Levels of InquiryLevels of Inquiry

Helping teachers help Helping teachers help

students find their students find their

way through the maze of way through the maze of

inquiry practices usinginquiry practices using

differentiated instruction.differentiated instruction.

Authentic Problem SolvingAuthentic Problem Solving

Problem-based learningProblem-based learning Failure analysisFailure analysis Scientific experimentationScientific experimentation Technological designTechnological design Etc.Etc.

Each practice assumes…Each practice assumes…

That students know something about inquiry.That students know something about inquiry. More sophisticated problem solving requires more More sophisticated problem solving requires more

sophisticated inquiry skills.sophisticated inquiry skills. Lower ability levels of inquiry must be learned and Lower ability levels of inquiry must be learned and

practiced prior to employing higher levels. practiced prior to employing higher levels. Teachers must use instructional strategies Teachers must use instructional strategies

appropriate to meeting the readiness levels appropriate to meeting the readiness levels of all students (differentiated instruction).of all students (differentiated instruction).

Sophisticated Inquiry SkillsSophisticated Inquiry Skills

Solving complex, real-world problems.Solving complex, real-world problems. Establishing empirical lawsEstablishing empirical laws Synthesizing theoretical explanationsSynthesizing theoretical explanations Analyzing and evaluating scientific Analyzing and evaluating scientific

argumentsarguments Constructing logical proofsConstructing logical proofs Generating principles through inductionGenerating principles through induction Generating predictions through deductionGenerating predictions through deduction

Teaching Inquiry PracticesTeaching Inquiry Practices

While inquiry is instinctive among children, their While inquiry is instinctive among children, their natural propensity is rather limited.natural propensity is rather limited.

Authentic inquiry practices addressing real-world Authentic inquiry practices addressing real-world problems are many and complex.problems are many and complex.

How do we teach students to conduct inquiry at How do we teach students to conduct inquiry at higher levels?higher levels? Assist with students’ metacognitive understanding of the Assist with students’ metacognitive understanding of the

inquiry processinquiry process Model and fade though a set of progressively more Model and fade though a set of progressively more

sophisticated inquiry practices sophisticated inquiry practices

Metacognitive UnderstandingMetacognitive Understanding

Provide students with mental models.Provide students with mental models. Mental models:Mental models:

are cognitive frameworks (e.g., road maps)are cognitive frameworks (e.g., road maps) are alternative representations of complex are alternative representations of complex

patterns (e.g., rules of language)patterns (e.g., rules of language) provide for an understanding of the hierarchy provide for an understanding of the hierarchy

and approaches of inquiry processes.and approaches of inquiry processes. Hierarchy of levels can be used to deploy Hierarchy of levels can be used to deploy

inquiry effectively.inquiry effectively.

Modeling Inquiry PracticesModeling Inquiry Practices

Start simple and move to the more complex.Start simple and move to the more complex. There are many levels of inquiry:There are many levels of inquiry:

Discovery learningDiscovery learning Interactive demonstrationsInteractive demonstrations Inquiry lessonsInquiry lessons Inquiry labsInquiry labs

GuidedGuided BoundedBounded FreeFree

Hypothesis development (pure and applied)Hypothesis development (pure and applied)

Discovery LearningDiscovery 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 DemonstrationsInteractive Demonstrations

Teacher models investigatory processesTeacher models investigatory processes Teacher uses a think-aloud protocol to conduct Teacher uses a think-aloud protocol to conduct

demonstration (e.g., floating and sinking, defining demonstration (e.g., floating and sinking, defining and measuring buoyancy; finding it’s relationship and measuring buoyancy; finding it’s relationship with density, pinhole images, etc.).with density, pinhole images, etc.).

Teacher probes for understanding, prediction, and Teacher probes for understanding, prediction, and explanation.explanation.

Inquiry LessonsInquiry Lessons

Teacher leads students through a simple Teacher leads students through a simple experiment (e.g., Which variables affect experiment (e.g., Which variables affect buoyancy? How can we test this?)buoyancy? How can we test this?) Define problemDefine problem Define systemDefine system Identify and control variablesIdentify and control variables

Teacher regularly speaks about nature of Teacher regularly speaks about nature of scientific inquiry.scientific inquiry.

Inquiry LaboratoriesInquiry Laboratories

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

Levels of inquiry labs:Levels of inquiry labs: GuidedGuided - with lots of questions - with lots of questions BoundedBounded - with teacher provided question only - with teacher provided question only FreeFree - student guided from problem - student guided from problem

identification through experimental process.identification through experimental process.

Distinguishing Lab TypesDistinguishing Lab Types

Inquiry LabType

Questions/problemsource

Procedures

Guided inquiry Teacher identifies problemto be researched

Guided by large number ofteacher provided questions

Bounded inquiry Teacher identifies problemto be researched

Guided by single teacherprovided question.

Free inquiry Students identify problem tobe researched

Guided by single studentidentified question.

Table 4. Distinguishing characteristics of inquiry labs by type.

Hypothesis developmentHypothesis development

Detailed explanation based upon substantial Detailed explanation based upon substantial informationinformation Source of buoyancySource of buoyancy Inverse-square law of lightInverse-square law of light How conservation accounts for kinematic lawsHow conservation accounts for kinematic laws Why laws for parallel and series resistance holdWhy laws for parallel and series resistance hold How Newton’s second law accounts for How Newton’s second law accounts for

Bernoulli’s law of fluid flowBernoulli’s law of fluid flow

Levels differ by amount of:Levels differ by amount of:

Teacher/material guidance.Teacher/material guidance. Decreases with higher levels of inquiryDecreases with higher levels of inquiry

Student independence.Student independence. Increases with higher levels of inquiryIncreases with higher levels of inquiry

Skills deployed.Skills deployed. Intellectual processes higher with levelIntellectual processes higher with level Technology more sophisticated with levelTechnology more sophisticated with level

Sophistication / Locus of ControlSophistication / Locus of Control

Discoverylearning

InteractiveDemo

InquiryLesson

GuidedInquiry

Lab

BoundedInquiry

Lab

FreeInquiry

Lab

HypothesisDevelopmentand Testing

Low Á Experimental Sophistication Ë HighTable 5. A taxonomy of inquiry-oriented science teaching practices includingdistinctions between laboratory types.

Discoverylearning

InteractiveDemo

InquiryLesson

GuidedInquiry

Lab

BoundedInquiry

Lab

FreeInquiry

Lab

HypothesisDevelopmentand Testing

Teacher Á Locus of Control Ë StudentsTable 2. The locus of control shifts from teacher to students as inquiry practicesbecome increasingly more sophisticated.

Inquiry & Intellectual ProcessesInquiry & Intellectual ProcessesBasic Intermediate Advanced

ObservingCollecting and recording

dataDrawing conclusionsCommunicatingClassifying resultsMeasuring metricallyEstimatingDecision making 1ExplainingPredicting

Identifying variablesConstructing a table of

dataConstructing a graphDescribing relationships

between variablesAcquiring and processing

dataAnalyzing investigationsDefining variables

operationallyDesigning investigationsExperimentingHypothesizingDecision making 2Developing modelsControlling variables

Solving complex real-world problems

Establishing empiricallaws

Synthesizing complexhypotheticalexplanations

Analyzing and evaluating scientific argumentsConstructing logical

proofsGenerating principles

through the process ofinduction

Generating predictionsthrough the process ofdeduction

TheorizingLow Á Skill Sophistication Ë HighTable 7. Relative degree of sophistication of various intellectual process skillsrelated to science. These listings are intended to be suggestive, not definitive.

ResourcesResources

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

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

Wenning, C. (2005). Wenning, C. (2005). Levels of inquiry: Hierarchies of pedagogical practiLevels of inquiry: Hierarchies of pedagogical practices and inquiry processesces and inquiry processes. . Journal of Physics Teacher Education Online, Journal of Physics Teacher Education Online, 22(3), pp. 3-11.(3), pp. 3-11.