Inquiry-based Science Education Research Articles

The IndagApp mobile app: an inquiry-based science teaching resource: usability evaluation with pre-service teachers

Virtual laboratories and simulations have emerged as innovative solutions for science teaching. However, existing resources have various limitations and constraints including cognitive load/mental burden and limited coverage of all necessary steps in scientific inquiry, focusing mainly on the experimental simulation. To bridge this gap and address these challenges, the present study introduces the design and usability evaluation of IndagApp, an innovative educational resource explicitly developed to support inquiry-based science teaching. A convergent mixed methods design and a convenience sampling of 90 pre-service teachers were used. The findings indicate that IndagApp exhibits a high level of technological and pedagogical usability. Feedback from the users was incorporated to improve the app, resulting in its final version, which incorporates best practices from existing literature on authentic inquiry-based science teaching. IndagApp is freely accessible in the Spanish language, and compatible with Android 5.0 + smartphones and tablets, as well as PCs running Windows 7 or above operating systems. This research provides a timely and significant educational resource that may assist educators in enacting reform-oriented teaching practices.

Significance of Experiments in Inquiry-based Science Teaching

Inquiry-based science teaching (IBST) has garnered considerable interest in recent years due to its ability to improve students’ comprehension of scientific ideas and procedures. Experiments are crucial in IBST since they are key instruments for promoting inquiry, investigation, and discovery in the classroom. This research thoroughly analyses the importance of experiments in IBST, focusing on how they encourage active involvement, critical thinking, and better conceptual comprehension in students. This study highlights the many advantages of experiments in IBST using theoretical frameworks, empirical research, and practical insights. It also provides advice for effectively implementing them in educational practice.

Optimizing inquiry-based science education: verifying the learning effectiveness of augmented reality and concept mapping in elementary school

Optimizing inquiry-based science education: verifying the learning effectiveness of augmented reality and concept mapping in elementary school

Emile’s inquiry-based science education

Abstract Over the past decades, science education researchers have suggested Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) teaching interventions for science classes. In this article, we argue that IBSE’s basic principles can be traced back to Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s work Emile or On Education (1762). First, we will look at IBSE’s rationale. Then we will turn to Emile and outline Rousseau’s educational ideas concerning science education. We will show that Rousseau’s suggested practices for science education are very similar to those of IBSE. Yet despite their vivid similarities, Rousseau seems to pursue epistemic virtues, whilst IBSE aims at epistemic skills. However, nurturing epistemic skills might be seen as the first step for cultivating an epistemically virtuous character. So, embracing Rousseau’s ideal for full character development could further inspire IBSE’s proposals.

The relationships between the practice of different scientific activities and students’ scientific knowledge, inquiry skills, view of the nature of science and attitude towards science: a study in primary school

ABSTRACT Data from PISA and TIMSS have recently fuelled the debate on the efficacy of Inquiry-Based Science Teaching (IBST). Some analyses of these data show that the effects of different scientific activities related to IBST carried out with students vary according to the frequency of their implementation. Extending this research, the present study focuses on several scientific activities (Conception, Problem, Hypothesis, Model, Manipulation, Discussion-IBST, Interaction), some of which have not been considered previously. It investigates the extent to which these activities are implemented in teachers’ practices and their relationships with student learning. The study is based on self-reported practices of primary school teachers in France (98) and data on their students (2250) measuring their scientific knowledge, inquiry skills, views of the nature of science (NOS) and attitudes towards science. Findings show that teachers’ practices are diverse, with some teachers implementing scientific activities frequently and others rarely. However, no profile of teaching practices could be associated with high or low levels of student learning. The only scientific activity for which converging positive relationships with student learning were found was modelling. This finding calls for further studies to explore the relationships of the different modelling sub-practices with student learning.

Do science teachers’ believes related to inquiry-based teaching affect students’ science process skills? Evidence from a multilevel model analysis

AbstractInquiry-based science teaching has emerged as a prominent trend in science education. Nevertheless, it remains uncertain how teachers' self-efficacy in regard to the teaching of science as inquiry (TSI) affects students' science learning, especially considering the scarcity of research on its impact on students' Science Process Skills (SPSs). To investigate the impact of teachers' TSI on students' SPSs, this study conducted a questionnaire survey involving 539 eighth-grade students and 75 teachers from 7 junior high schools. Our Multilevel Model analysis results revealed a positive correlation between students' creative tendencies and SPSs. The results of the Cross-Level Moderation Models indicated that TSI moderated the relationship between students' creative tendencies and their SPSs, with this relationship strengthening as TSI increased. These study findings carry significant implications for both inquiry-based science education and teacher education.

Investigating student collaborative problem-solving competency and science achievement with multilevel modeling: Findings from PISA 2015

Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) competency is critical for 21st century students. However, reports from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 have revealed significant deficiencies in this competency among young students globally, indicating a critical need for the cultivation of CPS skills. Therefore, it is essential for educators and researchers to examine the factors that influence CPS competency and understand the potential role of CPS in secondary education. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between collaboration dispositions and students’ CPS competency as well as the relationships of CPS competency and inquiry-based science instruction (IBSI) with science achievement using the PISA 2015 data. A total of 408,148 students from 52 countries and economies (i.e., regions) were included in our analysis. Unlike most previous studies that only investigated one country at a time and neglected the multilevel data structure of PISA, this study provided a global view through adopting multilevel modeling to account for the cluster effect at the school and country levels. Our findings revealed that valuing relationship was positively associated with CPS, whereas valuing teamwork was negatively associated with CPS. Furthermore, CPS competency was found to be a dominant and positive predictor of science achievement among all study variables, underscoring the importance of integrating CPS into teaching practices to promote student success in science. Additionally, different IBSI activities show varying relationships with science achievement, indicating that caution should be taken when recommending any specific practices associated with IBSI to teachers.

The use of educational technology in inquiry-based elementary science education: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Technology has arisen as a powerful tool for enhancing student’s learning and engagement in science education, particularly in the context of elementary inquiry-based science education (IBSE). This systematic review examines the use of technology in elementary IBSE over the past decade, analyzing 22 empirical studies to identify research trends, explore relationships among inquiry phases and process skills, and identify examples of technology utilization and affordances. The study reveals that technology has mainly been used to support students’ observation and data interpretation skills during the investigation phase of inquiry. However, it also indicates that technology has the potential to support other science process skills in other phases of inquiry in a variety of ways. Supporting students to capture and collect data, providing learning materials, and linking the real-world context were the three predominant affordances. Furthermore, the analysis suggests research gaps in the use of emerging technology and insufficient attention paid to employing technology to support students’ modeling processes and the use of simulations. These findings point to the need for further investigation to fully explore the potential of technology in supporting students’ learning and engagement in elementary IBSE.

INQUIRY-BASED SCIENCE APPROACH IN KINDERGARTEN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Inquiry-based learning is a pedagogical approach that empowers learners to actively construct knowledge by engaging in problem-solving, critical thinking, questioning, and hands-on experiences. The inquiry-based approach in science emphasizes learners' active role in creating their understanding of the natural world. This review critically examines the application and impact of inquiry-based science approaches in kindergarten education. Through a thorough analysis of 16 research articles, the study shed light on different aspects of inquiry-based learning, including subject areas, participants, methodologies, types of inquiry-based approaches, theoretical frameworks, and impacts on learning outcomes. Findings show a predominant focus on early years’ science, with kindergarten children being the primary participants. The use of qualitative research methods shows a trend toward a comprehensive understanding of the issue. The study underscore the significance of using inquiry-based learning approach in kindergarten education and offers helpful information for teachers, decision-makers, and researchers. It also emphasizes the need for further empirical studies, particularly those addressing instructional models, challenges faced in the classroom to execute inquiry-based learning, and longitudinal studies to evaluate the long-term impacts of inquiry-based science education on kindergarten children performance.

Curiosity-Driven, Inquiry-Based Science Projects Bridge Face-to-Face and Online Learning Formats During COVID-19: A Teacher's Community of Inquiry

This paper is a report on a year-long action research project with a Community of Inquiry where a group of teachers from across primary, secondary, and tertiary contexts were developing and implementing student-centered, curiosity-driven, inquiry-based science projects to bridge face-to-face and online learning contexts and support their students’ engagement in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. We followed the teachers through two research cycles to investigate their driving question: “How can we best support our students’ learning in blended learning environments through Curiosity-Driven, Inquiry-Based Science Education?” We report on their ideas, successes, and challenges as they created and implemented eighteen projects. In the first cycle of inquiry in fall 2020, the teachers met online to discuss plans, they implemented their plans with their classes, and they met online to reflect on their projects and share resources. In the second cycle of inquiry in spring 2021, the teachers met online again for further planning, implementation, and reflection. We recorded all online meetings, collected resources that teachers shared, and conducted thematic analysis. Findings indicated the primary focus for the teachers were: which education technology methods to use; the importance of supporting their students’ voices to discuss their work at all stages of their projects; coming up with appropriate means of assessment of their students’ projects; supporting their students in their developing research and problem-solving skills; and supporting their students to reflect on their learning. This study is significant because it demonstrates the creativity and innovation of a group of teachers in their efforts to support their students’ engagement and learning through Curiosity-Driven, Inquiry-Based Science Education during the Covid-19 pandemic. The teachers’ projects have been shared on an Open Education Resource.

PD Days Under the Moon: Teaching Lunar Phases to In-Service Teachers by Doing Astronomy Like Astronomers Do and its Impact on Their Students’ Learning

Several school curricula urge K-12 teachers to engage their students in scientific inquiry activities that not only promote students’ learning in science, but also foster students’ understanding of science methodology. Unfortunately, recent large-scale studies have shown that inquiry-based science teaching in school is the exception, rather than the norm. This is especially true for astronomy, which teachers often consider too abstract and remote for inquiry-based teaching. To promote inquiry-based teaching in astronomy, we present an epistemological and historical analysis of the way astronomers build new knowledge and propose to teach astronomy through a scientific inquiry process consisting of “Doing astronomy like astronomers do”. This inquiry-based approach, which also includes observation, modelling, and communication with peers, emulates the different steps astronomers and scientists go through to do empirical science (question, hypothesis, observation, analysis/synthesis, modelling, prediction/application, and communication), transposed into a teaching and learning lesson plan about the phases of the Moon. The crucial steps of observation, analysis/synthesis, and modelling, where astronomers create models as proxies of astronomical objects that cannot be manipulated, is highlighted. This inquiry-based astronomy training, which also promotes conceptual change about lunar phases, was tested with 18 in-service elementary and high school teachers engaged in a professional development (PD) training program. Three participant teachers also taught lunar phases to their own elementary and high school students (N = 104) using the same approach. We present the results of a quasi-experimental study of the impacts of this PD training about lunar phases on the learning gains and self-efficacy of the participating in-service teachers, as well as on their students’ learning.

Meta-Analysis of the Influence of Science Teaching Materials Based on Inquiry Models on 21st Century Skills

The 21st century is the era of rapid knowledge, technology and talent development. Teaching materials are needed to increase these skills to support student learning. The research objective was to determine the effect of inquiry-based science teaching materials on 21st-century skills. The research method used was a meta-analysis of 32 articles in national and international journals. The results of the study obtained by varying the level of education, subjects, teaching materials used, and components of the 21st-century skills of the students stated that the use of inquiry model-based science teaching materials significantly influenced students' 21st-century skills. This meta-analysis research concludes that inquiry-based and educationally diverse science teaching materials significantly impacted students, impacted by science showing materials in light of request models with various, impacted by science guidance materials that utilise various showing strategies and depend on request models. The last skill components have a significant impact on students' 21st-century.

High school science teachers’ assessment literacy for inquiry-based science instruction

ABSTRACT Drawing upon the model for science teacher assessment literacy developed by [Abell, S. K., & Siegel, M. A. (2011). Assessment literacy: What science teachers need to know and be able to do. In The professional knowledge base of science teaching (pp. 205–221). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3927-9_12], this study explored science teachers' knowledge and practices of inquiry-based science instruction (IBSI) in Taiwan, and investigated the possible interactions among the categories of assessment literacy. Forty high school science teachers with relevant experience in IBSI participated in the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews and background questionnaires. We analysed the data and developed a coding scheme through both theory-oriented and data-oriented approaches. Four categories of teacher assessment literacy were explored, including assessment purposes, assessed learning outcomes, assessment strategies, and assessment scoring. The results indicated that, through formative assessments, teachers supported students' inquiry-based learning and self-regulated learning in a variety of ways. Furthermore, teachers not only used multiple data sources to assess students' learning performances, but also appreciated both subcategories of assessed learning outcomes - inquiry as means and inquiry as ends. The analysis also revealed some patterns of interactions among the categories of assessment literacy. Based on the findings, discussions and suggestions are provided.

Teachers' Views on the Effects of Inquiry-Based Science Education on the Learning Process of Bilingual Students

New learning methods have been applied every day regarding education and training, and these methods have been used for students to better understand and structure knowledge. As one of these methods, inquiry-based learning is used in primary school science teaching. Turkiye has a rich and diverse cultural structure. Thanks to this diversity, different languages are spoken in various regions apart from Turkish as the official language in Turkiye. In our study, it is aimed to benefit from teacher views about the learning processes of bilingual students who are applied inquiry-based science teaching. The experiences of teachers who have bilingual students in their class were questioned. The study used the phenomenological research model, one of the qualitative methods. The research group consists of 7 teachers who are chosen voluntarily from teachers with bilingual students in the classroom. A semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher was used to collect the research data. While these forms, which included open-ended questions, were applied, the interviews were recorded. These collected data were analyzed by content analysis method. Research findings indicate that inquiry-based science teaching positively affects the learning processes of bilingual students. It has been determined that students' conceptual understanding, participation and interest in the lesson, group working and cooperation skills, science lesson attitudes, problem solving skills and permanent learning are increased.

Inquiry-Based Science Teaching and the Development of Teaching Knowledge in Amazonia

Background: In the face of investigations on how Amazonia is presented in textbooks (TBs), it is clear that there is a limitation in approaching this topic, as it is loaded with stereotypes disregarding socio-environmental issues. Objectives: To understand how teaching knowledge is mobilised by teachers from a formative activity centred on investigative teaching sequences in the Amazonian context. Design: With this in mind, we started with an action research. Setting and Participants: It took place in a municipal school in Ananindeu/PA, with the participation of all teachers who worked in the initial years of elementary school of this institution, a total of five teachers, aged between 28 and 49 years. They are the only members of the teaching staff serving the eight classes at the school, in the morning and afternoon shifts, all with a background in pedagogy and at least one specialisation. Data collection and analysis: We used semi-structured collective interviews, recorded in audio and video, which were later transcribed and analysed through content analysis, carried out in three stages: 1 - Pre-analysis, 2 - Exploration of the material and 3 – Treatment of results and interpretation, based on the theoretical framework adopted in the investigation Results: We understand the mobilisation of teaching knowledge in the construction of Investigative Teaching Sequences (ITSs) aimed at the Amazon context, as a viable alternative, since textbooks disregard the reality of Amazonia, making it invisible throughout its entirety complexity. Conclusions: In this sense, the proposition of inquiry-based science teaching through ITSs focused on the Amazonian context favours overcoming this regional neglect. Therefore, teachers and students can start with an investigative process that takes into account relevant and significant themes for both.

Developing the test of inquiry skills: measuring the level of inquiry skills among pupils in Slovakia

ABSTRACT Teachers can develop science literacy among pupils through Inquiry-Based Science Education. IBSE helps to evolve the inquiry skills necessary for understanding the world of science and nature. To be able to improve the level of inquiry skills systematically, we need to know the current level among pupils. For this reason, we designed a multiple-choice test that measures the level of inquiry skills among 13 to 15 years old pupils. The design of the test consisted of six steps: selection of inquiry skills, construction and administration of open-ended test, creation of a database of distractors, construction of multiple-choice test, pilot testing and application of optimised test in pedagogical research. The designed test can be considered a valid and reliable research instrument and the individual test items show a relatively high discriminating power, optimal level of difficulty and a high number of functional distractors. By analysing the most common incorrect answers, we were able to identify various difficulties pupils have, regarding the application of inquiry skills in solving items. These results will help us to design appropriate strategies for improving pupils’ inquiry skills in science education.

Inquiry-based science teaching in English Medium Instruction science secondary classrooms: teachers’ understanding and perceptions

This mixed-method study, employing inquiry-based science teaching theory, delves into the interaction of English Medium Instruction (EMI) and scientific inquiry by investigating science teachers’ understanding and perceptions of conducting inquiry-based science activities in EMI classrooms. Drawing on a questionnaire of 166 EMI science teachers and in-depth individual interviews with five of them, the findings suggest that these EMI science teachers encountered similar challenges to other science teachers teaching science in their first languages through an inquiry-based approach. They were found to hold a ­scientific ­method-oriented understanding of inquiry-based science teaching and a conflict between Chinese learning culture and ­inquiry-based science learning culture. Furthermore, the findings indicate that EMI science teachers faced additional challenges in inquiry-based science classrooms in the EMI context, including (a) the tension between passive English learning and the mutual learning of scientific inquiry and English, and (b) the contradictory stance between ­inquiry-based science teaching and EMI policy. This study has implications for policymakers in terms of the teaching and provision of ­inquiry-based science in the EMI classroom.

The importance of cultivating awareness of environmental matters in science classrooms: a cross-regional study

AbstractAs scientific literacy plays a contributing role in identifying, analysing, and solving environmental matters that our world is facing, there is growing consensus to mandate environmental matters in science classrooms following five decades of efforts in promoting environmental education. However, much remains unknown about the relationship between students’ awareness of environmental matters and their science literacy scores on standardised test. Using data drawn from the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) science performance assessment, this study investigates the relationship between students’ awareness of environmental matters and their science literacy scores in the context of established predictors for science learning. In all the regions’ multilevel models ranging from medium to large effect sizes, a significant and positive relationship emerges between students’ awareness of environmental matters and science literacy scores. Among the well-known predictors for science learning, student science self-efficacy associates positively with student science literacy scores across the regions. In contrast, inquiry-based science instruction associates negatively with the scores. Except for these two well-known predictors, variations exist in the relationships between other variables among the regions. Given all the regions’ evidence showing the positive linkage between students’ awareness of environmental matters and science literacy scores, the present study signifies the importance of integrating environmental issues into traditional science classrooms, suggesting that there should be systematic supports that enable both environmental and science educators to collaborate towards the development of an interdisciplinary environmental science curriculum.

Let us explain everything: pupils’ perspectives of the affordances of mobile technology during primary science inquiry

This three-year longitudinal case study focused on the deployment of mobile technology in the form of tablet computers (iPads), during Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE). The research took place in a larger than average primary school in the West Midlands, UK, which showed a strong commitment to Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) resulting in iPads being used as an integral learning tool, across the entire curriculum. During the research, pupils in Upper Key Stage Two (10–11 year olds) were observed taking part in science weeks which consisted of intense periods of science inquiry, much of which was child-led. The impact of the embedded use of iPads was monitored by scrutinising pupils’ work in the form of multimedia presentations and experimental reports. Pupils’ learning behaviours and attitudes to mobile technology were explored through observations and paired interviews. The embedded use of iPads during IBSE was shown to increase science knowledge acquisition and support scientific literacy, recording of processes and aid understanding of working scientifically. Furthermore, iPads were shown to afford opportunities for personalisation of scientific learning experiences and foster collaboration at several levels, factors which were highly valued by the pupils. The outcomes of this study can be used to further inform the refinement of m-learning strategies in primary science and illuminate opportunities for developing the practice of science pedagogues.

Studying the quality of inquiry-based teaching in science classrooms. A systematic video study of inquiry-based science teaching in primary and lower-secondary schools

ABSTRACT A large body of research has studied the role and potential of inquiry to increase the quality of teaching in science education. While much of this existing research is based on international large-scale assessment studies, we still lack a clear understanding of the factors that influence the quality of inquiry-based science teaching in actual classroom practices. In this paper, we operationalise teaching quality through an observation manual, and we drew on this manual to systematically analyse video data of instructional practices in 20 Norwegian science classrooms at the primary and lower-secondary school level (73 observed lessons and about 450 students). We identified varying quality in the individual inquiry phases and differences between primary and lower-secondary schools. We observed that primary-school students collected and documented data more systematically than lower-secondary students and that consolidations were slightly more emphasised and of higher quality at the lower-secondary than at the primary level. Moreover, our findings indicate that inquiry-based teaching gave students more freedom to make their own choices and increased the quality of student participation in the classroom. Based on our findings, we discuss how teachers can improve the quality of inquiry-based instruction and empower students in the classroom.