IBSE Final

Chapter 4 Teaching Science as Inquiry

tHE tEACHING OF SCIENCE: 21 st-CENTURY PERSPECTIVES 79

The Standards use the term inquiry in two ways. First, inquiry is content,

which is divided between what students should understand about scientific

inquiry and the abilities students should develop based on their experiences

with scientific inquiry. Second, the term inquiry refers to teaching strategies

and the processes of learning associated with inquiry-oriented activities. In

this section, I address the content, beginning with the following statement of

the content standard for Science as Inquiry for grades 9–12 (see Figure 4.1).

Figure 4.1 Content Standard for Science as Inquiry General Standards for Inquiry All students should develop • abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. • understandings about scientific inquiry.

Science as Inquiry: the Abilities

Figure 4.2 presents the key abilities from the standard. Based on the original

discussion in the Standards, this discussion provides details about the funda-

mental abilities. As you read the descriptions, note the distinct emphasis on

cognitive abilities and critical thinking by students. This emphasis differentiates

the Standards from the traditional emphasis on processes without eliminating

activities such as students’ observing, inferring, and hypothesizing. In this sense,

the Standards advance our understanding of inquiry beyond processes (Millar

and Driver 1987).

Figure 4.2 Science as Inquiry: Fundamental Abilities for Grades 9–12 Fundamental Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry • Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations. • Design and conduct scientific investigations. • Use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communications. • Formulate and revise scientific explanations and models using logic and evidence. • Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and models. • Communicate and defend a scientific argument.