Abstract
In this paper, a novel approach to engaging students in personal inquiry learning is described, whereby they carry out scientific investigations that are personally meaningful and relevant to their everyday lives. The learners are supported by software that guides the inquiry process, extending from the classroom into the school grounds, home, or outdoors. We report on a case study of personal inquiry learning with 28 high school students on the topic of healthy eating. An analysis of how the personal inquiry was enacted in the classroom and at home, based on issues identified from a study of interviews with the students and their teacher, is provided. The outcomes showed that students were alerted to challenges associated with fieldwork and how they responded to the uncertainty and challenge of an open investigation. The study, moreover, raised an unexpected difficulty for researchers of finding the 'sweet spot' between scientifically objective but unengaging inquiry topics, and ones that are personally meaningful but potentially embarrassing. Implications for further research are shaped around ways of overcoming this difficulty.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 251-273 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | International Journal of Science Education |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 1 Jun 2011 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2012 |
Funding
In this paper we address the twin issues of how to support inquiry-based science learning within the school system and how to enable students to gain personal meaning from engaging in science investigations. We describe a case study where an investigation of healthy eating was undertaken by Year 9 students (aged 14) as part of the English National Science Curriculum. During the intervention, the students began a science investigation in the classroom supported by a teacher, they continued it at home, and then discussed and presented the results of the inquiry back in the classroom. We would like to thank the teachers and pupils of Hadden Park High School that participated in our study in Autumn 2008, our project partners at the Open University, and our corporate partner ScienceScope. This project is supported by an ESRC/EPSRC Technology Enhanced Learning Grant for Personal Inquiry (PI): Designing for Evidence-based Inquiry Learning across Formal and Informal Settings, reference: RES-139-25-038.
Keywords
- Design study
- Inquiry-based learning
- Inquiry-based teaching
- Science education
- Secondary school
- Technology-enhanced learning
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education
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