Conducting guided inquiry in science classes using authentic, archived, web-based data

Students are often unable to collect the real-time data necessary for conducting inquiry in science classrooms. Web-based, real-time data could, therefore, offer a promising tool for conducting scientific inquiries within classroom environments. This study used a quasi-experimental research design to investigate the effects of inquiry-based instruction coupled with archived online data. Ninety-six preservice teachers in a four-year elementary science teacher-training program participated in this study. The students were enrolled in three sections of the methods course, and these existing groups were randomly assigned to the treatment groups: traditional instruction, traditional instruction supported with a simulation, and inquiry-based instruction with archived online data. Data were collected with structured interviews and analyzed with the constant comparative method and one-way ANOVA. Before the instructional interventions, none of the participants had a scientific understanding of tides, and 15% of the participants had no conceptual understanding of tides at all. After instruction, 72% of the participants who received inquiry-based instruction with archived online data were categorized as having scientific conceptual understandings; 46% of participants who received traditional instruction supported with a simulation were categorized as having scientific conceptual understandings; and 43% of participants who received traditional instruction were categorized as having scientific conceptual understandings. Statistical analyses showed that the group receiving inquiry-based instruction with archived online data performed significantly better than the other two instructional groups. Inquiry-based instruction with archived online data can be used to effectively perform inquiry activities within science classes; it might be used at different grade levels to teach a variety of scientific content. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This article is based on work supported by the Çukurova University Academic Research Project Unit (Grant No. EF2008BAP08 ). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Çukurova University Academic Research Project Unit

Inquiry-based Instruction with Archived, Online Data: An Intervention Study with Preservice Teachers

This mixed methods study described preservice teachers' conceptions of tides and explored the efficacy of integrating online data into inquiry-based instruction. Data sources included a multiple-choice assessment and in-depth interviews. A total of 79 participants in secondary, middle, and early childhood teacher education programs completed the multiple-choice assessment of their baseline knowledge of tides-related concepts. A sub-group of 29 participants also was interviewed to explore their understanding of tides in more detail before instruction. Eighteen of those 29 teachers participated in the instruction, were interviewed again after the instruction, and completed the multiple-choice assessment as a posttest. The interview data sets were analyzed via a constant comparative method in order to produce profiles of each participant's pre- and post-instruction conceptual understandings of tides. Additional quantitative analysis consisted of a paired-sample t-test, which investigated the changes in scores before and after the instructional intervention. Before instruction, all participants held alternative or alternative fragments as their conceptual understandings of tides. After completing the inquiry-based instruction that integrated online tidal data, participants were more likely to hold a scientific conceptual understanding. After instruction, some preservice teachers continued to hold on to the conception that the rotation of the moon around the Earth during one 24-hour period causes the tides to move with the moon. The quantitative results, however, indicated that pre- to post-instruction gains were significant. The findings of this study provide evidence that integrating Web-based archived data into inquiry-based instruction can be used to effectively promote conceptual change among preservice teachers. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V