Inquiry-based Science Learning Research Articles

LIVE-STREAMING PERFORMANCE IN INQUIRY-BASED SCIENCE LEARNING WITH ACTION: TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES

Online teaching has become an imperative approach in today’s society. However, as an essential approach, using live streaming to teach students in small groups, particularly rural primary school students, has not been extensively studied. To address this gap, an inquiry-based model, predict-do/observe-quiz/discuss-explain-transfer (P-D/O-Q/D-E-T), was adopted for live streaming with action, and its performance was analysed. Reflection by teachers can lead them to a deeper understanding to capture the profound impact of an educational program. In the present study, eight teachers who had experience assisting rural students in this experiment were invited to rate their points of view on immersion, social interactivity, humanness, and value perception. Examining the consistency of teachers’ viewpoints using the hermeneutic method, the results showed that they highly supported viewing these four constructs using live streaming to conduct inquiry-based science learning with action. As expected, using live streaming to deliver teaching with the P-D/O-Q/D-E-T approach can enrich other online science teaching. Keywords: educational program, inquiry-based science learning, live-streaming, teachers’ perspective

‘How do plants grow?’: teaching photosynthesis using digital inquiry-based science learning

The use of digital technologies as teaching and learning materials supports and enhances science learning, encouraging students to develop valuable inquiry skills and knowledge. In response, this paper seeks to explore digital inquiry-based learning as a useful aid for teaching the elementary school science curriculum on plants in Malaysia. There is a strong rationale for this work, as (i) this curriculum has received less attention compared to the equivalent on animals, and (ii) students have developed misconceptions about plants, typically in the areas of plant nutrition and photosynthesis. Thus, the paper describes a 5E Instructional Model lesson plan, which uses various digital technologies to tackle different inquiry elements at each instructional model stage. The goals of the activities are to help students: (i) assess their preexisting knowledge and engage with a new concept, (ii) create predictions and document their observations, (iii) display their conceptual understanding, (iv) gain a more profound and broader understanding through new experiences, and (v) examine their understanding and abilities with the aid of digital technology resources. The suggested activities are further discussed in relation to different types of digital technologies and evidence-based practice, thus encouraging other educators to integrate digital inquiry-based learning into their work.

Using Cooperative Learning to Enhance Students’ Learning and Engagement during Inquiry-Based Science

Much attention over the last two decades has been given to inquiry-based learning in science as a way of capturing students’ interest and participation in learning. However, while the research on inquiry-based learning consistently demonstrates that students do attain higher learning outcomes than peers who are taught by traditional transmission approaches, little research has been attached to researching the key elements of this approach that contribute to its success. This review focuses on the role of inquiry-based learning where students work in cooperative groups to investigate topics that challenge their curiosity, encouraging them to ask questions to clarify their understandings, evaluate evidence that may help to explain phenomena, and predict potential solutions to the problems at hand. The key role teachers play in inducting students into ways of thinking and reasoning and providing opportunities for them to work with others in the context of inquiry-based learning will also be discussed.

Complicating Cultural Reproduction Theory: A Critical Multilevel Analysis of Systematic Inequality in U.S. Schools

The purpose of the current study is to examine malleable school practices and norms that contribute to inequitable school learning environments based on student background. Using multilevel structural equation modeling (SEM) with the U.S. sample of PISA 2015, this study examines the extent to which student-level access to inquiry-based science learning opportunities and academic press mediates the relationship between intersectional student background and scientific literacy outcomes, as well as the influence of school-level context, tracking, and academic climate variables on student learning opportunities, perceptions of academic press, and science outcomes. After accounting for variance explained at the school level, OTL was not a significant mediator of the relationship between student intersectional background or gender and scientific literacy outcomes. However, academic press was a significant mediator at the student level, and was a significant negative predictor of science achievement. At the school level, while tracking was not a significant predictor of mean school science achievement, tracking was a predictor of mean school academic press and OTL inquiry-based science. There were significant differences in school academic climate based on school context, and school-level perceptions of academic climate were significant predictors of science achievement, findings that can inform education policy and practice.

Pengembangan Multimedia Interaktif dengan Example Non Example Berbasis Inkuiri pada Pembelajaran IPA Materi Organ Pencernaan Hewan untuk Siswa Kelas V

This study aims to develop interactive multimedia with non-example-based examples of inquiry-based science learning on animal digestive organs for class v students, especially the dimensions of process, product, and application. The type of research used was the research and development (Rh & D) with the 4D model (Define, Design, Development, and Disseminate). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research, and development stage performed in three stages without the Disseminate stage. The research instrument was the questionnaires, interview guidelines, and validation sheets. Validated aspects include the appropriateness of the material, language, and appearance. The validators who validated the media aspects consisted of lecturers and teachers. The user responses were from the responses of 20 fifth-grade students and one teacher. Based on the research and discussion results, it was concluded that interactive multimedia with non-example based on inquiry was very appropriate for learning science content on theme 3 Healthy Food, material for animal digestive organs.

Pre-service Science Teachers’ Competence and Confidence in Scientific Inquiry

The quality of science learning has a very important role in science education. The quality of science learning is largely determined by the quality of science teachers. Inquiry-based science learning is becoming a model that must be developed today. In order for inquiry-based learning to be carried out properly, science teachers must have adequate inquiry competencies. Teachers must also have adequate confidence in conducting inquiry-based learning with students in the classroom. The objective of this study was to examine students’ competence and confidence in scientific inquiry. 42 pre-service science teachers were involved in this study. Data collected were analyzed using Rasch modeling. The results of data analysis show that mean of the Rasch score for students’ competence (1.76 Logits; SD = 1.20) is higher than the mean of the Rasch score for students’ confidence (1. 41 Logits; SD = 1.01). These results show that although students feel competent to do inquiry, they do not yet fully have the confidence to carry out inquiry learning with students in classroom activities. Implications for a science teacher and pre-service science education based on these results are discussed.

Comparison of Artificial Neural Networks and Logistic Regression Analysis in PISA Science Literacy Success Prediction

The present study aims to determine which analysis technique-Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) or Logistic Regression (LR) Analysis-is better at predicting the science literacy success of the 15-year Turkish students who participated in PISA research carried out in 2015 by using learning time spent on science, test anxiety, environmental awareness, environmental optimism, epistemological beliefs, inquiry-based science teaching and learning practices, instrumental motivation, and disciplinary climate in science classes as the predictor variables. For this purpose, the data from 5895 students who participated in the PISA 2015 test were analyzed. Models were developed using LR and ANNs, and the results were compared. As a result, although the classification performance of artificial neural network is significantly better compared to LR, it is understood that practical significance is low due to the intersection of AUC confidence intervals.

Marginality in inquiry-based science learning contexts: the role of exclusion cascades

ABSTRACT Vygotskyan-inspired theories of learning have been applied in science education research, yet to more explicit attention to links between local social interactions and cultural-historical processes is needed advance critical theories of science learning. This microgenetic case study examined identity and motivation processes in a 7th grade inquiry science context with the goal of better historicizing these processes by describing the phenomenon of exclusion cascades in relation to two backgrounded cultural-historical processes, alienation and the social division of labor. Exclusion cascades highlighted the mutual constitution of competence and belonging. Implications are discussed with respect to challenging adaptationist ethos in science education.

Challenges in Inquiry-Based Science Learning in Online Distance Learning Modality: Input to Action Plan

The K-to-12 science curriculum promotes the use of Inquiry-Based Science Learning (IBSL) as a pedagogy to achieve scientific literacy. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the conventional education approach in migration to new normal. This sequential explanatory research was conducted to explore the students’ challenges encountered in IBSL in Online Distance Learning Modality (ODLM) at a public integrated high school. Stratified random sampling was used to select the 261 students as respondents from Grades 7 to 12. Researchers-developed survey questionnaires was administered online. Descriptive statistics was employed to analyse the collected data. Results revealed that majority of the students encountered not much challenges in learning resources, competence to technology tools, online self-efficacy, teachers’ pedagogy, motivation, and support system. However, specific indicators received higher mean, implying that certain challenges still existed. To further explore such challenges, in-depth interview was conducted among 12 purposively selected participants. Thematic analysis was utilised to interpret the data. Results disclosed other domains of challenges. Some students experienced limited interaction and received minimal assistance among peers. Meanwhile, lack of constant communication impeded continuous science learning. Fundamental science topics were not rigorously discussed, while the absence of experiments resulted to poor laboratory skills. Furthermore, online science pedagogies were not fully utilised. Challenges are evident; hence, these findings provide pedagogical insights to enhance the use of IBSL in new learning modality. An action plan is hereby proposed to reduce the challenges in IBSL in ODLM.

The cultural dimensions of inquiry-based practices: towards a comprehensive understanding

ABSTRACT Inquiry-based science teaching and learning (IBSTL) has been recognized as a powerful learning approach to develop students’ problem-solving abilities and higher-order thinking skills. Research has established cultural dimensions in determining successful implementation of IBSTL. Guided by the importance of context in inquiry, this qualitative study explored the cultural dimensions of IBSTL from Malaysian science teachers’ conceptualizations and practices of inquiry. A total of 223 volunteering primary and secondary school science teachers from Malaysian public schools were involved in answering open-ended questions to investigate the cultural dimensions of IBSTL. Data were analysed using thematic analysis approach. Teachers were found to reaffirm the following cultural aspects (maintaining social harmony, educator–learner relationship, balance in learning and failure avoidance) in the success and failure of implementing IBSTL. These cultural dimensions, namely educator–learner relationship and failure avoidance, were enacted both by the students and teachers. Thus, a successful IBSTL environment depends on both students’ and teachers’ roles that are aligned with the inquiry spirit. Therefore, unless and until the cultural influences are addressed, it can be argued that structured and guided IBSTL is the most compatible form of inquiry in the Malaysian education context and other Asian countries that share similar cultural values.

Undergraduate Research and Inquiry-Based Learning in Geographical Information Science: A Case Study from China

Undergraduate research experience is the process where undergraduates contribute to the development of a subject field through their inquiry-based learning (IBL). IBL is a student-centered learning strategy. Students work as professional scientists do, through inquiry. This article presents approaches to IBL and practices of an instructor from China for strengthening and facilitating IBL in geographical information science (GIS). Two paths were proposed for the development of the students on the basis of four modes of IBL. The practical experience was introduced in two parts: course design and IBL tool development for classroom teaching, and undergraduate mentoring outside of the classroom.

A Joint Assessment of Reasoning about General Statements in Mathematics and Biology

This contribution belongs to a larger empirical study that focuses on issues related to the implementation of inquiry-based learning and formative assessment in science and mathematics education, while it also refers to the issue of STEM education. Here, we discuss the two topics from the perspective of professional preparation of primary school teachers. We employ an educational tool called Concept Cartoons and perceive it as a common diagnostic tool for investigating modes of reasoning about general statements in arithmetic, geometry and biology. The presented qualitative exploratory empirical study maps and codes various kinds of reasoning that can be identified with the tool and investigates possibilities of a joint coding procedure. As a result, it provides a conversion table between various modes of reasoning in the three subject domains. The arisen code categories cover the field of generic examples, including the initial stages so that they can be used for scaffolding the process of learning the foundations of deductive reasoning. The joint approach to reasoning in mathematics and biology shows how argumentation and formative assessment can be understood equally and developed simultaneously in both school subjects. It helps us to see how the two school subjects can be integrated didactically.

Mobile inquiry and inquiry-based science learning in higher education: advantages, challenges, and attitudes

Mobile inquiry and inquiry-based science learning in higher education: advantages, challenges, and attitudes

THE USE OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE STUDENTS' LIFE SKILLS: THE CURRENT STATE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Inquiry based science learning strategies are beneficial in developing higher order thinking skills in the students. The main goal of present study was to find out the current state of Science Teaching with a focus on the application of Inquiry-based Science Learning Strategies to improve secondary school students' life skills. Here, Life skills comprises of four thinking skills: critical thinking, creative thinking, decision making, and problem solving. The current study is a descriptive research study in which data from science teachers is gathered using survey Method. Data was collected from 52 science teachers from secondary schools of Pernem Taluka of North Goa district of State of Goa, of whom 32 were given a rating scale designed by the researcher and 20 teachers, 15 of whom were senior science teachers and 5 of whom were headmasters with science teaching expertise, were interviewed. According to the findings of the study, the majority of science teachers in Pernem Taluka rarely or sometime use inquiry-based strategies to teach science to secondary school students in order to improve life skills such as critical thinking, creative thinking, decision making, and problem solving.

Unravelling the interplay of primary school teachers’ topic-specific epistemic beliefs and their conceptions of inquiry-based learning in history and science

Inquiry-based learning remains both an important goal and challenge for primary school teachers within and across different subjects, such as history and science. By addressing primary school teachers, for the first time, as both learners who deal with controversial topics and teachers who have significant teaching experience, this study aims to unravel the interplay between teachers’ topic-specific epistemic beliefs and their conceptions of inquiry-based learning in history and science. Fifteen primary school teachers from Greece participated in this exploratory study through scenario-based semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed through a qualitative content analysis by applying both deductive and inductive approaches. The results of this study revealed the complex nature of teachers’ epistemic beliefs and the necessity of using a nuanced approach to elicit their epistemic belief patterns in the context of working on a task. Further, this study revealed an overview of teachers’ conceptions of inquiry-based learning in both history and science, by giving voice to teachers’ thoughts and reasoning. But most importantly, the interplay between the two constructs was unravelled, indicating a complex connection between teachers’ epistemic belief patterns and their conceptions of inquiry-based learning. Overall, it could be argued that the more availing the teachers’ epistemic beliefs, the more thoroughly they conceive inquiry-based learning. Similarities and differences between history and science were also detected. Theoretical, empirical, and educational implications are discussed in an attempt to support primary school teachers involve themselves, and then their students, in an active process of knowing by applying helpful epistemic criteria.

A Causal-Comparative Study of Inquiry-Based Science Learning Based on Levels of Students' Cognitive Learning Outcomes: Systematic Review

The effect of inquiry-based learning models on cognitive learning outcomes has been discussed for a long time. However, in local research, this effect is more focused on comparing inquiry-based learning models with traditional learning models. Given such studies' rarity, this study seeks to compare the various inquiry levels to cognitive learning outcomes. This study aims to determine the differences in students' cognitive aspects between structured inquiry and guided inquiry-based science learning models. The research method used is a causal-comparative method, with a sample search technique in the systematic review. The sample used is secondary data in the form of undergraduate theses that have passed the selection and come from the Biology Education program at least accredited B with the research theme of the effect of inquiry learning models on high school students' cognitive learning outcomes. The research findings reveal significant differences in cognitive learning outcomes between the structured inquiry (SI) and guided inquiry (GI) learning model. The processing is more complicated in the GI learning model, allows students to perform better in learning outcomes than the SI learning model. Significant differences were supported by calculating the effect size in this study. The effect size in studies that apply the SI learning model belongs to the medium category. Meanwhile, the effect size in studies using the GI learning model belongs to the large to extremely large categories

Moderating effects of teacher feedback on the associations among inquiry-based science practices and students’ science-related attitudes and beliefs

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine the moderating effect of teacher feedback on the associations among inquiry-based science teaching and learning practices and students’ science-related attitudes and beliefs. The data set included 9, 841 15-year-old students from four Chinese provinces (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong) who took part in the sixth cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Multiple regression analyses revealed a significant negative association between inquiry-based science practices and students’ epistemological beliefs about science, but the teacher feedback could significantly and positively moderate this association. The results also showed that inquiry-based science practices had significant positive relationships with students’ interest in and enjoyment of science, and science self-efficacy. Moreover, teacher feedback was significantly and positively associated with students’ epistemological beliefs, interest in and enjoyment of science throughout the inquiry process. This study sheds light on the optimal implementation of inquiry-based practices, especially towards improving students’ science-related attitudes and beliefs.

Junior High School Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Inquiry-Based Science Teaching: Enabling or Disabling Dispositions?

This study sought to examine whether junior high school teachers’ attitudes are enabling or disabling dispositions toward inquiry-based science teaching. We used concurrent triangulation mixed methods design involving surveys and multiple case studies to collect quantitative and qualitative data. We sampled 308 integrated science teachers and a subsample of 18 teachers from junior high schools in urban and rural areas. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were satisfactory for research. Credibility and dependability of the semi-structured interview schedule were also sufficient. Findings suggest that most junior high school teachers in the study context hold weak unfavourable attitudes that are disabling dispositions toward inquiry-based science teaching. Findings also suggest that the combination of societal subjective norms, perceived context dependency, and weak unfavourable attitudes of most junior high school teachers adversely influence their intentions and behaviours toward inquiry-based science teaching. Findings further suggest that most teachers in the study context developed weak unfavourable attitudes partly because they never had inquiry-based science teaching and learning experiences when they were students. Again, the teachers developed weak general attitudes toward science teaching partly because most science teaching and learning experiences they had were in specific subjects such as biology, chemistry, and physics instead of general (integrated) science. We recommend frequent attitude-focused inquiry-based science in-service trainings for junior high school teachers. We also recommend reforms in education that engages preservice teachers in attitude-focused inquiry-based science teaching and learning experiences.

Designing educative curriculum materials in interdisciplinary teams: designer processes and contributions

Educative curricula support teacher learning as well as the learning of students. High quality educative curricula contain features that help teachers customize learning opportunities and environments in ways that meet the needs of their learners. Designing these features requires expertise related to subject matter content, pedagogy, teacher and student learning, and instructional design. In other words, it requires interdisciplinary team work – which is notoriously challenging. To understand and support collaborative interdisciplinary design processes, a retrospective case study was conducted on interdisciplinary design team work that yielded a high quality educative curriculum for inquiry-based science learning. Design documents and transcripts of interviews with six designers (a cognitive psychologist, a practising physicist, and four science educators) were analyzed to identify their contributions during the phases of analysis, development, and evaluation to create educative features for developing pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Findings articulate specific educative features that can contribute to supporting PCK and thereby supporting instructional performance. Findings also reveal the proactive and reactive nature of designer contributions, describing different ways in which designers provide specialized inputs from a disciplinary perspective. Further, this study shows how designer contributions intermeshed, with contributions from one discipline shaping the work of colleagues, and thereby coordinating varied inputs to yield coherent educative materials. In addition, theoretical insights and recommendations for research on the nature of collaborative interdisciplinary design processes and implications for practice are given for supporting designers working in interdisciplinary teams to create educative curriculum materials for teacher (and student) learning.

Instructional designs to promote scientific literacy on students and teachers: a review study

Scientific literacy is one of the essentials literacies in twenty-first century world and 4.0 industrial revolutions. Indonesian students’ scientific literacy based on the result of PISA 2015 and PISA 2018 was not in the satisfying level yet. This study provides several instructional designs that proved could promote students’ and teachers’ scientific literacy. This review study was carried out by reviewing 15 international articles. Instructional designs that could improve student’s scientific literacy based on the studies were discussion method on scientific topic, connecting science learning with culture through personal science writing, effective argumentation on an energy-related environmental issue, literacy-infused and inquiry-based science learning, student worksheet based on education for environmental sustainable development, modified problem-based learning, project-problem based learning, pop-culture hook and authentic challenge-based learning, the differentiated instruction, structured primary literature project, teaching material based on science literacy, and STSE learning approach. Instructional designs and program to improve teacher or teacher candidate’s scientific literacy were well-constructed teacher training programs, intensive and multiple approaches teaching, instruction with Toulminian model of argumentation on the application of STEM discoveries.