Inductive Model

Also known as guided discovery Teacher’s role is to provide examples that

illustrate the content and then guide students’ efforts to find patterns in the information

Learners construct their own understanding (with careful guidance and questioning by teachers)

Sample Lessons

Judy Nelson’s longitude and latitude Sue Grant’s behavior of gases Jim Rooney’s rules for punctuating

singular and plural possessive nouns

An Overview Each topic was specific and well defined Each teacher presented chosen examples and

then guided the students as they formed their conclusions

Each teacher used a variety of teaching strategies to guide students to the correct conclusion(s)

The students used basic cognitive skills to move from the examples to the conclusions

Characteristics of the Inductive Model

Highly sophisticated and demanding instruction Teachers must be expert in questioning Teachers must monitor behavior Teachers must make on the spot decisions

about what questions to ask and which students to call on

The students must be guided to analyze the information

Theoretical Foundations

Lessons using Inductive Model begin with and are built around examples These examples become the experiences

that learner use to construct their understanding of the topic

Theoretical Foundations

Social interaction is used to analyze the examples. Social interaction and teacher guidance will help eliminate misinterpretation of the examples

Theoretical Foundations

The teacher guides the students. It is a dual role: (1) accepting and honoring the students’

“inventions” of knowledge (even when they are wrong) while at the same time

(2) guiding the students toward a more mature understanding

Concepts

Categories with common characteristics Mental categories, sets, or classes

Latitude is a concept Rectangle is a concept Perspective in art is a concept

The number of concepts in the school curriculum is nearly endless

A Concept’s Characteristics

A concept’s characteristics are its defining features Example: Rectangle Common Characteristics

• Opposite sides equal in length• Opposite sides parallel• All interior angles are 90 degrees

Some Concepts are “Fuzzy” Example: Cars

Best to present a “fuzzy” concept using either prototypes or exemplars

Prototypes are the best representatives of its class Exemplars are the most highly typical members of its

class.

USA: prototype of democracy

CAR: exemplars are Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry

Concept AnalysisIt includes the following: Definition Characteristics Examples Superordinate concept (larger category) Subordinate concept (subsets of the concept) Coordinate concept (related subset of the

superordinate category)

Example: Adjective

Definition: part of speech, modifies a noun Characteristics: modifies a noun Examples: old car, exciting game, home

team Superordinate concept: parts of speech Subordinate concept: Predicate adj. Coordinate concept: Adverb

The Keys to Making Concepts Understandable

A clear definition Carefully selected examples Carefully selected nonexamples

Relationships among Concepts

Principals: relationships among concepts accepted as valid for all known cases

Principles are also known as laws Example: All like magnetic poles repel,

unlike magnetic poles attract

Relationships among Concepts

Generalizations: general patterns with known exceptions

Example: a daily dose of aspirin reduces the danger of a heart attack This is generally accepted as good medical

practice, but there are exceptions for certain medical conditions

Relationships among Concepts

Academic rules: relationships between concepts arbitrarily derived by people

Example: Rounding The rule is: Round up a number if the last

digit is 5 or higher We could have set the last digit at 6 or

higher, we have arbitrarily set it at 5 or higher

Planning Lessons with the Inductive Model

Identify topic Specify learning objective(s) Identify examples and nonexamples

Use quality examples Use a variety of examples Use real world examples Use concrete materials Use pictures Use models Use vignettes (case studies) Use technology and computer software

Implementing Lessons Using the Inductive Model

Phase 1: Introduction The focus of the lesson is established The teacher attracts students’ attention The teacher activates curiosity and

motivates students Poses a problem to solve Reviews previous material on subject

Implementing Cont. Phase 2: The open-ended phase Students make observations and

comparisons that are used for further analysis With examples and nonexamples

Teacher promotes involvement by asking open-ended questions

Teacher ensures success

Implementing Cont.

Phase 3: The convergent phase Teacher narrows the range of student

responses and assists them in identifying the essential characteristics of a concept, or guides students to a generalization, principle, or academic rule

Implementing Cont.

Phase 4: Closure Students summarize or state correct

conclusions

Implementing Cont. Phase 5: Application To insure transfer, students must be able to

apply their knowledge outside the classroom Teachers provide opportunities for students to

relate the topic to the real world Independent seatwork Homework Teachers link new knowledge to previously learned

knowledge

Characteristics of Inductive Model

Emphasizes critical, higher-order thinking Increases student motivation

Learner involvement and success Evokes curiosity and challenges students to find an

“unknown” Examples provide background information to

accommodate individual differences Creative model peaks student interest

Assessing Student Learning

Assessment must match teacher objectives

You can use: Traditional paper and pencil assessments Assessments that capitalize on real world

contexts