Scientific Inquiry

13 February, 2009

Scientific Inquiry
What is it?
- Your definition
- NSTA Position Statement
- Other internet resources

Scientific Inquiry
Characteristics
Asking

& identifying questions

Designing & conducting investigations
Using appropriate technology & tools
Formulating & revising explanations/models
Analyzing alternative explanations/models
Communicating results
Generating new questions
From National Science Education Standards

Scientific Inquiry

Table 2-5. Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry

Learners are engaged by scientifically oriented questions.

Learners give priority to evidence, which allows them to
develop and evaluate explanations that address scientifically
oriented questions.
Learners formulate explanations from evidence to address
scientifically oriented questions.
Learners evaluate their explanations in light of alternative
explanations, particularly those reflecting scientific
understanding
Learners communicate and justify their proposed
explanations.
From National Science Education Standards (Ch. 2 p. 25)

Levels of Scientific Inquiry

Confirmation/Verification - students confirm a

principle through a prescribed activity when the
results are known in advance.
Structured Inquiry - students investigate a teacherpresented question through a prescribed procedure.
Guided Inquiry - students investigate a teacherpresented question using student designed/selected
procedures.
Open Inquiry - students investigate topic-related
questions that are student formulated through
student designed/selected procedures.
From: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/wip/four_levels.htm

Levels of Scientific Inquiry

What is given to the learner?
Level of Inquiry

Problem?

Procedure?

Solution?

Confirmation 0

Structured 1

Guided 2

Open - 3

Herron, M.D. (1971). The nature of scientific enquiry. School Review, 79(2), 171- 212.

Table 2-6. Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry and Their Variations

Essential Feature

Variations

1. Learner engages in
scientifically oriented
questions

Learnerposesaquestion

Learnerselectsamong
questions,posesnew
questions

Learnersharpensor
clarifiesquestion
providedbyteacher,
materials,orother
source

Learnerengagesin
questionprovidedby
teacher,materials,or
othersource

2. Learner gives priority

to evidence in
responding to questions

Learnerdetermineswhat
constitutesevidenceand
collectsit

Learnerdirectedto
collectcertaindata

Learnergivendataand
askedtoanalyze

Learnergivendataand
toldhowtoanalyze

3. Learner formulate
explanations from
evidence

Learnerformulates
explanationafter
summarizingevidence

Learnerguidedin
processofformulating
explanationsfrom
evidence

Learnergivenpossible
waystouseevidenceto
formulateexplanation

Learnerprovidedwith
evidenceandhowtouse
evidencetoformulate
explanation

4. Learner connects
explanations to scientific
knowledge

Learnerindependently
Learnerdirectedtoward
examinesotherresources areasandsourcesof
andformsthelinksto
scientificknowledge
explanations

Learnergivenpossible
connections

5. Learner
communicates and
justifies explanations

Learnerforms
reasonableandlogical
argumentto
communicate
explanations

Learnerprovidedbroad
Learnergivenstepsand
guidelinestousesharpen proceduresfor
communication
communication

Learnercoachedin
developmentof
communication

Inquiry - Applications
Investigate

resources

Online
Print

Lesson

Plans

Inquiry, Objectives, & Questions

Costas Levels of
Inquiry

Blooms Taxonomy of
Questions

Level

Question Type

Experience-based

Implicit

Explicit

Extensions
How

might you modify these lesson

plans to make them:
Structured

inquiry?
Guided inquiry?
Open inquiry?