Strategies of Teaching Science Using an Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) by Novice Chemistry Teachers
1. Inquiry-Based Science Teaching
The term ‘inquiry’ generally signifies the process of acquiring or obtaining information by investigation, often personally and voluntarily carried out by the person who is eager to know the phenomenon in question. Hiang’s (2005) elaboration of inquiry includes investigation of a problem; finding truth or knowledge that requires thinking critically, making observations, asking questions, doing experiments and stating conclusions; and thinking creatively and using intuition. There are three mediums in inquiry-based science teaching method, namely inquiry, discovery and experiences (ibid.). Inquiry is a process of understanding the characteristics of science through scientific experiments. It is through try outs, testing and further information search that individuals begun to see patterns or connections, often leading to discoveries. Discovery purposes to obtain knowledge, concepts and generalization. Meanwhile, experiences serve as the core in which both inquiry and discovery processes occur whilst simultaneously allowing the development of science process skills and fact gathering to take place. Aksela et al. (2010) elaborates the importance of competencies enhanced through IBSE (Inquiry Based Science Education) which are decision making, critical thinking, adaptability, tolerance and autonomy. This undesirable of teaching method should not be at the cost of transformation in learning or finding that science education is an entirely different activity from their earlier experiences whether from primary school or previous science teacher. This transitions from old tradition to new need a scalar to be measure to unsure the differences among those to method. Franklin (2002) elaborates those two methods as below:
Table 1: Comparisons between inquiry-based and traditional teaching methods
Characteristics Inquiry-Based Traditional
Principle Learning Theory Constructivism Behaviourism
Student Participation Active Passive
Student Involvement in Outcomes Increased Responsibility Decreased Responsibility
Student Role Problem solver Direction follower
Curriculum Goals Process oriented Product oriented
Teachers Role Guide/facilitator Director/ transmitter
2. Traditional Science instruction vs. Inquiry instruction
This review of literature aims to examine the advantages and disadvantages of inquiry teaching and traditional science instruction, and to discuss the various teaching strategies within the inquiry-discovery approach. Many researchers acknowledged the benefits of using inquiry-based teaching methods; students learn
best when they take an active role and practice what they have learned (Smart & Csapo, 2007). Other benefits of IBSE include improving students’ attitudes towards science and enhancing interest, curiosity and liking for the subject. The traditional, direct-teaching approach has long been criticised for causing students’ dislike for science, largely due to boring presentations, too much writing, too little practical activity and too much whole class teaching where students are simply recipients of information Nonetheless, researchers have also pointed out that teachers employing inquiry-discovery approach should first scrutinize classroom organization to ensure the seating arrangement helps ease children’s transition from one activity to another. Connecting one activity with another is critical especially if the aim is to enable students see relationship between concepts. Failure to connect the relationship between and among concepts will generally result in students understanding related phenomenon in isolation. Teachers using inquiry-based instructions also include more hands-on activities (Poon, Tan & Tan, 2009), with the teacher playing the role of a facilitator. Studies conducted on teachers’ role during inquiry-based teaching revealed most teachers found interacting with students rather daunting (ibid.) They encountered difficulties in channelling and maintaining the students’ interests as the students engage in inquiry activities (Bencze, 2009). The struggle to communicate and to capture interest is an indication of unpreparedness among science teachers for the social demands of inquiry-based teaching (Oliveria, 2009); hence if such case happens, the teachers need to be specifically trained in methods that will enhance their abilities to use directives in a polite form and to strategically share authority with their students while concurrently upholding authority in the classroom. This would call for careful planning. Careful planning and preparation is also required for adequate content information to be imparted to students, which makes it difficult for some science topic to be taught using the inquiry method (Robertson, 2007). Due to the need for thorough preparation as well as the uncertainty of in-class activities based on students’ response, most teachers tend to resort to the more structured and organized ways of teaching (Qablan et al., 2009). Through direct instruction, teachers can minimize the difficulties of having to keep students motivated if they were to be left on their own to acquire knowledge through inquiry-based learning (Bencze, 2009); it is easier for teachers to assist students with a step-by-step guide to acquire content rather than letting them do the activity on their own and get confused. In fact, many researchers advocated planned experiences in science for children rather than incidental ones using inquiry method (Mason, 1963). The direct instruction approach is also considered the best teaching method for learning content and new skills. Nevertheless, direct instruction also has its limitations. There is a tendency that direct teaching restricts the development of students’ process skills
and abilities to make judgment (Wang & Wen, 2010). This is especially true if students resort to memorizing information given due emphasis by teachers during science lessons, as well as when the teacher poses a problem and then solves it without allowing opportunity for the students to discover. Direct instruction too works best only if the teachers possess strong working knowledge pertaining to both current scientific content and pedagogical savoir faire. Those without may find it difficult to provide clear explanation of concept while addressing students’ ability and opportunity to understand. The tendency is that direct instruction approach does not foster development of students’ scientific attitude. The above comparisons provide sound reasons for teachers to adopt the inquiry approach to teaching science instead of direct instruction. It is apparent that the inquiry–based approach benefits students: they gain better understanding of content, ability to think critically and creatively (Wang & Wen, 2010) and enhanced problem– solving skills. Meanwhile, the teachers’ skills and knowledge also expand as they engage in activities to improve their ability to manage class, be more prepared content wise, and enhance communication skills in order to help facilitate students more efficiently.
3. Inquiry-based Science Teaching Methods
Studies suggest that prior to real teaching experience, the pre-service teachers should be exposed to inquiry- based method at college level. It is believed that pre-service teachers who were taught to use inquiry-based method are more likely to develop hands-on activities for their science classroom (Hohloch, Grove & Bretz, 2007); they are also more likely to link science experiments to everyday life. There are five inquiry-based teaching methods, namely simulation, field study, project, demonstration of discrepant events and experiment. All five methods were introduced in SCE550 Science Methods course, with the intention to equip novice teachers with varieties of instructional approaches that they can eventually apply in their science classes.
4. Simulation
Simulation in inquiry-based Science teaching consists of role play, games and model. According to Perry et al. (2009), simulation using model is a form of experiential learning; it is an instructional scenario where the learner is placed in a world made by the teacher. During simulation, the learner will interact in a way where they themselves are the test subject in the lab experiment. This strategy fits well with the principle of constructivism and it also an effective way to help students understand the nuances of a concept or condition. Udo and Etiubon’s (2011) investigation on students’ Chemistry performance shows those who were taught using computer-based science simulations attained better scores than those who were taught using traditional instruction method.
The project approach in inquiry based science education focuses on the work given by the teacher for the students to carry out in groups. Ideally, there should not be more than three students to a group and the group is required to invent a project for their discovery content purpose (Hiang, 2005). Some examples of projects include developing water filter system from waste materials, to uncover how permanent are permanent markers, and to find out how light effect the rates at which foods spoil, just to name a few. [Past studies reveal that project work benefits students in a number of ways: it allows for more meaningful understanding of science concepts amongst students, enhances students academic performance (Ojo & Sola, 2007), and enables learners to engage in the processes of evaluating science content to be learned, anticipating how those knowledge would be used, as well as applying the science content in authentic situations (Kanter, 2008). Project work also helps teachers in the development of their science content knowledge (CK) as well as their science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as they prepare and facilitate students’ work (Kanter & Konstanntopoulos, 2009)
6. Demonstration
According to McFarland (2005), demonstration is very helpful in promoting students learning via proving the existence or the truth of something through evidence. Demonstrations of surface tension using varying objects, and of solubility and solutions using salt and canned drink can help capture student’s attention in class. Even though teachers need to put in a lot of work to design, set up and think of the best possible way to carry out demonstration, the end the result can be extremely positive. Not only that, lecture demonstration can become an important component of overall teaching strategy and it will provide a concrete, visual way to help explain a topic. McFarland also found that through demonstration, the nature of classroom interaction tends to be less unidirectional as the students become more actively involved in and start asking questions about the science content. When using demonstration, Miller (1993) noticed that he spends more time looking at students’
expressions compared to the time he spent on writing on chalkboard. By using demonstration as a teaching method, Miller discovered that the method replaces teachers as source of knowledge, and teacher becomes more creative while students learn to respect diversity and work collaboratively.
7. Experiment
Experiment is core of doing investigation in science classroom. Teachers tend carry out experiment as it encourages students’ interest in learning science via provision. Students often find the opportunities to manipulate objects, test hypothesis, and work together to solve or prove something exciting. Also, through experiments, students are usually able to ‘see’ or ‘relate’ concepts better, hence contributing to sound science conceptions. For instance, Olympiou and Zacharia’s (2011) study found that the use of a blended combination of physical manipulative (PM) and virtual manipulative (VM) enhanced students’ conceptual understanding in the domain of light and colour topic more than the use of PM or VM alone. Demeo (2005) also noted that experiments – particularly the transformation of traditional laboratory instruction to one using teaching of manipulative skills – help produce more “mature” type of science education. It is said that the teacher’s actions of redistributing authority between teacher and student when laboratory pedagogy is taking place, as well as the nature of interaction when discussing science issues and findings, do contribute to such outcome.
8. Field Study
Field work is an academic or other investigative studies undertaken in a natural setting, rather than in laboratories, classrooms, or other structured environments (Noel, 2007). Often when a field study is carried out, students learn science content or concepts via observation, (structured or unstructured) discussions as well as through analysis of other forms of collected data. The collected data could be in the form of specimens, video and/or audio recorded objects and phenomenon. Field study does not only allow students’ active engagemenwith each other but also helps develop an understanding of the experience and process of learning in natural settings. Preusch (2009) who used field study as an approach to teaching found his students accurately described plants and animals they had observed in different habitats during the field trip. Also, they were able to develop ‘continuity’ between theory and reality via discussions on the lessons learned in classrooms, and relating those with their home life and other experiences in the outdoors. Other advantages of field trip as highlighted by Harder (2010) are students and teachers found the activity enjoyable, learning was more real and more challenging than those done inside the classroom, and learning activities and environment promote aspects of discovery, open discussions, and the freedom to choose how to find and record information deemed most beneficial.
9. Research Methodologies
This study employs a qualitative research design. Three Chemistry Education trainee teachers who were undergoing their teaching practice were approached to request their voluntary involvement as research participants. Apart from occasional classroom observations and semi-structured interviews, other means of data collection is via document analysis. Specifically, two documents were analyzed: reflective journals and record books. While observation and analysis of record book are used to detect the most preferred teaching techniques by trainees (focusing on planned and carried out lessons), data from the record book helps in understanding the development of the inquiry based science education focusing on student’s responses and behavior in the classroom. All research participants were requested to use four inquiry-based teaching methods, namely demonstration, experiment, project work, stimulation and field study. Meanwhile, the interview serves to investigate reasons behind the novice’s teacher pedagogical preferences.
10. Data Analysis
10.1 Record Book, Reflective Journal, Interview
Data in the form of research participants’ documented teaching activities and personal reflections were collected upon the completion of teaching practice session. Specifically, daily lesson planning and reflections of teaching practices were analyzed and scrutinized in depth whilst simultaneously triangulated with the data obtained from the occasional observations, and later with the interview data. The data were coded according to its category and recorded for discussion purposes. The researcher then continues with Cohen Kappa’s peer checker of Agreement as described below:
Step 1: Documents collections (lesson plan, reflective journal and interview) on four teaching methods (stimulation, experiment, project work, demonstration and field study)
Step 2: Analysis of lesson plan, reflective journal content and interview
Step 3: Coding
Step 4: Member’s check
Step 5: Cohen Kappa test of agreement
Step 6: Data recorded
Step 7: Analyze Data
Step 8: Discussion
11. Findings and discussions
The findings and discussion ensue are carefully guided by two research questions formulated at the early stage of the investigation:
2. How is the development of inquiry teaching applied in their teaching strategies?
Participant 1
Participant 1 plans to teach her class on subject acid and base. Based on her lesson plan, it is evident that the
participant prefers to use the experiment method:
Lesson Classification between strong or weak acid and strong or weak base.
Development
Stage 1
Stage 2
Teacher explains how to conduct the experiment as to differentiate between strong or weak acid and solution.
The steps are:
– Dip a pH paper into each of the beaker containing different type of solutions.
– Wait for a few seconds and take out the pH paper from the beaker and state the pH value by compare it with pH scale.
Students start to conduct the experiment in group and classify the solution according to their pH value.
