This document discusses inquiry learning and guided discovery models of teaching science. It begins by defining inquiry learning as an active learning process where students solve problems, think critically, and discover truths through their own exploration and prior knowledge. Several models of inquiry learning are described, including guided discovery, problem-based learning, and the 5E model. Guided discovery is explained as an instructional method where students learn through hands-on exploration and asking questions to discover concepts with some structured support and progressive explanations from teachers. The document advocates for inquiry-based approaches to engage students and help them build deep understanding.

1. Inquiry Approach
to Learning Science
Dr.
Nancy
Allen
College
of
Education
Qatar
University

2. Objectives
5/16/142
• Develop
an
operational
definition
of
inquiry
learning.
• Discuss
several
models
of
inquiry
learning,
including
guided
discovery,
problem-­‐based
learning,
and
the
5-­‐E
model.
• Develop
inquiry
activities
and
5-­‐E
lesson
plans.

3. 3
5/16/1
4
What
is
inquiry?

4. 4
5/16/1
4
Inquiry
• More
than
hands-­‐on;
it’s
“Brains-­‐on”
• Problem-­‐solving
• Critical
thinking

5. 5
5/16/1
4
What
is
inquiry?
[Inquiry] takes place most notably in
problem solving situations where the
learner draws on his own experience
and prior knowledge to discover the
truths that are to be learned.
Clark, D. 1999

6. 6
5/16/1
4
What
is
inquiry?
Instead of being 'told' the content by the teacher, it is
expected that the student will have to explore
examples and from them 'discover' the principles or
concepts which are to be learned.
Snelbecker, 1974, p. 425

7. 7
5/16/1
4
Inquiry
• Advantages
• Supports
active
engagement
of
the
learner
in
the
learning
process
• Fosters
curiosity
• Enables
the
development
of
life
long
learning
skills
• Personalizes
the
learning
experience
• Highly
motivating
as
it
allows
individuals
the
opportunity
to
experiment
and
discover
something
for
themselves
• Builds
on
learner's
prior
knowledge
and
understanding

8. 8
5/16/1
4
Inquiry
Ideas
• Smithsonian
• Social
Studies
Lesson
Plans
-­‐-­‐
Inquiry-­‐based
lesson
plans
• Science
Links
–
Lesson
Plans
arranged
by
standard
• 2868
Inquiry
Lesson
Plans
for
Science
Reviewed
by
Teachers
• Imagine
the
Universe
–
Inquiry-­‐based
lessons
in
math
and
science
developed
by
NASA
• The
Teacher’s
Guide
–
Inquiry-­‐based
lesson
in
mathematics

9. What
is
inquiry?
• Your
text:
“Inquiry
is
the
careful
and
systematic
method
of
asking
questions
and
seeking
explanations.” p.
43
• Dewey
(1910):
“…active,
persistent,
and
careful
consideration
of
any
belief
or
supposed
form
of
knowledge
in
the
light
of
the
grounds
that
support
it
and
the
further
conclusions
to
which
it
tends."
p.
2
• Suchman:
“inquiry
is
the
way
people
learn
when
they're
left
alone."
5/16/149

10. Inquiry:
A
set
of
skills/
a
type
of
activity
• Making
observations
• Posing
questions
• Locating
/
evaluating
/
organizing
information
• Planning
and
conducting
investigations
• Collecting
and
evaluating
data
• Proposing
answers,
explanations,
and
predictions
• Critically
evaluating
the
results
and
explanations
of
others
5/16/1410

11. Inquiry
Models
• Discovery,
or
Guided
Discovery
• Problem-­‐based
Instruction
• 5-­‐E
Lessons
5/16/1411

12. Inquiry
Models
• Constructivist
• Hands-­‐on
• Open-­‐ended
• Question
Driven
• Learner
Centered
5/16/1412

13. Inquiry
learning:
Supported
by
• Brunner
• Piaget
• Rousseau
• Pestalozzi
• Dewey
• Papert
…and
by
research.
5/16/1413

14. Guided
Discovery
• What
all
these
models
share:
• Explore
precedes
explain
• Questions
precede
answers
• Students
interact
with
concepts
to
construct
their
own
meanings
• What
is
unique
to
guided
discovery:
• Progressive
explanation
• Extensive
structure
• Clear,
defined
goal
5/16/1414

15. What
is
guided
discovery?
Discovery
learning
is
a
method
of
instruction
through
which
students
interact
with
their
environment
by
exploring
and
manipulating
objects,
wrestling
with
questions
and
controversies,
or
performing
experiments
5/16/1415
Ormrod, 1995, p. 442.

16. What
is
guided
discovery?
• The
mantra
of
this
philosophical
movement
suggests
that
we
'learn
by
doing'.
Discovery
learning
takes
place
in
problem
solving
situations
where
the
learner
draws
on
his
own
experience
and
prior
knowledge.
5/16/1416
Wikipedia: Discovery learning

17. What
is
guided
discovery?
5/16/1417
Discovery learning takes place most
notably in problem solving situations
where the learner draws on his own
experience and prior knowledge to
discover the truths that are to be
learned.
Clark, D. 1999

18. What
is
guided
discovery?
5/16/1418
The ... discovery learning mode requires that the
student participates in making many of the decisions
about what, how, and when something is to be learned
and even plays a major role in making such decisions.
Instead of being 'told' the content by the teacher, it is
expected that the student will have to explore
examples and from them 'discover' the principles or
concepts which are to be learned.
Snelbecker, 1974, p. 425

19. 19
5/16/1
4
Hands-­‐on

20. 20
5/16/1
4
Why
hands
on?
• That’s
the
way
people
learn,
especially
children.

21. 21
5/16/1
4
Piaget
Figure 1. Davis, Hummel, & Sauers (2006)

22. 22
5/16/1
4

23. 23
5/16/1
4
“We
know
that
learning
is
a
matter
of
making
connections
between
the
brain
cells
and
that
the
experiences
our
student
have
shape
their
brains.
…
the
strongest
connections
are
often
made
through
concrete
experience.
Why
hands-­‐on?

24. Discovery
learning
• Hands-­‐on
(concrete
experiences)
5/16/1424

25. BUT…
• It
is
more
than
hands-­‐on
(experiential).
It
is
also
brains
on
(inquiry).
5/16/1425

26. Eureka!
5/16/1426
This is the basic
premise of
discover learning.

27. Where
does
the
“guided”
come
in?
• Teachers
have
found
that
discovery
learning
is
most
successful
when
students
have
prerequisite
knowledge
and
undergo
some
structured
experiences.
(Roblyer,
Edwards,
and
Havriluk,
1997,
p
68).
5/16/1427

28. Where
does
the
“guided”
come
in?
Novice
learners
don’t
think
like
experts.
• Experts
have
acquired
a
great
deal
of
content
knowledge
that
is
organized
in
ways
that
reflect
a
deep
understanding
of
their
subject
matter.
• Experts
notice
features
and
meaningful
patterns.
• Experts
“chunk”
information.
5/16/1428
, Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (1999)

29. Let’s
play!
5/16/1429

30. Let’s
think
about
footprints.
1. When
you
make
footprints
in
mud,
do
the
prints
you
make
differ
if
you
are
walking
or
running?
How?
2. Can
you
tell
from
several
footprints
in
mud
which
came
first?
How?
3. If
we
don’t
have
all
the
information
we
need,
could
we
get
it
from
other
sources?
What
sources
could
help
us
solve
this
mystery?
5/16/1430

31. What
can
you
do
as
an
instructor
to
guide
students?
• Structure
questions
in
advance.
Answers
to
the
questions
should
require
the
targeted
knowledge
and
skills.
• Arrange
the
questions
in
order
of
increasing
understanding.
5/16/1431

32. Practice
• Think
about
a
lesson
in
your
discipline
that
requires
in
depth
understanding.
• List
the
targeted
knowledge
and/or
skills
and
put
them
in
order.
5/16/1432

33. What
can
you
do
as
an
instructor
to
guide
students?
• Identify
the
isolated
facts
that
students
need
to
understand
complex
concepts.
Provide
a
means
to
acquire
those
facts.
5/16/1433

34. What
can
you
do
as
an
instructor
to
guide
students?
• Identify
the
isolated
facts
that
students
need
to
understand
complex
concepts.
Provide
a
means
to
acquire
those
facts.
• Bird
feet
• Dinosaur
feet
5/16/1434

35. What
can
you
do
as
an
instructor
to
guide
students?
• Help
students
“chunk”
facts
and
identify
patterns.
• Helping
students
identify
patterns
is
one
of
the
strongest
thinking
skills
you
can
give
them.
5/16/1435

36. Recognizing
Patterns
5/16/1436
Alligator’s foot
Duck’s foot
Otter’s foot

37. Recognizing
Patterns
5/16/1437
Alligators
Otters Ducks
All

38. What
can
you
do
as
an
instructor
to
guide
students?
• Check
for
understanding
by
requiring
students
to
apply
what
you
think
you
taught
them
in
new
contexts.
• Ask
questions
such
as:
• What
would
happen
if….
• What
would
you
predict
would
be
the
results
if…
• In
what
other
cases
might
this
same
thing
be
true?
5/16/1438

39. Guided
Discovery
–
A
Summary
• Advantages
• Supports
active
engagement
of
the
learner
in
the
learning
process
• Fosters
curiosity
• Enables
the
development
of
life
long
learning
skills
• Personalizes
the
learning
experience
• Highly
motivating
as
it
allows
individuals
the
opportunity
to
experiment
and
discover
something
for
themselves
• Builds
on
learner's
prior
knowledge
and
understanding
5/16/1439

40. Guided
Discovery
• Disadvantages
• Potential
to
confuse
the
learner
if
no
initial
framework
is
available
5/16/1440

41. Don’t
forget
the
GUIDE
part
of
guided
discovery.
5/16/1441

42. A
Lesson
Planning
Model
• 5-­‐E
Model
(BSCS
from
the
1980s)
• Based
on
inquiry
methods
and
learning
cycle
design
• The
BSCS
5E
Instructional
Model
is
grounded
in
sound
educational
theory,
has
a
growing
base
of
research
to
support
its
effectiveness,
and
has
had
a
significant
impact
on
science
education.
5/16/1442

43. BSCS
Description
First,
students
are
engaged
by
an
event
or
question
related
to
the
concept
that
the
teacher
plans
to
introduce.
Then
the
students
participate
in
one
or
more
activities
to
explore
the
concept.
This
exploration
provides
students
with
a
common
set
of
experiences
from
which
they
can
initiate
the
development
of
their
understanding.
In
the
explain
phase,
the
teacher
clarifies
the
concept
and
defines
relevant
vocabulary.
Then
the
students
elaborate
and
build
on
their
understanding
of
the
concept
by
applying
it
to
new
situations.
Finally,
the
students
complete
activities
that
will
help
them
and
the
teacher
evaluate
their
understanding
of
the
concept.
This
5-­‐E
model
is
based
on
a
constructivist
philosophy
of
learning
(Trowbridge
&
Bybee,
1990).
5/16/1443

44. The
Model
explore
explain
evaluate
extend
engage
5-­‐E
Model

45. Engage
Activity
which
will
focus
student’s
attention,
stimulate
their
thinking,
and
access
prior
knowledge.

46. Explore
Activity
which
gives
students
time
to
think
and
investigate/test/make
decisions/problem
solve,
and
collect
information.

47. Explain
Activity
which
allows
students
to
analyze
their
exploration.
Student’s
understanding
is
clarified
and
modified
through
a
reflective
activity.

48. Extend
Activity
which
expands
and
solidifies
student
thinking
and/or
applies
it
to
a
real-­‐world
situation.

49. Evaluate
Activity
which
allows
the
teacher
to
assess
student
performance
and/or
understandings
of
concepts,
skills,
processes,
and
applications.

50. Engage
Suggested
Activities
• Demonstration
• Reading
• Free
Write
• Analyze
a
Graphic
Organizer
• KWL
• Brainstorming

51. Engage
What
the
Teacher
Does
• Creates
Interest.
• Generates
curiosity.
• Raises
questions.
• Elicits
responses
that
uncover
what
the
students
know
or
think
about
the
concept/topic.

52. Engage
What
the
Student
Does
• Asks
questions
such
as,
Why
did
this
happen?
What
do
I
already
know
about
this?
What
have
I
found
out
about
this?
• Shows
interest
in
the
topic.

53. Explore
Suggested
Activities
• Perform
an
Investigation
• Read
Authentic
Resources
to
Collect
Information
• Solve
a
Problem
• Construct
a
Model

54. Explore
What
the
Teacher
Does
• Encourages
the
students
to
work
together
without
direct
instruction
from
the
teacher.
• Observes
and
listens
to
the
students
as
they
interact.
• Asks
probing
questions
to
redirect
the
students’
investigations
when
necessary.
• Provides
time
for
students
to
puzzle
through
problems.

55. Explore
What
the
Student
Does
• Thinks
freely
but
within
the
limits
of
the
activity.
• Tests
predictions
and
hypotheses.
• Forms
new
predictions
and
hypotheses.
• Tries
alternatives
and
discusses
them
with
others.
• Records
observations
and
ideas.
• Suspends
judgment.

56. Explain
Suggested
Activities
• Student
Analysis
&
Explanation
• Supporting
Ideas
with
Evidence
• Structured
Questioning
• Reading
and
Discussion
• Teacher
Explanation
• Thinking
Skill
Activities:
compare,
classify,
error
analysis

57. Explain
What
the
Teacher
Does
• Encourages
the
students
to
explain
concepts
and
definitions
in
their
own
words.
• Asks
for
justification
(evidence)
and
clarification
from
students.
• Formally
provides
definitions,
explanations,
and
new
labels.
• Uses
students’
previous
experiences
as
basis
for
explaining
concepts.

58. Explain
What
the
Student
Does
• Explains
possible
solutions
or
answers
to
others.
• Listens
officially
to
others’
explanations.
• Questions
others’
explanations.
• Listens
to
and
tries
to
comprehend
explanations
the
teacher
offers.
• Refers
to
previous
activities.
• Uses
recorded
observations
in
explanations.

59. Extend
Suggested
Activities
• Problem
Solving
• Decision
Making
• Experimental
Inquiry
• Thinking
Skill
Activities:
compare,
classify,
apply

60. Extend
What
the
Teacher
Does
• Expects
the
students
to
use
formal
labels,
definitions,
and
explanations
provided
previously.
• Encourages
the
students
to
apply
or
extend
the
concepts
and
skills
in
new
situations.
• Reminds
the
students
of
alternative
explanations.
• Refers
the
students
to
existing
data
and
evidence
and
asks,
What
do
you
already
know?
Why
do
you
think
.
.
.?
• Strategies
from
Explore
apply
here
also.

61. Extend
What
the
Student
Does
• Applies
new
labels,
definitions,
explanations,
and
skills
in
new,
but
similar
situations.
• Uses
previous
information
to
ask
questions,
propose
solutions,
make
decisions,
and
design
experiments.
• Draws
reasonable
conclusions
from
evidence.
• Records
observations
and
explanations.
• Checks
for
understandings
among
peers.

62. Evaluate
Suggested
Activities
• Any
of
the
Previous
Activities
• Develop
a
Scoring
Tool
or
Rubric
• Test
(SR,
BCR,
ECR)
• Performance
Assessment
• Produce
a
Product
• Journal
Entry
• Portfolio

63. Evaluate
What
the
Teacher
Does
• Observes
the
students
as
they
apply
new
concepts
and
skills.
• Assesses
students’
knowledge
and/or
skills.
• Looks
for
evidence
that
the
students
have
changed
their
thinking
or
behaviors.
• Allows
students
to
assess
their
own
learning
and
group-­‐process
skills.
• Asks
open-­‐ended
questions,
such
as:
Why
do
you
think.
.
.?
What
evidence
do
you
have?
What
do
you
know
about
x?
How
would
you
explain
x?

64. Evaluate
What
the
Student
Does
• Answers
open-­‐ended
questions
by
using
observations,
evidence,
and
previously
accepted
explanations.
• Demonstrates
an
understanding
or
knowledge
of
the
concept
or
skill.
• Evaluates
his
or
her
own
progress
and
knowledge.
• Asks
related
questions
that
would
encourage
future
investigations.

65. Let’s
Summarize
• GIve
an
operational
definition
of
inquiry
learning
that
describes
its
distinctive
characteristics.
These
include
such
criteria
as
questioning,
observing,
experimenting,
challenging,
etc.
• Recognize
inquiry-­‐based
activities.
Characteristics
may
include:
hands-­‐on
activities,
open-­‐ended,
constructivism,
collaboration,
analysis,
etc.
5/16/1465

66. Let’s
Summarize
• List
skills
that
support
inquiry,
such
as
asking
questions,
designing
and
conducting
experiments,
gathering
and
analyzing
data,
measuring,
etc.
• Explain
why
“hands-­‐on”
is
important,
but
not
sufficient
.
5/16/1466

67. Let’s
Summarize
• Discuss
the
rationale
behind
the
5-­‐E
Lesson
Model,
which
includes:
• Learning
theory
research
• Inquiry
learning
research
• Piaget’s
theories
of
development
• Piaget’s
theories
of
learning
• Other
psychologists’
theories
• 5E
research
students
5/16/1467

68. Let’s
Summarize
• Give
the
steps
in
the
5-­‐E
Model
and
examples
of
each.
Tell
what
kinds
of
things
the
teacher
may
be
doing
an
what
kinds
of
things
the
students
may
be
doing
in
each
stage.
• Engage
• Explore
• Explain
• Extend
• Evaluate
5/16/1468

69. 5/16/1469
Altec (2007). Trackstar. University of Kansas. Available from the Internet at http://4teachers.org
Arcidiacono, L. (2007). Get your kicks on route 66: Webquest. Available from the Internet at
http://www.liciaarcidiacono.altervista.org/
Bransford, J.; Brown, A.; & Cocking, R. (Eds). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience,
and school. National Academy Press.
Clark, D. (1999). Time capsule of training and learning. Available from the Internet at http://
www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/history/history.html
Conway, J. (1997). Educational technology’s effect on models of instruction. Available from the
Internet at http://copland.udel.edu/~jconway/EDST666.htm
Martin, K. (2000). Alternative modes of teaching and learning. University of Western Australia,
Centre for Staff Development Available from the Internet at
http://www.csd.uwa.edu.au/altmodes/
Dewey, J. (1910). How we think. Retrieved on January 4, 2009, from
http://www.archive.org/details/howwethink000838mbp
Dodge, B. (2007). Webquest Homepage. Department of Educational Technology,
San Diego State University. Available from the Internet at
http://webquest.org/search/index.php
References

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