Inquiry-based

Teaching
A stimulus for professional discussion
Inquiry-based Teaching
Professional Learning Module

Contents
Overview of the resource 1
Using the resource 2
Modelling teaching skills 3-5
DVD lessons 3
The activity lesson: teaching skills associated 4
with the different phases
Practising inquiry-based teaching skills 6-7
Inquiry-based teaching strategies 8-11
Inquiry-based teaching 12-19
Which of the following are inquiry lessons? 12
What is inquiry- based teaching? 13
What are the features of inquiry-based teaching? 14
Forms of inquiry 15
Inquiry: busting the myths! 17
What research says about inquiry-based teaching 19
Stories from the classroom 20-24
References 25

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 Overview of the resource
The essence of Science by Doing is that students will be engaged in
interesting and stimulating science activities. Activity lessons require
teachers to use a range of teaching skills if they are to be effective in
helping students learn. This professional learning resource explores the
different phases of an activity lesson and the teaching skills required for
each phase. The four components of the resource complement one another
and should be used together to ensure effectiveness of the resource.

d
BOOKLET: Inquiry-based Teaching
Inquiry-base
Teaching
A stimulus for
sion
professiona
l discus This written guide provides background information
which supports the ideas and topics explored in the
digital resources. Further reading lists and helpful tips
and tools are included.

DVD: Modelling Teaching Skills

The DVD describes and demonstrates the phases of
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an activity lesson by showing two different lessons.

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Modelling
Inquiry-based

These lessons illustrate the different teaching skills

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Teaching Skills
DVD

required in each phase, and in the process highlight the

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Acknowledgement:
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Science by Doing is supported

by the Australian Government.
Disclaimer: The views expressed
herein do not necessarily represent
the views of the Australian
Government Department of
Education, Employment and

very nature of inquiry-based teaching, as well as some

Workplace Relations.

of its defining characteristics.

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ce
CD-ROM: Practising Inquiry-based Teaching Skills
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The interactive digital resource provides an opportunity to

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Practising
Inquiry-based
Teaching Skills
and Strategies
CD-ROM
practise the teaching skills associated with each phase of
an activity lesson. This is done via interacting with a virtual
Pr o f

Acknowledgement:
Science by Doing is supported
by the Australian Government.
Disclaimer: The views expressed herein
do not necessarily represent the

classroom using a recording device such as a webcam. For

views of the Australian Government
Department of Education,
Employment and
Workplace Relations.

feedback the teacher can watch the way other teachers

have responded to each lesson phase. Teachers will also be
prompted to reflect on their own approach to identify areas
of strength and weakness. The simple act of recording is an
essential feature of this resource.

CD-ROM: Inquiry-based Teaching Strategies

Using animation, this resource describes and illustrates six
teaching strategies that facilitate an inquiry-based approach
to teaching and learning. Following an introduction to each
of the strategies, the teacher is presented with a range
of classroom scenarios and the opportunity to select the
strategy most appropriate to each.

1
Using the resource
The components of the resource have been prepared for use in the
following sequence:

 iew the DVD:

V
Modelling Teaching Skills

View and interact with the CD-ROM:

Practising Inquiry-based Teaching Skills

 iew and interact with the CD-ROM:

V
Inquiry-based Teaching Strategies

 ead book and discuss with colleagues:

R
Inquiry-based Teaching

While the resource has

been developed primarily
for an individual teacher
to use on a computer, it
can also be adapted for
groups such as a school
science department or
a large workshop. The
value of the resource
will be determined by
the opportunity for
participants to be actively
engaged in doing,
reflecting and sharing
experiences.

2
 Modelling teaching skills

DVD lessons
There are two lessons that illustrate the different skills
in inquiry-based teaching.
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Lesson one: Investigating pond water

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ion

In this lesson the students use different types of

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Modelling
Inquiry-based
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microscopes to investigate a variety of living things

Teaching Skills
DVD

found in pond water. The students observe and draw

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Acknowledgement:
rce

Science by Doing is supported

by the Australian Government.
Disclaimer: The views expressed
herein do not necessarily represent
the views of the Australian

specific animals. Their observations are assisted

Government Department of
Education, Employment and
Workplace Relations.

by a series of prepared questions related to the

characteristics of living things.
Lesson two: The rule of the seesaw
Using a ruler, pencil and washers students explore
how to balance a seesaw (ruler). While students are
encouraged to try their own ways of balancing the
ruler with a variety of washers, there are also some
suggested exercises available to students who may
wish to use them. As a result of this exploration,
students are encouraged to develop a rule they can
use to help them balance the ruler.

“It is remarkable to see how

much students learn when
they are given an opportunity
to come up with their own
designs for experiments.”
Science by Doing
Pilot teacher, ACT

3
The activity lesson:
teaching skills
associated with the
different phases
Some people believe that for
student-centred inquiry the teacher
has less of a role to play in student
learning. The truth is that a skilled
teacher remains the key to effective
instruction and is the key element
in any inquiry-based classroom.
Introducing the activity
An activity lesson usually has
three phases; an introduction, the
activity time and a conclusion. To
perform effectively teachers must
use different skills according to
the focus and aim of each part of
a lesson. These phases and the
teaching skills required for each
are outlined on the following page.

Discussing the activity Student activity

4
Introducing the activity
The introductory phase is the initial part of the lesson where the scene
is set for the day’s activity. In this phase the teacher is the ‘director’ and
‘organiser’. The teacher’s role is to:
• Gain the interest of the students
• Elicit student prior learning
• Outline the problem or activity, and provide advanced organisation
where appropriate
• Describe the arrangements for collection and use of equipment/materials
• Communicate time and outcome expectations
Communication with students in this phase should be simple, direct and
concise to ensure that students receive the necessary information to carry
out the task. Where possible, the introductory phase should be kept brief.

Student activity
The bulk of the lesson is dedicated to student
‘doing’ and is referred to as the activity
phase. In this phase the teacher is the ‘helper’
and ‘facilitator’, engaging students to:
• Assist with materials and activities
• Discuss ideas, challenging students to
think more critically. During this phase
the main method of communicating with
students is via questioning.

Discussing the activity

An important, but often neglected and
rushed part of the lesson is the conclusion
phase. In this phase the teacher acts as
coordinator, drawing together the
students’ ideas into a meaningful and
coherent picture.
This is the most challenging phase of an activity lesson. The teacher:
• Encourages students to share their results from the activity
• Through discussion, helps students summarise the main ideas
or concepts.
Again, questioning plays an important role in this phase to draw out
students’ ideas and assist them in refining their thoughts.

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 Practising inquiry-based teaching skills

ce
Using the CD-ROM part of the resource, you have
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the opportunity to practise the skills modelled in the

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DVD by teaching a virtual class. The value of teaching

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Practising
Inquiry-based
Teaching Skills

a virtual class is that you can focus on the specific

and Strategies
CD-ROM
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skills required for each phase without potential

Acknowledgement:
Science by Doing is supported
by the Australian Government.
Disclaimer: The views expressed herein
do not necessarily represent the
views of the Australian Government
Department of Education,
Employment and
Workplace Relations.

classroom distractions.

6
The uniqueness of this resource lies in
the self-review aspect of the recording
activities. After being introduced to a
concept you are invited to practise
putting it to use by recording
yourself teaching a virtual class. Such
opportunities are repeated throughout
the digital resource. Learning is further
enhanced by conducting a self-review
while playing back the recordings, and
by watching the supplied footage of how
three other teachers respond to the same
teaching task.
In terms of getting maximum
effectiveness from the resource, the
priority would be to make visual
recordings with a webcam or video
camera. Second to this would be to make
auditory recordings using an MP3 player,
dictation device or tape recorder. Where
no such technology is available you
may simply write down how you would
approach the teaching task. It should be
noted that as you move down the scale
of options listed above the amount of
user ‘doing’ is reduced; thus, the efficacy
of the resource is compromised.

7
 Inquiry-based teaching strategies

Adapted from: Goodrum, D (2004) ‘Teaching Strategies for Science

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ce Classrooms’ as found in Venville, G. and Dawson, V. (2004) The Art of
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Teaching Science. Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW.

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Practising

There is a range of different teaching strategies that

Inquiry-based
Teaching Skills
and Strategies
CD-ROM
Pr o f

Acknowledgement:
Science by Doing is supported
by the Australian Government.
Disclaimer: The views expressed herein
do not necessarily represent the
views of the Australian Government
Department of Education,
supports the inquiry-based approach and includes
collaborative and cooperative learning opportunities.
Employment and
Workplace Relations.

Concept
Brainstorming Envoy
mapping

Gallery Predict-Observe
Jigsaw
Walk -Explain (POE)

Six of these are outlined in the following three pages.

Further information can be obtained from the Inquiry-
based Strategies section of the CD-ROM which
includes animations of these strategies in action.

8
 Concept mapping
Concept maps allow students to represent diagrammatically what they
know about the links and relationships between concepts. They allow
students to access prior knowledge and provide teachers with feedback
on what is known or unknown and/or what is misunderstood, either at
a single point or over time. Concept maps are designed to increase
the students’ ability to organise and represent thoughts and help with
reading comprehension.

How it works
When concept maps are first
introduced, model their use at
the whole-class level. Brainstorm
ideas as a class and ask students
to assist jointly in grouping the
words generated. Explain that
each concept can be used only
once. Link relationships with
arrows or lines and talk aloud to
model the cognitive processes
involved. Ask students to assist
in identifying and labelling the
relationships between concepts.

Brainstorming
The purpose of brainstorming is to generate ideas quickly – it is a
creative, problem-solving strategy.

How it works
Quantity is more important
than quality; all ideas are
accepted and not criticised.
Hitchhiking (building from each
other’s ideas) is encouraged.
Write exactly what is said
– no paraphrasing.

9
Envoy
This strategy encourages students to learn from each other and take
responsibility for learning. It helps students to develop listening and oral
skills and promotes skills in synthesising and summarising.

How it works
Students are formed into groups
and are given a topic to discuss.
One student from each group is
selected to be the ‘envoy’. When
the group has completed its
discussion of the topic the envoy
reports to another group and
outlines what was discussed. The
envoy also listens to a report from
the group they are visiting. The
envoy then returns to their original
group, which has also received a
report from another group’s envoy,
and they exchange new ideas.
Each group should now have input
from two other groups.

Gallery walk
Student or group work is placed around the room and students are given
the opportunity to view other students’ work and to ‘show off’ their own.

How it works
Student work is placed around the
room and students are given time
to circulate and view the display.
Students can use the opportunity
to read information prepared by
others or consider the way the
information is presented. They can
collect information from the work
of others or peer-assess using a
prepared set of guidelines.

10
 Jigsaw
This strategy provides a structure for group work and also allows students
to cover a broad amount of information in a shorter period of time.

How it works
Students are formed into ‘home’
groups of about five or six. The topic
is divided up into sections and each
student in the home group is given
a different aspect of the topic to
research. The home groups split up
and the students form into ‘expert’
groups so all members in one group
are researching the same aspect of
the topic. Students research their
aspect of the topic in the expert
groups and prepare to report to
their home group. Students return
to their home group and take turns
to report as the expert on their
aspect of the topic.

Predict-Observe-Explain (POE)
This strategy encourages students to think more carefully and critically
about scientific phenomena by challenging them to examine events that
surprise them.

How it works
Students are given a situation and
asked to predict what happens
when something is done to change
that situation. As the change is
implemented the students make
careful observations about what
happens. By comparing their
observations with their predictions
they are encouraged to develop
explanations of what is happening.

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 Inquiry-based teaching
Which of the following are inquiry-based lessons?
Investigating pond water
Students observe living things
found in pond water using
microscopes. Their observations
are drawn and compared with
resource books and posters that
show and describe pond life.
During the exploration students
are free to work independently
with the materials supplied.
Hot cars
In response to a newspaper
article about the danger of
leaving small children in a
parked car during hot weather,
students devise their own
experiment about sunlight
and cars. The teacher acts as
facilitator, providing feedback
and advice on investigation
design, materials, time
management etc.
Rule of the seesaw
Using a ruler and washers,
students explore ways of
balancing a seesaw. In the
process they develop a rule
that suggests how to balance
the seesaw. Some guiding
instructions are made available
to students, but students may
devise their own approach to
reaching a conclusion.
To help you answer this question, read the next
few pages then make your decision.
Replicating Galileo
Students are asked to replicate
Galileo’s experiment on rolling
balls on an inclined plane. They
compare their results with the
conclusions that Galileo reached.
Galileo’s results and method are
provided to students.
Sorting matter
Students are given fifteen
different everyday substances.
They are asked to sort them
into groups which are then
labelled. Students identify
their own sorting criteria and
have an opportunity to explain
and compare their reasoning
with the class.
Using the Internet
Using the Internet, students
are asked to investigate how a
particular metal (say aluminium,
iron, silver or copper) is extracted
and refined. Students decide
how they will conduct and
present their research to best
meet the criteria provided
by the teacher.
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What is inquiry-based teaching?

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Doing
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The reason is that the nature of inquiry is itself

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Perhaps to understand inquiry one needs to SBDPLR1-IBT

understand the nature of science. Science is a way of

answering interesting questions about the natural and built world.
The body of science understanding has been constructed upon questions
and more questions. These questions arise from observations and the
gathering of evidence.

Science inquiry
Science inquiry embraces the diverse ways in which scientists attempt to
find answers to these questions. In education we refer to these ways as the
science inquiry skills. Just as scientists seek answers, inquiry teaching refers
to the ways in which students attempt to find answers to questions about
science phenomena. Teachers or the students themselves may pose
these questions.
While these two ideas, that is, science inquiry skills and science inquiry
teaching, have similar features, they are also different. By understanding
the similarities and differences, a teacher of science can more effectively
implement successful inquiry teaching.

Science inquiry teaching

Science inquiry teaching is more than just teaching students science
inquiry skills. It is about helping students find answers to their questions to
do with science phenomena. It is about providing activities that provoke
these questions and then creating opportunities by which students can
gather and interrogate evidence and information. From this interrogation,
understanding and genuine learning will occur. It is about structuring
situations by which students can discuss their answers to questions with
other students and the teacher. Through such discussion their ideas about
science phenomena can be refined and developed in a way that leads to
meaningful understanding. Within this discussion there continues to be an
important place for teacher explanation.
Inquiry teaching is therefore associated with student activity and,
commonly, student investigation. Within an activity lesson students may
be given a task or problem or question to investigate. The teaching skills
needed for inquiry lessons are varied, as illustrated by this professional
learning resource.

13
What are the features
of inquiry-based
teaching?
As explained previously, inquiry-
based teaching is focused on
helping students find answers
about science phenomena.
There are some important
features of such classroom
lessons. These include:
• Students seek answers to
science questions.
• Students develop answers
and explanations based
on evidence.
• Students refine their
explanations in the light of new
information or experiences.
• Students communicate and
justify their explanations
to others.
Answers and explanations are
based on evidence
There are two dimensions to this
feature. Firstly, the critical role of
evidence. The evidence may come
from the students’ observations
or from the data gathered by an
investigation or from such sources
as books, the Internet or people
with relevant expertise.
The second dimension involves
the development of explanations
based on reason and logical
deductions. Initially, explanations
are tentative with respect to
the available evidences and
information. Teachers have a critical
role in guiding the development of
student explanations.
Seeking answers to questions
This feature emphasises the
student-centred dimension of
the learning. If students have little
desire to actively seek answers,
then there is little likelihood
that learning will occur. For
this reason it is important that
questions are posed in a context
that is meaningful and interesting
to students. The context of
the questions influences the
motivation and interest
of students.
Sometimes students may pose the
questions, but more commonly
it is the teacher who presents
them to students. Even if students
suggest a question, teachers
usually need to refine the question
so it can be answered in a more
manageable way. The art of good
inquiry teaching lies in the art
of developing interesting and
relevant questions that can be
successfully answered by students.
Explanations are refined
Tentative explanations need to be
tested in new situations and with
new information. For example, if
students develop a classification
system for certain objects, the
value of the system is tested by
introducing new objects.
Explanations are communicated
The process of refinement
depends significantly on
students communicating their
ideas to others, including the
teacher. Through sharing these
explanations, students can review
and clarify their ideas.
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Forms of inquiry
Inquiry-based teaching is a complex, multifaceted way of teaching.
One of the complexities relates to the fact that there is a variety
of forms of inquiry-based teaching. While the most common form
is guided-inquiry teaching, one can also present lessons that can
be described as open inquiry or in other cases as closed inquiry.
What factors influence the nature of these different forms?

One way
of explaining the
The posed question
different forms is
by deciding who is The method by
responsible for the which the question
different aspects is investigated
of the inquiry
The
 answer or solution.
process:

15
Forms of inquiry and responsibility for the different aspects of the inquiry
process can be illustrated by the following table:

Question student teacher teacher teacher

Method student student teacher teacher
Answer student student student teacher
Type of open guided  uided
g verification
inquiry inquiry inquiry inquiry lesson
Pond
Sorting matter
Examples investigation Replicating
Hot cars Rule of the
(see page 12) Using the Galileo
seesaw Internet

Open inquiry
For open inquiry the student is responsible for posing the question to be
investigated, for determining how the question will be answered and for
collecting the relevant evidence or information by which the question is
answered. While open inquiry lessons tend to be time demanding, they
are invaluable in helping students refine their inquiry skills.

Verification lesson
A verification lesson is one where the teacher is responsible for all the
decisions associated with the question, method and answer. There are
some situations where such lessons are appropriate.

Guided inquiry
The most common inquiry lesson is the guided inquiry lesson. In these
lessons the teacher provides the question and/or the method by which the
question is answered. There are also subtle variations in that students can
make an input with the skillful guidance of a teacher.

“The confidence of students in

my class has increased due to
the collaborative and cooperative
learning opportunities created
through the inquiry method.”
Science by Doing
Pilot teacher, NT
16
 Inquiry classrooms are
unstructured and chaotic
While inquiry classrooms frequently take
Inquiry: on this appearance, a closer inspection
usually reveals students who are engaged,
busting the enthusiastic and (very often) excited by
myths! their learning. In this state teenagers
can appear a little unruly, but it is worth
remembering that the correlation between
student engagement and poor classroom
behaviour is a negative one. It has been
widely reported that students engaged
through inquiry rarely present behaviour management problems. So while
the productive chatter and high energy levels in an inquiry classroom
can present a challenge for the teacher who prefers quiet and order, the
benefits far outweigh a bit of noise and rabble! Planning and organisation
is the key to ensuring that the hustle and bustle results in productive
learning experiences.

You can’t assess inquiry-based learning

? Inquiry-based learning can be assessed like any other concept
or topic in science; learning is learning! There are some special
features of inquiry-based learning, however, that make it particularly suited
to particular methods of assessment. Inquiry learning can be thought of as
a journey during which the body of knowledge and skill set grow. The use
of diagnostic, formative and summative assessment activities effectively
punctuate the journey to provide evidence as students move from the
known to the unknown.

Inquiry is only good for high-achieving students

? The ability to think creatively and critically is not solely for the
high-achieving student. In fact, the Science by Doing Pilot
revealed numerous cases where low-ability students embraced inquiry-
based approaches much more readily than those more academically able.
Many high-achieving students are proficient at ‘working to the test’ and feel
uncomfortable with the ‘unknown’ that inquiry represents.

Doing hands-on science is the same as doing inquiry

? Many science activities are highly structured despite being hands-on.
Such tasks tell students what questions to answer, what materials to
use, and how to go about solving questions and problems. Charts and tables
to record data are often provided. This type of ‘cookbook’ activity provides a
step-by-step approach to a solution. Although most inquiry-based activities are
hands-on, not all hands-on activities are inquiry-oriented (Llewellyn 2002).

17
 In inquiry-based teaching it is never okay to tell
? students the answers to their questions
It is not practical to assume that all knowledge can be gained
through the inquiry method. There are always competing priorities for how
students spend their time in class and decisions about how to respond to
students’ questions are made within this context. There will be times where
it is not possible to have students design an investigation, or take the time
to conduct research. Teacher explanation certainly still has a place in an
inquiry-oriented classroom. However, it is through investigations that deep
understanding and a greater transfer of knowledge is achieved.

All science subject matter should be taught through

? an inquiry-based approach
There is no one-size-fits-all, ‘silver-bullet’ solution for science
education. Inquiry should be thought of, and used as, one of a variety of
effective approaches and strategies. Relying on any one method, including
inquiry, would be ineffective and likely to result in boredom for students.
No-one knows your students and the context in which they learn better
than you, therefore, you are best placed to make decisions about the
variety and choice of approaches used in the classroom.

True inquiry occurs only when students generate

? and pursue their own questions
Students need practice at asking questions that are investigable.
This takes time, guidance and many teacher-initiated investigations in the
process. When time and student ability permit, however, every opportunity
to allow students to pose and investigate their own questions should
be seized upon. It is these experiences that promote advanced inquiry
abilities and an understanding of how scientific knowledge is pursued.

It is impossible to cover everything in the curriculum

? using an inquiry-based approach
This statement holds true. It is not suggested that all science
should be learned through inquiry. However, investigations are important
ways to promote deep understanding of science content and the only way
to help students to practise inquiry abilities. Science by Doing promotes
more depth, less breadth, but appreciates that the issue of coverage vs.
learning remains to be addressed.

18
What research says about inquiry-based
teaching
The broad field of research supports inquiry-based teaching and suggests
that such teaching will result in more positive learning. The research is
not, however, uniform. This is in part due to the fact that the nature of
inquiry-based teaching is not uniform (Anderson, 2002). As indicated
previously, inquiry-based teaching is a complex and multifaceted idea.
This complexity has impacted on the research activity and the results vary
depending on the researcher’s definition of inquiry-based teaching.

In examining the research, there is value in considering

how students learn. This research supports the tenets
of inquiry-based teaching. A comprehensive report by
the National Research Council titled ‘How People Learn’
(Bransford et al., 1999) describes a range of findings from
brain studies, child development and cognition. These
findings in learning research resonate with the general
attributes of inquiry-based teaching.

With respect specifically to inquiry-based teaching, there has been

considerable research. Much of the research took place in the seventies
and eighties. During the sixties and seventies there were a number of
large curriculum projects undertaken. These projects generally were
embedded with an inquiry-based teaching approach. Two significant
meta-analyses studies that synthesise much of the research into these
projects were Shymansky, Kyle and Alport (1983) and Wise and Okey
(1983). Both studies demonstrated a positive impact of inquiry-based
teaching on student learning.
Anderson (2002) suggests that in recent years inquiry-based teaching
research has moved away from questions of effectiveness to questions
about understanding the dynamics of such teaching and how to
implement it.
In a recent evaluation of science learning in United Kingdom schools, the
report by science inspectors concluded that the main factor in the schools
with the highest or most rapidly improved science learning was their
commitment to science inquiry (Ofsted, 2008). Such a conclusion is
a strong endorsement of inquiry-based teaching.

19
 Stories from the
classroom
Harry’s story
When I started teaching over thirty
years ago, I was introduced to the
Academy of Science’s new text
The Web of Life. I vividly recall
this text being introduced to us
at Teachers’ College. It was ‘new
and exciting’ and used the ‘inquiry
method philosophy’ as a basis for
its approach; this was how it was
described to us. I enjoyed using
this method of teaching but over
many years succumbed to the more
traditional teaching methods used
by the majority of my colleagues. As
for upper school teaching, it ended
up becoming chalk, talk and spoon
feed the students so they pass their
University Entrance Exams and
forget the ‘fun’ discovery stuff.
Over the last few years I noticed
more and more of my students
losing interest in their science
lessons. Peering into other science
classrooms in the school told the
same story. The boredom showing
up on faces behind desks, in rows,
facing the front of the room, was
not unique to my classroom. I found
myself asking the question, “what
are we doing wrong in secondary
school science?” Every year a fresh
group of Year 8s would arrive to us
all excited about science and then
slowly lose this enthusiasm as the
year progressed.
Then I got involved in doing the
playing before the explaining
and, over time, I found that I was
seeing the thrill of discovery and
questioning enter the eyes of
my students again. For example,
rather than explain diffusion and
osmosis on the board as I used
to, I first let the students set up
experiments which demonstrated
the concepts and they made
observations. Afterwards, we had a
discussion about their observations
and, through the questioning
techniques that came back to me
after many years, I was able to
help the students understand the
concepts. The real treat I had from
doing this was that they gained the
understanding much faster than
any previous group had ever done.
Doing the exploring before the
explaining gave students a concrete
experience on which to hang,
and make meaning of, the theory
behind their observations.
I now do my best to pass on ‘the
message’ about inquiry learning.
Student teachers in particular are
very interested. I enjoy watching
their faces as they realise how
much more understanding is going
on in front of them as the result
of adopting a few simple inquiry
techniques. But the most gratifying
experience of all remains watching
a student experience the ‘a-ha’
moment! Their face lights up with
the thrill and satisfaction of finally
understanding why something has
happened, when they connect all
the dots and make meaning of their
observations. Since returning to my
roots and reinvesting in an inquiry-
approach to my teaching I now
enjoy seeing more ‘a-ha’ moments
than ever before.
20
 Stories from the
classroom
Emily’s story
The classroom is a hive of activity as
students busy themselves creating a
concept map describing the effect
of exercise on the body. Students
have been somewhat thrown in the
deep-end, in that they have not had
much experience creating concept
maps before, and the concepts
they are trying to link result from
their observations of a series of
investigations, such as measuring
heart rate and temperature in
response to exercise. The frustration
among many students is building,
with the most common complaints
being, ‘this is too hard!’ and, ‘you
haven’t given us enough instructions
yet!’. I circulate the room, continually
making judgments about how much
assistance I will give each student
in order to keep their head ‘above
water’, without actually solving
the puzzle for them. The students
interact busily with one another as
they share their frustrations and
insights. Gradually, sometime during
the second lesson on this task, one
light bulb after another starts to
appear. The frustration disappears
and is replaced by wonder and
a sense of achievement. All of a
sudden the room is abuzz with
students wishing to share their work
with me and their classmates.
Described here is the elusive
‘a-ha’ moment when tension
and frustration morph, often
dramatically, into a sense of pride
and accomplishment. For a teacher,
observing the ‘a-ha’ moment in your
students can be one of the most
rewarding, satisfying and exciting
experiences one can have. And it
can be quite addictive!
Since adopting an inquiry-based
approach to my teaching I have
observed more student frustration,
but also more ‘a-ha’ moments
than ever before. I realize now that
you can’t have one without the
other. For me, the true value of
inquiry-based strategies lies in the
ownership it gives to students over
their learning. Over time, they too
begin to recognize and appreciate
the control they have and become
quite vocal when, for whatever
reason, it is taken away.
It is important to appreciate that
the inquiry approach cannot solve
all problems for all students and all
teachers in all schools. It will always
be necessary to adopt a range and
variety of teaching options to cater
for the complexity of learning needs
that our students present. I adapt
and mould the inquiry approach
to fit my capabilities, my students’
strengths and weaknesses, and all
of the other constraints we face in a
traditional school setting. However,
inquiry now resides at the core of
my approach because its strategies
provide so many rich learning
experiences for my students.
21
Without doubt, exploring and
adopting inquiry-based approaches
with my students has made me
a better teacher. I now have a
much better understanding of
how students learn, and how they
process, interpret and respond to
the learning opportunities I provide
for them. This knowledge underpins
my teaching and informs every
aspect of my work with students.
Stories from the
classroom
Rodrigo’s story
As a new science educator I had the
privilege of being involved in the
Science by Doing Pilot program. This
opportunity has allowed me to adopt
an inquiry-based approach to my
science teaching and, consequently,
I have embarked not only on a great
teaching journey, but also an
extremely rewarding
self-learning experience.
“The excitement,
enjoyment and sense
of achievement that
my science students
experience now has also
had an extremely positive
and wide reaching effect
on other areas of the
school.”
Prior to introducing an inquiry-based
approach in my science classes,
there was an evident lack of interest
and motivation amongst my students
towards science. Taking on students
lacking these most important
attributes was a major obstacle that
I needed to overcome in order to
enhance my teaching of science.
The introduction of an inquiry-based
approach provided the mechanism
for me to do this. Via the inquiry
method, the teaching and learning
environment of my classroom
became much more dynamic and
innovative. Students became more
interested and motivated and
thoroughly enjoyed taking ownership
of their learning.
By allowing students to explore,
investigate and discover new ideas,
they not only gained knowledge
of a given topic or scientific facts,
but most importantly, a deeper
understanding of the nature of
science and the world around them.
Once motivated I found that my
students’ mindset in relation to
their attitude to science changed
dramatically. The excitement,
enjoyment and sense of achievement
that my science students experience
now has also had an extremely
positive and wide reaching effect on
other areas of the school.
To have students who are not
in my classes approach me and
enthusiastically express their wish
to participate in my science program
has been the most rewarding and
humbling experience of my
teaching career.
22
 Stories from the
classroom
Ingrid’s story
I became a science teacher because
I loved science and I wanted to help
kids love science too. I also believe
that it’s vitally important that people
can make informed decisions in
relation to nuclear power, gene
technology, and whatever other
technologies come our way. Even
when students don’t learn directly
about such things, science is the
perfect forum in which they can
develop critical thinking skills and an
ability to make informed decisions
based on evidence, not hype.
Unfortunately, many students dislike
science because they think it’s too
boring, or too hard. So when I
started the Science by Doing Pilot
Program I was excited about finding
new ways to engage students in
science. And sure enough, the
Year 7 class that I trialled the
program with loved it. They were
keen, interested and engaged.
They enjoyed discovering things
together, asked many interesting
and probing questions and loved
doing experiments. It was some of
the most fun I’ve ever had teaching.
Together we did an inquiry to
discover what type of environment
slaters preferred. The students
designed habitats where the slaters
could choose between dark, light,
wet or dry areas. It took about two
weeks for the students to plan their
experiment, build their habitat,
carry out their observations and
record their results. During those
two weeks they also did more
traditional class work, learning
about biology. At the end they
wrote up their experiment as a
formal scientific report. Many of
their reports were better than
those I’ve received from Year 10
students. That said, I must admit
that they were the top class in the
year and most of them were already
interested to learn what science was
all about.
Since then, I have had mixed
success with inquiry teaching.
Students who have already had one
or two years of science that they
thought was boring, or difficult,
are much more reluctant to take
the sort of intellectual risks that
are involved in inquiry learning.
Sometimes, even the top-ability
classes are not interested because
they are so focused on getting a
good grade that they simply want
to be taught the right answer, rather
than discovering it for themselves.
It’s also difficult to do inquiry based
experiments with a disruptive class.
In theory, inquiry teaching can be
adapted to fit any level of ability. In
theory, it will help students engage
with science. But in practice I have
found that I don’t always have the
skills to make it work.
I keep trying though. I’m designing
a general science course using
inquiry principles and martial arts
to teach core concepts in physics
and human biology. Hopefully,
this combination will engage the
students enough for them to pick
up some theory along the way.
23
 Stories from the
classroom
Steve’s story
I consider myself to be an
experienced high school physics
teacher with a good sense of
humour. I, however, had concerns
about how much my students really
understood of what I taught. The
students would ‘learn’ their science
for the test then seemed to forget
it. For this reason I decided to
become involved in a program that
emphasised inquiry-based teaching.
As I began to implement a more
inquiry-based approach, there
were some initial problems, but the
successes outweighed the mistakes.
One of my first misconceptions was
that I thought inquiry teaching was
mainly doing laboratory activities.
I have found that while labs can
help students in the process of
sense-making, they have little
value if they are just ‘cookbook’ or
verifying a science idea I have told
them. The essence of inquiry lies
in the seeking of answers through
the different interactions; student-
materials, student-teacher,
student-student.
The manner in which I interact
with students has changed
significantly. The first change I
knew I had to make was to get
better at communicating and in
particular listening. I now can say I
am a better teacher because I am
a better listener. I actually recorded
the amount of time I talked and the
amount of time my students talked.
I initially did most of the talking, but
now that situation is reversed. This
simple exercise was a turning point
in my appreciating the value of
inquiry-based teaching.
Sharing experiences with other
colleagues has also been an
important factor in helping me
improve my teaching. I think my
students understand science more
than previously. They now discuss
science ideas in ways that show that
they are really interested.
“As I began to implement
a more inquiry-based
approach, there were some
initial problems, but the
successes outweighed the
mistakes.”
24
References
Anderson, R. (2002)
Reforming Science Teaching: What research says about inquiry.
Journal of Science Teacher Education, 13(1), 1-12.

Bransford, J., Brown, A., & Cocking, R. (Eds). (2000)

How People Learn: brain, mind, experience and school.
Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Goodrum, D (2004)
‘Teaching Strategies for Science Classrooms’ as found in Venville, G. and
Dawson, V. (2004) The Art of Teaching Science.
Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW.

Llewellyn, D. (2002)
Inquire Within: implementing inquiry based science standards.
Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, California

National Research Council (2000)

Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: a guide for teaching
and learning.
National Academy press, Washington, D.C.

Ofsted (June, 2008)

Success in Science. London. Ofsted. Retrieved September 22, 2008
from http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-andresearch/
Education/Curriculum/Science/Success-in-science

Shymansky, J.A., Kyle, W.C., Jr., & Alport, J.M. (1983)

The effects of new science curricula on student performance.
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 20(5), 387-404.

Wise, K.C., & Okey, J.R. (1983)

A meta-analysis of the effects of various science teaching
strategies on achievement.
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 20(5), 419-435.

25
Acknowledgements
Authors
This resource was written by Professor Denis Goodrum
and Amelia Druhan.
Acknowledgement of assistance
Science by Doing would like to thank the following for
their contribution to the development of this resource:
Ingrid Bean, Telopea Park School, Canberra
Niels Hider, Amaroo School, Canberra
Ian Hart
CSIRO Publishing
Fuel Creative Pty Ltd
Hartbeat Multimedia
Interactive Multimedia Pty Ltd
Funding Acknowledgement Development VIC
Science by Doing is supported by the Australian
Government.
Project Management Team
Project Director: Professor Denis Goodrum, FACE
(Australian Academy of Science)
Project Deputy Director: Amelia Druhan
(Australian Academy of Science)
Steering Committee
Professor Jennifer A. Marshall Graves AO FAA
(Australian Academy of Science) [Chair]
Professor Denis Goodrum (Australian Academy of
Science)
Mr Scott Lambert (Australian Government Department
of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations)
Dr Sue Meek (Australian Academy of Science)
Reference Group
Professor Jennifer A. Marshall Graves AO FAA
(Australian Academy of Science) [Chair]
Australian Council of Deans of Science
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting
Authority
Australian Government Department of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations
Australian Science Teachers Association
Australian Secondary Principals Association
Catholic Education Office
CSIRO Education
Department of Education TAS
Department of Education and Children’s Services SA
Department of Education and Early Childhood
Department of Education and Training ACT
Department of Education and Training NSW
Department of Education and Training WA
Department of Education and Training QLD
Department of Education and Training NT
Independent Schools Council of Australia
NSW Aboriginal Educational Consultative Group
Ms Shelley Peers (Project Director, Primary Connections)
Professor Russell Tytler (Deakin University)
Copyright
© Australian Academy of Science, 2011
Inquiry-based Teaching: ISBN 085847 269 4
Published by the Australian Academy of Science
GPO Box 783
Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone: 02 62019400
www.science.org.au
The details of the relevant licence conditions are
available on the Creative Commons website (accessible
using the links provided) as is the full legal code for
the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-
ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
legalcode).
Click here for a full version of unit acknowledgements
and sources or logon to www.sciencebydoing.edu.au.
Last modified: March 2019
ii
This resource answers the simple question ‘What is
inquiry-based teaching?’ In doing so, it explores the
different phases of an activity lesson and a variety of
inquiry-based teaching strategies. Included with this
booklet is a DVD and interactive CD-ROM.

Some other titles in this series include: Effective

Questioning, Assessment, Leading for Change and
Student Learning.

www.sciencebydoing.edu.au

SBDPLR1-IBT