Inquiry Learning
Multilevel Support with Respect to Inquiry, Explanations and Regulation During an Inquiry Cycle
Abstract
Seventy-nine students from three science classes conducted simulation-based scientific experiments. They received one of three kinds of instructional support in order to encourage scientific reasoning during inquiry learning: (1) basic inquiry support, (2) advanced inquiry support including explanation prompts, or (3) advanced inquiry support including explanation prompts and regulation prompts. Knowledge test as well as application test results show that students with regulation prompts significantly outperformed students with explanation prompts (knowledge: d = 0.65; application: d = 0.80) and students with basic inquiry support only (knowledge: d = 0.57; application: d = 0.83). The results are in line with a theoretical focus on inquiry learning according to which students need specific support with respect to the regulation of scientific reasoning when developing explanations during experimentation activities.
Siebenundneunzig Gymnasialschüler aus drei Schulklassen führten naturwissenschaftliche Experimente mithilfe von Simulationssoftware durch. Die Schüler erhielten eine von drei Stufen der Unterstützung beim Experimentieren: (1) nur Inquiry-Unterstützung, (2) erweiterte Inquiry-Unterstützung mit Erklärungsprompts oder (3) erweiterte Inquiry-Unterstützung, Erklärungsprompts und Regulationsprompts. Die Ergebnisse des Wissenstests und des Anwendungstests zeigen, dass Schüler, die Regulationsprompts erhalten haben, signifikant besser abschnitten als Schüler mit Erklärungsprompts (Wissen: d = 0.65; Anwendung: d = 0.80) und als Schüler nur mit Inquiry-Unterstützung (Wissen: d = 0.57; Anwendung: d = 0.83). Die Ergebnisse stimmen mit dem theoretischen Fokus auf Inquiry-Learning überein, wonach Schüler spezifische Unterstützung zur Regulation erhalten sollten, um wissenschaftliches Schlussfolgern während des Erklärens bei der Durchführung von Experimenten zu fördern.
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