INQUIRY-BASED SCIENCE LABORATORIES: AN ANALYSIS OF PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT LEARNING SCIENCE THROUGH INQUIRY AND THEIR PERFORMANCES

Before the 19th century, many educators viewed science as a body of knowledge to be presented to the students through direct instruction (Domjan, 2003). Studies conducted concerning the learning of science through inquiry date back around 100 years. Though the significance of questioning, inquiry, and discovery had been emphasized since Socrates, the reform movements supporting inquiry-based instruction only began in the 19th century (Keller, 2001). As a result, the focus of science education moved from the memorization of scientific facts and concepts towards inquiry-based learning in which students seek answers to their questions (Gibson & Chase, 2002). Inquiry-based teaching includes practices that promote the learning of scientific concepts and processes as well as “how scientists study the natural world”. When learners are engaged in inquiry-based learning environments they should (1) be engaged in scientifically oriented questions; (2) give priority to evidence, allowing them to develop and evaluate explanations that address scientifically oriented questions; (3) formulate explanations from evidence to address scientifically oriented questions; (4) evaluate their explanations in light of alternative explanations, particularly those reflecting scientific understanding; and (5) communicate and justify their proposed explanations (NRC, 2000). These five elements are essential characteristics of an inquiry-based learning environment and also describe the inquiry practices that students should strive to appropriate (Apedoe, 2007). Inquiry-based teaching promotes deeper and more meaningful learning (NRC, 2000). The ability to interact with the instructor, other learners, and materials has been shown to promote deeper meaning and understanding of new knowledge as well as develop higher-level thinking skills (Anderson, 2002). Inquiry-based teaching also afInQUIRY-BAseD sCIenCe LABoRAtoRIes: An AnALYsIs oF PReseRvICe teACHeRs’ BeLIeFs ABoUt LeARnInG sCIenCe tHRoUGH InQUIRY AnD tHeIR PeRFoRMAnCes

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