I am exploring the question of what a research based classroom look like. I have addressed using guided questioning, what an inquiry based classroom is, and how to turn your classroom in an inquiry based classroom. This post will address the question of If inquiry is so important in the science classroom, then why aren't more teachers doing it?
The article that I am using for this post is located here and was written by Alan Colburn, a professor in the Department of Science Education at California State University Long Beach. Coburn identified six primary reasons why inquiry is not used in the classroom. The reasons that he uncovered are: confusion on the meaning of inquiry, the belief inquiry only works with high-ability students, teachers feeling unprepared to use inquiry, belief that inquiry is difficult to manage, the tradition of teaching facts, and the purpose of their class is defined as preparing the students for the next level. I will break these reasons out and outline Colburn's thoughts and my thougths on each.
Confusion on the Meaning of Inquiry
The first reason is that it is difficult to use inquiry based teaching if you are not sure what it is. That is a pretty logical reason! Colburn goes and defines the inquiry based classroom as a classroom where the students are engaged with open-ended, hands-on activities. The activities can be structured inquiry (step-by-step procedure), guided inquiry (the teacher presents the problem) or open inquiry (the students formulate the problem). The learning cycle in an inquiry based classroom is that the students perform the activities and then the teacher discusses their findings. During the discussion the teacher can provide the vocabulary or key words associated with the lesson. This is dramatically different from a science room where you discuss vocabulary for the first day, then you might apply the vocabulary to a worksheet, and at the end you can work with the actual material. Inquiry based is where you work with the material first, then learn the vocabulary.
Inquiry is only for High-Achieving Students
False! That is a blanket statement and would only apply to activities that would be inappropriate for grade level and lower-achieving students. The concept that inquiry is too difficult for younger learners and average learners is founded on Piaget and two major thougths: inquiry requires hypothetical reasoning skills and most elementary and middle school students are concrete thinkers. Both of these thoughts are accurate however inquiry does not have to be abstract. Tie the activities to concrete representations and use developmentally appropriate activities and all of the students can be successful. Inquiry is like most skills as the ability to use inquiry is built by practicing it. Start the school year with familiar, observable problems and build towards the more challenging problems later in the year. As a teacher, you are working with the students so the activities need to be in the students Zone of Proximal Development.
Inadequately Prepared Teachers - What do I do and how do I manage the classroom
What does the teacher do in an inquiry based classroom? This is probably the most difficult to overcome. Teachers that are not familar or comfortable with inquiry based will find it uncomfortable. I have been trying to move towards inquiry based in my practicum classrooms and I find it very difficult to wait longer than a couple of seconds after I answer a question. The research shows that teachers need to: ask open ended quesitons, allow several students to answer without telling them if they are right or wrong, and have students explain their thinking. The culture of the classroom is established by the teacher and must be comfortable for students to take the risk of speaking and being able to then change their thoughts if necessary.
An Allegiance to Teaching Facts and Preparing for the Next Level
In an inquiry based classroom the teacher is still teaching facts, just in a different way. At the end of the lesson, the students will have met the objectives of the lesson, only it will be in a more authentic and meaningful way. Studies have shown higher student achievement in inquiry based classrooms that in traditional classrooms which would better prepare the students for the next level.
How Does a Teacher Get Started Converting Their Classroom to Inquiry Based
Slowly! The teacher and the students will need time to adjust to an inquiry based classroom so take the transition slowly. Start by turning the lesson plan upside down. If the lesson plan has traditionally called for vocad, then diagramming worksheets, and then by doing a step-by-step lab, start at the bottom. Remove the steps (provide proper guidelines for safety) and let the student work on it. If the lab contains any pre-filled data tables, throw them out and let the students create their own. Discuss the students' observations and then apply the vocabulary. Take a closer look at the worksheets and determine if they are valuable to learning or just busy work.
One last point, many of the students at Drake are experiencing an inquiry based classroom for the first time but this concept is not new. Colburn's article was published in March 2000.
I just had my science methods class Friday afternoon, and we were just discussing the fact that some teachers (and people in general) don't really understand what science inquiry is. In fact, our newest class project is to make a handbook for teachers to use to help them to use inquiry in their classrooms because there really is no good source to help clarify it. I also used a science inquiry activity dealing with physical and chemical changes of matter for the first time in my 3rd grade placement a couple weeks ago, and was nervous that it would be hard to control, just like the point made in the article. However, I found that if the directions and procedures for inquiry are modeled and made clear at the beginning, then the class works very productively and there is no need for extra management skills than what is usually used in the classroom.
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