Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning

Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academy Press
Publication Date: 2000
Publication City: Washington
Publication State: DC
Available for purchase online at: http://books.nap.edu/catalog/9596.html

Abstract (written by WestEd)

The National Research Council (NRC) published the national science education standards in 1995. This guidebook is meant to support the inquiry-based teaching and learning that the standards called for. According to the NRC, the standards connect "learning science, learning to do science, and learning about science." Inquiry is a term that encompasses both the "abilities students should develop to be able to design and conduct scientific investigations" and the "understandings they should gain about the nature of scientific inquiry," as well as "the teaching and learning strategies that enable scientific concepts to be mastered through investigations."

Chapter 3 presents vignettes of inquiry-based science in the elementary, middle, and high school settings. Chapter 4 addresses classroom assessment. Chapter 6 describes research results for inquiry-based teaching and learning. Chapter 8 describes how principals and other administrators can lead and support inquiry-based teaching and learning.

The NRC defines eight stages of inquiry in the science classroom:

1. Exhibit curiosity, define questions from current knowledge
   
2. Propose preliminary explanations or hypotheses
   
3. Plan and conduct simple investigation
   
4. Gather evidence from observation
   
5. Explain based on evidence
   
6. Consider other explanations
   
7. Communicate explanation
   
8. Test explanation

The NRC proposes five phases as common elements of instructional inquiry-based models:

1. Students engage a question, event, or phenomenon
   
2. Students explore ideas through hands-on experiences, formulate and test hypotheses, solve problems, and create explanations
   
3. Students analyze and interpret data, synthesize ideas, and build models
   
4. Students extend their new understanding and abilities
   
5. Students review and assess what was learned and how it was learned with their teachers

While the NRC emphasizes inquiry-based teaching and learning, it is noted that not all science subject matter should be taught this way; a skilled teacher must guide students for proper learning with hands-on activities; and science knowledge itself is important and serves as the basis for the inquiry process.