address Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horton, Robert M.; Leonard, William H.

2005-01-01

In science, inquiry is used as students explore important and interesting questions concerning the world around them. In mathematics, one contemporary inquiry approach is to create models that describe real phenomena. Creating mathematical models using spreadsheets can help students learn at deep levels in both science and mathematics, and give…

LEARNERS: Interdisciplinary Learning Technology Projects Provide Visualizations and Simulations for Use of Geospatial Data in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrell, N.; Hoban, S.

2001-05-01

The NASA Leading Educators to Applications, Research and NASA-related Educational Resources in Science (LEARNERS) initiative supports seven projects for enhancing kindergarten-to-high school science, geography, technology and mathematics education through Internet-based products derived from content on NASA's mission. Topics incorporated in LEARNERS projects include remote sensing of the Earth for agriculture and weather/climate studies, virtual exploration of remote worlds using robotics and digital imagery. Learners are engaged in inquiry or problem-based learning, often assuming the role of an expert scientist as part of an interdisciplinary science team, to study and explain practical problems using real-time NASA data. The presentation/poster will demonstrate novel uses of remote sensing data for K-12 and Post-Secondary students. This will include the use of visualizations, tools for educators, datasets, and classroom scenarios.

2010 NASA-AIHEC Summer Research Experience: Students and Teachers from TCUs Engage in GIS/Remote Sensing with Researchers and Scientists--Lessons Learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rock, B. N.; Carlson, M.; Mell, V.; Maynard, N.

2010-12-01

Researchers and scientists from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde joined with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop and present a Summer Research Experience (SRE) that trained 21 students and 10 faculty members from 9 of the 36 Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) which comprise the American Indian Higher Education Council (AIHEC). The 10-week SRE program was an inquiry-based introduction to remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and field science research methods. Teams of students and TCU faculty members developed research projects that explored climate change, energy development, contamination of water and air, fire damage in forests, and lost cultural resources on tribal lands. The UNH-Grand Ronde team presented SRE participants with an initial three-week workshop in the use of research tools and development of research projects. During the following seven weeks, the team conferred weekly with SRE participants to monitor and support their progress. Rock provided specific guidance on numerous scientific questions. Carlson coached students on writing and organization and provided laboratory analysis of foliar samples. Mell provided support on GIS technology. Eight of the SRE college teams completed substantial research projects by the end of the SRE while one other team developed a method for future research. Seventeen students completed individual research papers, oral presentations and posters. Nineteen students and all teachers maintained regular and detailed communication with the UNH-Grand Ronde mentors throughout the ten-week program. The SRE produced several significant lessons learned regarding outreach educational programs in inquiry-based science and technology applications. These include: Leadership by an active research scientist (Rock) inspired and supported students and teachers in developing their own scientific inquiries. An intensive schedule of expectations for each week of the 10-week SRE, a handbook of research tools, and regular coaching and encouragement stretched individual students to high levels of achievement. Daily meetings with TCU faculty during the initial 3-week training workshop and close communication during the 7-week follow-on provided each participating TCU with lasting professional development in research, use of technology, and strategies for mentoring research students. The inquiry-based approach gave each student a sense of ownership for their projects, a sense of place for native lands and resources, a sense of pride in accomplishments, and self-discovery of gaps in knowledge and skills. Students across a wide spectrum of skills and academic experience voiced a sense of achievement and an interest in learning more science.

Teaching Energy as Part of Education for Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tas, Maarten; McKeon, Frankie; Charnley, Fiona; Fleming, Margaret

2014-01-01

This article describes how energy issues and education for sustainable development (ESD) are part of the agenda for two current European projects, CoDeS and SUSTAIN. The latter is mainly concerned with the development of inquiry-based primary and lower secondary science education while the former is a network that aims to learn more about…

A Role for Historical Experiments: Capturing the Spirit of the Itinerant Lecturers of the 18th Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metz, Don; Stinner, Art

2007-01-01

Gerald Rutherford (1964), one of the original authors of the Harvard Project Physics course which emphasized the history of science, expressed a view of inquiry which advocated the historical re-constructions of significant experiments. To implement this view we examine two modes of historical re-constructions; Heering's ("Paper…

Doing Research in School: Physics Inquiry in the Zone of Proximal Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapon, Shulamit

2016-01-01

Research experience is increasingly considered an important component of science education at the secondary school and undergraduate levels. This paper presents a case study of students learning in a unique apprenticeship model in which students are engaged in long-term (18 month) open-ended research projects in physics that are done at the…

The Philosophical Significance of Universal Grammar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinzen, Wolfram

2012-01-01

Throughout its long history, the project of a science of grammar has always been an inherently philosophical one, in which the study of grammar was taken to have special epistemological significance. I ask why 20th and 21st century inquiry into Universal Grammar (UG) has largely lost this dimension, a fact that I argue is partially responsible for…

The Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy in Regard to The Teaching of Science as Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dira Smolleck, Lori; Zembal-Saul, Carla; Yoder, Edgar P.

2006-06-01

The purpose of this study was to develop, validate, and establish the reliability of an instrument that measures preservice teachers' self-efficacy in regard to the teaching of science as inquiry. The instrument, Teaching Science as Inquiry (TSI), is based upon the work of Bandura (1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1997), Riggs (1988), and Enochs and Riggs (1990). Self-efficacy in regard to the teaching of science as inquiry was measured through the use of a 69-item Likert-type scale instrument designed by the author of the study. Based on the standardized development processes used and the associated evidence, the TSI appears to be a content and construct valid instrument with high internal reliability for use with preservice elementary teachers to assess self-efficacy beliefs in regard to the teaching of science as inquiry.

The Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy in Regard to The Teaching of Science as Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smolleck, Lori Dira; Zembal-Saul, Carla; Yoder, Edgar P.

2006-06-01

The purpose of this study was to develop, validate, and establish the reliability of an instrument that measures preservice teachers' self-efficacy in regard to the teaching of science as inquiry. The instrument, Teaching Science as Inquiry (TSI), is based upon the work of Bandura (1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1997), Riggs (1988), and Enochs and Riggs (1990). Self-efficacy in regard to the teaching of science as inquiry was measured through the use of a 69-item Likert-type scale instrument designed by the author of the study. Based on the standardized development processes used and the associated evidence, the TSI appears to be a content and construct valid instrument with high internal reliability for use with preservice elementary teachers to assess self-efficacy beliefs in regard to the teaching of science as inquiry.

Science Teachers' Perceptions of the Relationship Between Game Play and Inquiry Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mezei, Jessica M.

The implementation of inquiry learning in American science classrooms remains a challenge. Teachers' perceptions of inquiry learning are predicated on their past educational experiences, which means outdated methods of learning may influence teachers' instructional approaches. In order to enhance their understanding and ultimately their implementation of inquiry learning, teachers need new and more relevant models. This study takes a preliminary step exploring the potential of game play as a valuable experience for science teachers. It has been proposed that game play and inquiry experiences can embody constructivist processes of learning, however there has been little work done with science teachers to systematically explore the relationship between the two. Game play may be an effective new model for teacher education and it is important to understand if and how teachers relate game playing experience and knowledge to inquiry. This study examined science teachers' game playing experiences and their perceptions of inquiry experiences and evaluated teacher's recognition of learning in both contexts. Data was collected through an online survey (N=246) and a series of follow-up interviews (N=29). Research questions guiding the study were: (1) What is the nature of the relationship between science teachers' game experience and their perceptions of inquiry? (2) How do teachers describe learning in and from game playing as compared with inquiry science learning? and (3) What is the range of similarities and differences teachers articulate between game play and inquiry experiences?. Results showed weak quantitative links between science teachers' game experiences and their perceptions of inquiry, but identified promising game variables such as belief in games as learning tools, game experiences, and playing a diverse set of games for future study. The qualitative data suggests that teachers made broad linkages in terms of parallels of both teaching and learning. Teachers mostly articulated learning connections in terms of the active or participatory nature of the experiences. Additionally, a majority of teachers discussed inquiry learning in concert with inquiry teaching which led to a wider range of comparisons made based on the teacher's interpretation of inquiry as a pedagogical approach instead of focusing solely on inquiry learning. This study has implications for both research and practice. Results demonstrate that teachers are interested in game play as it relates to learning and the linkages teachers made between the domains suggests it may yet prove to be a fruitful analogical device that could be leveraged for teacher development. However, further study is needed to test these claims and ultimately, research that further aligns the benefits of game play experiences to teacher practice is encouraged in order to build on the propositions and findings of this thesis.

Incorporating Inquiry into Upper-Level Undergraduate Homework Assignments: The Mini-Journal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whittington, Alan; Speck, Angela; Witzig, Stephen; Abell, Sandra

2010-05-01

The US National Science Education Standards (2000) state that science should be taught through inquiry. The five essential features of classroom inquiry are that the leaner (i) engages in scientifically oriented questions, (ii) gives priority to evidence in responding to questions, (iii) formulates explanations from evidence, (iv) connects explanations to scientific knowledge, and (v) communicates and justifies explanations. One difficulty in achieving this vision at the university level lies in the common perception that inquiry be fully open and unstructured, and that its implementation will be impractical due to time and material constraints. In an NSF-funded project, "CUES: Connecting Undergraduates to the Enterprise of Science," faculty developed new inquiry-based laboratory curriculum materials using a "mini-journal" approach, which is designed as an alternative to the cookbook laboratory and represents the way that scientists do science. Here we adapt this approach to a homework assignment in an upper-level Planetary Science class, and show that inquiry is achievable in this setting. Traditional homeworks in this class consisted of problem sets requiring algebraic manipulation, computation, and in most cases an appraisal of the result Longer questions are broken down into chunks worth 1 to 4 points. In contrast, the mini-journal is a short article that is modeled in the way that scientists do and report science. It includes a title, abstract, introduction (with clear statement of the problem to be tackled), a description of the methods, results (presented as both tables and graphs), a discussion (with suggestions for future work) and a list of cited work. Students devise their research questions and hypothesis from the paper based on a logical next step in the investigation. Guiding questions in the discussion can assist the students ("it would be interesting to evaluate the effect of ..."). Students submit their own minijournal, using the same journal-style format. A detailed grading rubric was supplied with the mini-journal, with credit given for formatting, accuracy of calculation, and quality of intepretation and discussion. In the examples we present, research is conducted via spreadsheet modeling, where the students develop their own spreadsheets. The key differences between the old and new formats include (i) the active participation of the students in defining the problem that they will pursue, (ii) the open-ended nature of the inquiry, such that students need to recognize when they have enough information to answer their question, (iii) presentation of results in graphical and tabular formats, and (iv) a written discussion of their findings. Based on detailed student and instructor feedback, our conclusions are: (i) Limited inquiry is achievable in upper-level science homework assignments, and is transferable to other topics and classes (ii) Students experience discomfort on being presented with an open-ended assignment, but like the freedom to define their own homework problem (iii) Students recognize that the reading, writing and critical thinking skills employed in the minijournal format increase their understanding (iv) Students suggest a combination of minijournal and traditional homework formats in this class, or replacing midterm exams with minijournals (v) Student written comments are far more useful than Likert scale responses in assessing instructional techniques and effectiveness

Air Toxics Under the Big Sky: Examining the Effectiveness of Authentic Scientific Research on High School Students' Science Skills and Interest.

PubMed

Ward, Tony J; Delaloye, Naomi; Adams, Earle Raymond; Ware, Desirae; Vanek, Diana; Knuth, Randy; Hester, Carolyn Laurie; Marra, Nancy Noel; Holian, Andrij

2016-01-01

Air Toxics Under the Big Sky is an environmental science outreach/education program that incorporates the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) 8 Practices with the goal of promoting knowledge and understanding of authentic scientific research in high school classrooms through air quality research. A quasi-experimental design was used in order to understand: 1) how the program affects student understanding of scientific inquiry and research and 2) how the open inquiry learning opportunities provided by the program increase student interest in science as a career path . Treatment students received instruction related to air pollution (airborne particulate matter), associated health concerns, and training on how to operate air quality testing equipment. They then participated in a yearlong scientific research project in which they developed and tested hypotheses through research of their own design regarding the sources and concentrations of air pollution in their homes and communities. Results from an external evaluation revealed that treatment students developed a deeper understanding of scientific research than did comparison students, as measured by their ability to generate good hypotheses and research designs, and equally expressed an increased interest in pursuing a career in science. These results emphasize the value of and need for authentic science learning opportunities in the modern science classroom.

Air Toxics Under the Big Sky: examining the effectiveness of authentic scientific research on high school students' science skills and interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Tony J.; Delaloye, Naomi; Adams, Earle Raymond; Ware, Desirae; Vanek, Diana; Knuth, Randy; Hester, Carolyn Laurie; Marra, Nancy Noel; Holian, Andrij

2016-04-01

Air Toxics Under the Big Sky is an environmental science outreach/education program that incorporates the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) 8 Practices with the goal of promoting knowledge and understanding of authentic scientific research in high school classrooms through air quality research. This research explored: (1) how the program affects student understanding of scientific inquiry and research and (2) how the open-inquiry learning opportunities provided by the program increase student interest in science as a career path. Treatment students received instruction related to air pollution (airborne particulate matter), associated health concerns, and training on how to operate air quality testing equipment. They then participated in a yearlong scientific research project in which they developed and tested hypotheses through research of their own design regarding the sources and concentrations of air pollution in their homes and communities. Results from an external evaluation revealed that treatment students developed a deeper understanding of scientific research than did comparison students, as measured by their ability to generate good hypotheses and research designs, and equally expressed an increased interest in pursuing a career in science. These results emphasize the value of and need for authentic science learning opportunities in the modern science classroom.

Air Toxics Under the Big Sky: Examining the Effectiveness of Authentic Scientific Research on High School Students’ Science Skills and Interest

PubMed Central

Delaloye, Naomi; Adams, Earle Raymond; Ware, Desirae; Vanek, Diana; Knuth, Randy; Hester, Carolyn Laurie; Marra, Nancy Noel; Holian, Andrij

2016-01-01

Air Toxics Under the Big Sky is an environmental science outreach/education program that incorporates the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) 8 Practices with the goal of promoting knowledge and understanding of authentic scientific research in high school classrooms through air quality research. A quasi-experimental design was used in order to understand: 1) how the program affects student understanding of scientific inquiry and research and 2) how the open inquiry learning opportunities provided by the program increase student interest in science as a career path. Treatment students received instruction related to air pollution (airborne particulate matter), associated health concerns, and training on how to operate air quality testing equipment. They then participated in a yearlong scientific research project in which they developed and tested hypotheses through research of their own design regarding the sources and concentrations of air pollution in their homes and communities. Results from an external evaluation revealed that treatment students developed a deeper understanding of scientific research than did comparison students, as measured by their ability to generate good hypotheses and research designs, and equally expressed an increased interest in pursuing a career in science. These results emphasize the value of and need for authentic science learning opportunities in the modern science classroom. PMID:28286375

At-Risk and Bilingual Fifth-Grade Students' On-Task Behavior and Conceptual Understanding in Earth Science-Related Topics during Inquiry-, Technology-, and Game-Based Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNeal, K.; Vasquez, Y.; Avandano, C.; Moreno, K.; Besinaiz, J.

2007-12-01

The Graduate K-12 (GK12) program has been developed by NSF to support the national effort to advance scientific knowledge through educational partnerships. This paper highlights research conducted during the 2006-2007 school year with the Texas A&M University GK12 project. Two elementary schools with very high numbers of at risk students - those who are poor, speak English as their second language, and have a history of failing state-mandated tests were identified to be the field site for the GK12 project. In these two, high-minority (97% and 40% African American and Hispanic) schools, 80% and 56% of the children have been identified by the state as at risk; 94% and 52% are classified as economically disadvantaged; and 46% and 2% are limited English proficient, respectively. In the past year, 30% and 73% of fifth grade students in these schools passed the science portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. Data collected during a three- week period where GK12 fellows taught the fifth graders Earth science-related topics is presented. During the implementation, students were engaged in technology-, inquiry-, and game-based activities. Students were divided into low-, medium-, and high-abilities in one school, and regular and bilingual groups in the other. Pre- post open-ended multiple choice tests indicated that all but the low performing students' conceptual understanding (CU) significantly (p < 0.05) improved during the IT activity. The low and high student groups' CU significantly improved during the inquiry activity, and the high and bilingual students' CU significantly improved for the game activities. Classroom observation assessments showed that there was a significant (p < 0.10) positive (0.347) correlation between on-task behavior and CU. Significant differences between student groups' CU and on-task behavior indicated that technology-based activities showed greatest differences between the low- ability learners and the other students, whereas, inquiry-based activities tended not to show such extremes. In the case of the bilingual and regular students however, technology-based instruction tended to increase their scores and decrease gaps with other groups. Using different pedagogical approaches (e.g., technology-, inquiry- and game-based methods) to teach Earth science is important to reach all elementary students. Earth science educators should not forget that there does not exist any one teaching and learning method that will be a 'quick fix' for the masses. However, educational partnerships between universities and K-12 schools strengthen the efforts to increase scientific literacy among all students, including diverse and at risk populations.

Exploring Elementary Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences and Learning Outcomes in a Revised Inquiry-Based Science Lesson: An Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kazempour, Mahsa; Amirshokoohi, Aidin

2013-01-01

In order for teachers to implement inquiry-based teaching practices, they must have experienced inquiry-based learning especially during science content and methods courses. Although the impacts of inquiry-based instruction on various cognitive and affective domains have been studied and documented little attention has been paid to "how"…

Argument-Driven Inquiry to Promote the Understanding of Important Concepts & Practices in Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, Victor; Gleim, Leeanne

2009-01-01

Inquiry is an integral part of the teaching and learning of science. However, many science teachers are unsure of how to promote and support inquiry in the classroom or how to design lessons that engage students in inquiry in a way that improves students' understanding of important concepts and practices in biology. In this article, the authors…

Learning Environments and Inquiry Behaviors in Science Inquiry Learning: How Their Interplay Affects the Development of Conceptual Understanding in Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bumbacher, Engin; Salehi, Shima; Wierzchula, Miriam; Blikstein, Paulo

2015-01-01

Studies comparing virtual and physical manipulative environments (VME and PME) in inquiry-based science learning have mostly focused on students' learning outcomes but not on the actual processes they engage in during the learning activities. In this paper, we examined experimentation strategies in an inquiry activity and their relation to…

From Log Files to Assessment Metrics: Measuring Students' Science Inquiry Skills Using Educational Data Mining

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gobert, Janice D.; Sao Pedro, Michael; Raziuddin, Juelaila; Baker, Ryan S.

2013-01-01

We present a method for assessing science inquiry performance, specifically for the inquiry skill of designing and conducting experiments, using educational data mining on students' log data from online microworlds in the Inq-ITS system (Inquiry Intelligent Tutoring System; www.inq-its.org). In our approach, we use a 2-step process: First we use…

The Kansas Collaborative Research Network, KanCRN: Teaching science content through process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Case, Steven B.

The Kansas Collaborative Research Network, KanCRN is an Internet-based research community, in which citizens, teachers and students can engage in authentic, meaningful scientific inquiry. Recent efforts to reform science education in the United States have strongly emphasized that understanding of the nature of science is an essential component of general scientific literacy. The National Science Education Standards suggest that engaging students in scientific inquiry is one opportunity to develop an understanding of the nature of science. Extending the philosophical understanding of science to specific science classroom organization, KanCRN is large-scale, systemic project that attempts to achieve the vision of scientific inquiry in the National Science Education Standards. The underlying question of standards-based reform still remains; does participation in scientific inquiry provide compelling evidence of an increase in the understanding of the process of science and the ability to apply these skills in novel situations? This study took advantage of the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools involvement in districtwide systemic reform, First Things First. Each year the students in grades 3--12 complete a district First Things First questionnaire. Since longitudinal measures of student attitudes are generally difficult to obtain, this study tapped into this wealth of attitude measures gained from these questionnaires. These data sets include general demographics of the students, attitudinal data toward school and learning, and general achievement data. Running a factor analysis on these data sets allowed factoring out the influence of non-critical variables. In running this initial factor analysis of the First Things First data sets, several factors emerged as related to student's academic success on the Science Performance Assessment; Academic Effort, Teacher Quality, Project-based Learning, General Academic Ability (Self-Attitude Data), and Parental Support. Using the technique of Structural Equation Modeling, these factors were combined with participation in the KanCRN research model; this study created and tested a model of science classroom variables related to scores on a science performance assessment. Models were run separately for samples of middle school students (grades 6--8) and high school students (grades 9--12). The middle school model indicates that participation in the KanCRN research model is an independent, positive, direct, and meaningful predictor of science performance. Examination of the magnitude of the standardized coefficients and the R 2 values indicates that 27% of the variance on science achievement is accounted for by the middle school model. The high school model indicated that student attitudes were unrelated to KanCRN participation however, the relationship between participation in KanCRN and students performance on the assessment was not a significant path. Examination of the magnitude of the standardized coefficients and the R2 values for the high school model indicates that 7% of the variance on science achievement is accounted for by the model. This is identical the explanatory power of the high school model that only included information about KanCRN participation and student background characteristics, but leaving out the attitude data. The finding that KanCRN participation is significant at the middle school and is insignificant at the high school raises a number of interesting questions that requires further investigation.

Parsesciencing: A Basic Science Mode of Inquiry.

PubMed

Parse, Rosemarie Rizzo

2016-10-01

The purpose of this article is to introduce the language for the mode of inquiry, now known as Parsesciencing. The language for the Humanbecoming Hermeneutic Sciencing was introduced in an earlier volume of Nursing Science Quarterly. Language both reflects and cocreates meaning. The language of sciencing is everchanging; it is an evolutionary emergent, shifting as new ideas cocreate horizons beyond. The language set forth here is to articulate more explicitly meanings of the modes of inquiry consistent with the humanbecoming paradigm and distinct from modes of inquiry in other disciplines. In dwelling with the findings of published and unpublished studies that were guided by humanbecoming, new insights arose, and with creative conceptualizing these new insights gave birth to new meanings, thus different language. The language introduced here includes the following: Parsesciencing as coming to know the meanings of universal humanuniverse living experiences, horizon of inquiry, foreknowings, inquiry stance, mode of inquiry, historians, dialoging-engaging, scholar, distilling-fusing, discerning extant moment, transmogrifying, transsubstantiating, and newknowings. Note: an example of the new language with a Parsesciencing inquiry on the universal humanuniverse living experience of feeling unsure by Sandra Bunkers appears later in this issue. © The Author(s) 2016.