Levels of Inquiry Helping teachers help students find

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Levels of Inquiry Helping teachers help students find their way through the maze of

Levels of Inquiry Helping teachers help students find their way through the maze of inquiry practices using differentiated instruction.

Authentic Problem Solving } } } Problem-based learning Failure analysis Scientific experimentation Technological design

Authentic Problem Solving } } } Problem-based learning Failure analysis Scientific experimentation Technological design Etc.

Each practice assumes… That students know something about inquiry. } More sophisticated problem solving

Each practice assumes… That students know something about inquiry. } More sophisticated problem solving requires more sophisticated inquiry skills. } Lower ability levels of inquiry must be learned and practiced prior to employing higher levels. } Teachers must use instructional strategies appropriate to meeting the readiness levels of all students (differentiated instruction). }

Sophisticated Inquiry Skills } } } } Solving complex, real-world problems. Establishing empirical laws

Sophisticated Inquiry Skills } } } } Solving complex, real-world problems. Establishing empirical laws Synthesizing theoretical explanations Analyzing and evaluating scientific arguments Constructing logical proofs Generating principles through induction Generating predictions through deduction

Teaching Inquiry Practices While inquiry is instinctive among children, their natural propensity is rather

Teaching Inquiry Practices While inquiry is instinctive among children, their natural propensity is rather limited. } Authentic inquiry practices addressing real-world problems are many and complex. } How do we teach students to conduct inquiry at higher levels? } § Assist with students’ metacognitive understanding of the inquiry process § Model and fade though a set of progressively more sophisticated inquiry practices

Metacognitive Understanding Provide students with mental models. } Mental models: } § are cognitive

Metacognitive Understanding Provide students with mental models. } Mental models: } § are cognitive frameworks (e. g. , road maps) § are alternative representations of complex patterns (e. g. , rules of language) § provide for an understanding of the hierarchy and approaches of inquiry processes. } Hierarchy of levels can be used to deploy inquiry effectively.

Modeling Inquiry Practices Start simple and move to the more complex. } There are

Modeling Inquiry Practices Start simple and move to the more complex. } There are many levels of inquiry: } § § Discovery learning Interactive demonstrations Inquiry lessons Inquiry labs Guided Bounded Free § Hypothesis development (pure and applied)

Discovery Learning } } The most basic form of inquiry-based learning. It is based

Discovery Learning } } The most basic form of inquiry-based learning. It is based on the “Aha!” approach. A very guided approach to observation, pattern recognition, or conclusion. Used with lower elementary school students.

Interactive Demonstrations Teacher models investigatory processes } Teacher uses a think-aloud protocol to conduct

Interactive Demonstrations Teacher models investigatory processes } Teacher uses a think-aloud protocol to conduct demonstration (e. g. , floating and sinking, defining and measuring buoyancy; finding it’s relationship with density, pinhole images, etc. ). } Teacher probes for understanding, prediction, and explanation. }

Inquiry Lessons } Teacher leads students through a simple experiment (e. g. , Which

Inquiry Lessons } Teacher leads students through a simple experiment (e. g. , Which variables affect buoyancy? How can we test this? ) § Define problem § Define system § Identify and control variables } Teacher regularly speaks about nature of scientific inquiry.

Inquiry Laboratories As opposed to cookbook labs (see handout for five major distinctions) }

Inquiry Laboratories As opposed to cookbook labs (see handout for five major distinctions) } Levels of inquiry labs: } § Guided - with lots of questions § Bounded - with teacher provided question only § Free - student guided from problem identification through experimental process.

Distinguishing Lab Types

Distinguishing Lab Types

Hypothesis development } Detailed explanation based upon substantial information § Source of buoyancy §

Hypothesis development } Detailed explanation based upon substantial information § Source of buoyancy § Inverse-square law of light § How conservation accounts for kinematic laws § Why laws for parallel and series resistance hold § How Newton’s second law accounts for Bernoulli’s law of fluid flow

Levels differ by amount of: } Teacher/material guidance. § Decreases with higher levels of

Levels differ by amount of: } Teacher/material guidance. § Decreases with higher levels of inquiry } Student independence. § Increases with higher levels of inquiry } Skills deployed. § Intellectual processes higher with level § Technology more sophisticated with level

Sophistication / Locus of Control

Sophistication / Locus of Control

Inquiry & Intellectual Processes

Inquiry & Intellectual Processes

Resources Colburn, A. (2000). Science Scope, "An Inquiry Primer, " March 2000 } Herron,

Resources Colburn, A. (2000). Science Scope, "An Inquiry Primer, " March 2000 } Herron, M. D. (1971). The nature of scientific enquiry. School Review, 79(2), 171 - 212. (levels of inquiry) } Wenning, C. (2005). Levels of inquiry: Hierarchies of pedagogical practices and inquiry processes. Journal of Physics Teacher Education Online, 2(3), pp. 3 -11. }