Inquiry in the Science Classroom:

1. Inquiry in the ScienceClassroom: The E2020 Program Weaver Group Jason L. Steward

2. “Learning science is something that students do, not something that is done to them.” (NRC, 1996)

3. Inquiry • Inquiry-based learning in the science classroom takes advantage of students’ innate curiosity • Students are encouraged to devise their own experiments to test their scientific questions • Students are given chances to refine and repeat their experiments

4. Elements of Inquiry • Observation • Questioning • Experimental Design • Data Collection • Data Analysis • Repeating • Reporting/Peer Review

5. Research Goals • Devise instruments to quantify level of inquiry used in the classroom • Determine effectiveness of inquiry-based methods on student learning, interest, and motivation • Explore the effect of inquiry-based teaching methods on teacher/student attitudes • Identify possible barriers to the implementation of inquiry-based methods in the classroom • The utilization of both quantitative and qualitative methods in data collection

6. Background of the E2020 Program

7. Teachers working with scientists • Teachers are paired with experienced researchers from universities. • First-hand experience in laboratories to see scientific inquiry in action. • Teachers are able to see how the process of inquiry is initiated and carried-out in the real world. • Experiments with researcher-mentors carried out over a six-week period.

8. Summer Workshop • Workshops are used to further explore the use of inquiry in the classroom. • Teachers receive assistance on how to implement their ideas in the classroom.

9. Implementation in the classroom • Teachers and students work on project throughout school year • Inquiry is not a one-time learning experience; it is an ongoing process • Project can be related to the authentic research done during summer • Project based on students’ questions • Students should have ownership of the scientific questions to give context and make data collection more relevant (Moss, Abrams, and Kull).

10. Assessment Goals • Within the domain of inquiry-based education, categorize teachers based on the “amount” of inquiry used in the classroom. • Correlate student outcomes within teacher categories. • Attitude/Interest • Understanding of the scientific process • Variable manipulation within experimentation

11. Preliminary Assessment Trends 2001-2002 group Attitude • Correlation of post-year student attitude scores (Likert scale) vs. teacher scores (frequency of activities the students observed in the classroom throughout the year) • “I like to figure out tough problems without anybody else’s help” (r =.986, p=.014) • “I will sometimes do more work than is required in science just because it is interesting” (r =.920, p=.080) • “What I learn in my science class is useful in everyday life” (r =.909, p=.091) • “Computers are useful in my science class” (r =.938, p=.062)

12. Preliminary Assessment Trends2001-2002 group • Paired T-test on pretest and posttest attitude scores (Likert scale). • Posttests showed an increase in means for the following statements: • “I enjoy science” (p=.003) • “I will sometimes do more work than is required in science just because it is interesting” (p=.084) • “What I learn in my science class is useful in everyday life” (p=.012) • “It is important to me to do well in science class(p=.033)

13. Future Research • E2020 • 2002-2003 group data will be analyzed to detect trends • Teacher interviews in April/May 2003 • Inquiry • Study the utilization and occurrence of inquiry at the undergraduate and graduate levels