Motivating Children To Learn In A Developmentally-Appropriate Way Through The Inquiry Approach by Peter Reimers - Wednesday, 10 October 2012, 01:08

AM Science teacher training includes both subject matter content and pedagogy. However according to McBride et al. and Sandoval et al. the philosophy and methods upon which inquiry teaching is based are not emphasized in the majority of the coursework that many teachers complete for their degree. Therefore many science teachers operate with a set of assumptions and experiences that do not exactly conform to the requirements of inquiry teaching. Sandoval et al. point out that this involves specifically a weakness in analyzing student thinking. If a teacher attempts to conduct inquiry activities and fails to understand the content and significance of what the students individually and collectively are thinking, he or she may fail to appreciate and guide the students along the lines of inquiry for its own sake. Furthermore, the readings emphasize that the meaning and practice of science involves studying theories formed through investigation, rather than learning a fixed body of knowledge. Also it is more characteristic of science to test ideas through experimenting than to discover directly the answers to questions. However the reality is that even when inquiry activities are carried out in the classroom, the teachers usually expect the students to respond to the inquiry in a specific way, such as This is what the students were supposed to discover through this experiment, rather than to discern the process of development occurring in the minds of the students as a progression toward learning a methodology of science, such as, this is how the students were analyzing their experiences with this activity. Therefore when teachers conduct learning activities, they need to ask some questions such as the following: What is the knowledge that students should obtain from an activity? How do teachers discern what students already know and how students already think as they observe the students perform an inquiry task? and How can teachers guide students in their inquiry tasks in order to catalyze a change in the way students think? I believe that the issue here is a philosophical one, but it has its roots in the traditional expectations of education, namely, the intention to transfer a body of knowledge. Even when inquiry is used, it often is used as a means to this end, which is learning a portion of that body of knowledge. However if acquiring that body of knowledge IS the more important instructional goal, in my opinion inquiry is not often an efficient way to reach it. Teachers might as well go back to lecturing and testing in the traditional way. The fact is, however, that science involves both investigations directed toward answering specific questions, as well as more open-ended research into the nature of a phenomenon. For example, nowadays a scientist must prove as he writes his research grant proposal the relevance and applicability of his future research results as a condition for obtaining funds to carry it out. At the same time, history is replete with the narratives of unexpected discoveries. My favorite is the detection of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming. And of course, Louis Pasteur is famous for having said something like In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind.

Many students also get bored with what I would call open-ended research. They think to themselves, What is the point of this activity? Others see the point in the entertainment it provides them (not in following the procedure given by the teacher), and it is difficult to maintain classroom discipline in such a case. Therefore as I see it, inquiry activities in the high school classroom must include both directed and open-ended procedures, to the extent that students are discovering something definite and meaningful (related to a final form of scientific knowledge) as well as having an opportunity to observe and wonder about the creation without necessarily having to describe everything according to a fixed and expected conclusion. There is another crucial aspect of this discussion, however, and that is the developmental stage of the student. If our goal is to teach children how to think scientifically, then we should ask, When do they begin to develop the potential for this cognitive ability? Do pre-elementary pupils have this ability? How about elementary students? In fact as Michael Padilla points out, many of the cognitive skills that are necessary for conducting experiments and carrying out other forms of inquiry in science require a formal thinking ability. However research shows that only 17% of seventh graders and 34% of twelfth graders are fully formal! In the Philippines we usually receive 11- or 12-year old children into the first year of high school. If our children are like those in the U.S. only 17% are fully formal. Thus the formal thinking ability of many of our first year high school students is not significantly developed. I am not an expert in developmental psychology, but perhaps I am correct to think that this trait cannot be changed merely through education. I think it is more related to chronological age than anything else. If this is true, we need to provide an experience of inquiry that will be appropriate for the concrete operational stage as well as the development of the formal stage in older high school students. What kind of inquiry therefore is appropriate for these children? Allow me to suggest something that can guide us here. Have you ever observed how a small child explores the wonders of creation? Such exploration may range from a prim and proper little girl carefully plucking tiny flowers from grasses growing in the cracks of the sidewalk near the street, to a rambunctious little boy splashing his leather-shoed feet in a big puddle until he is completely soaked with dirty water. This child-like delight in the action of discovery is what we are attempting to stimulate and amplify through inquiry teaching. It is through a more mature yet child-like wonder that a high school student can begin to form a truly scientific mind, one that can see beyond what is observed into the invisible mystery beneath that which is visible. Through guided discovery his basic and integrated science process skills can be developed to the fullest potential for his age and developmental stage. I hope I can be a teacher who stimulates my students to develop this kind of attitude and ability. I hope that my students not only will be motivated to learn, but also enjoy exploring until they reach new discoveries that have not yet been documented in final form science. Then they will be excited to attend class and learn how they can contribute to the improvement of the world around them. Resources:

1. Baker, M. (2011). Chart of Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development. Useful Charts for lesson plans, study help, or quick reference. Retrieved October 2, 2012 from: http://www.usefulcharts.com/psychology/piaget-stages-of-cognitivedevelopment.html 2. McBride, J.W., Bhatti, M.I., Mohammad A Hannan, M.A., Feinberg, M. (2004). Using an inquiry approach to teach science to secondary school science teachers. Physics Education 39 (5) 1-6, September 2004. Retrieved August 12, 2012 from EDUC B course site: http://myportal.upou.edu.ph/mod/resource/view.php?id=3096 3. Padilla, M.J. (1990). The Science Process Skills. Research Matters - to the Science Teacher. No. 9004, March 1, 1990. University of Georgia, Athens, GA. Retrieved July 23, 2012 from EDUC B course site: http://myportal.upou.edu.ph/mod/resource/view.php?id=3368 also available from http://www.narst.org/publications/research/skill.cfm 12. Warner, A.J. and Myers, B.E. (2008). Implementing Inquiry-Based Teaching Methods. AEC395. Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date: September 2008. Reviewed April 2011. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. Retrieved July 17, 2012 from EDUC B course site: http://myportal.upou.edu.ph/mod/resource/view.php?id=3091 13. William A. Sandoval, W.A., Deneroff, V., Franke, M.L. (2002). Teaching, as learning, as inquiry: moving beyond activity in the analysis of teaching practice. University of California, Los Angeles Paper presented at Session 15.19, "Teacher Identity And Practice In Inquiry Based Science." Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Assn., April 1-5, 2002, New Orleans, LA. Retrieved August 12, 2012 from: http://myportal.upou.edu.ph/mod/resource/view.php?id=3095