Understanding Scientific Inquiry

Inquiry Involves the Use of Critical Thinking to Understand Science

Feb 28, 2008
David R. Wetzel

Scientific Inquiry - Ove Tøpfer

Scientific Inquiry involves higher order critical thinking as students learn to ask questions, design experiments, conduct minds-on investigations, and present findings.

Scientific Inquiry and Higher Order Thinking Skills

Scientific inquiry causes students to use higher order thinking skills and learn science from a minds-on approach. Inquiry’s foundation originates with John Dewey. In Dewey’s book Democracy in Education (1916), he indicates that education begins with the curiosity of learners. Student curiosity and involvement in scientific inquiry moves them beyond passive learning to higher order thinking by:

asking questions
designing investigations
investigating
formulating explanations
presenting findings
reflecting on findings

Scientific inquiry causes a fundamental change from traditional teaching practices to a collaborative relationship between teacher and students. In collaborative environments students take risks without fear of ridicule. Teachers become facilitators as they:

model scientific inquiry skills
ask guiding questions
allow student creativity

Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking

Scientific inquiry causes confusion as students analyze experimental findings. Confusion is good in this setting, because it demonstrates critical thinking by students is taking place. Critical thinking results in students drawing inferences that display a greater level of understanding (Hinrichsen, J. and Jarrett, D., 1999, Science inquiry in the classroom, 7-10). Northwest Regional Education Laboratory Resources

Open-Ended Inquiry-Based Questioning

Student success designing experiments is based on asking the right questions. Developing questions that lead to yes/no or true/false answers lead to poor experimental designs. Optimal questions are open-ended inquiry-based questions. As students analyze evidence to explain findings, open-ended questions provide the answers they need to formulate meaningful explanations.

Answering questions in a student’s own words is important for higher level of thinking and knowledge. A student’s own words disclose level of understanding and reveal misconceptions based on:

prior knowledge
personal experience
the experiment

Experimental Design and Investigations

A good place to start teaching students how to use the scientific inquiry process is to conduct an experiment focused on this process. Begin with any scientific concept(s), the inquiry process is important at this point not the concept(s).

An example: Determine factors that influence the distance a marble will roll after traveling down an inclined plane. Basic materials:

grooved top ruler
marble
tape
text book(s)
flat surface

Now students develop open-ended questions (at least two) and design the experiment. Allow students to select supplemental materials for their design, such as;

carpet
sand paper
wax paper
stop watch
other materials (readily available)

Do not show supplemental materials to your students, only provide upon request, to avoid influence on their experimental design. After students complete their experiment, they analyze experimental findings and prepare a presentation to explain these findings.

Presentation of Investigations

As students give presentations, other students discover whose findings differ. This creates internal conflict, due to student prior knowledge and experiences with traditional science investigations. Additionally students realize that findings vary among investigations, because of dissimilar approaches to questions and design. This conflict is overcome by completing additional scientific inquiry-based investigations.

Impact of Using Scientific Inquiry

Now students make a personal connection to scientific inquiry. A personal connection is essential to internalizing new knowledge and ways to learn. The key attributes of scientific inquiry-based teaching and learning result in students: