The relationship between inquiry-based teaching and students’ achievement. New evidence from a longitudinal PISA study in England

Inquiry-based science teaching involves supporting pupils to acquire scientific knowledge indirectly by conducting their own scientific experiments, rather than receiving scientific knowledge directly from teachers. This approach to instruction is widely used among science educators in many countries. However, researchers and policymakers have recently called the effectiveness of inquiry approaches into doubt. Using nationally-representative linked survey and administrative data we find little evidence that the frequency of inquiry-based instruction is positively associated with teenagers’ performance in science examinations. This finding is robust to the use of different measures of inquiry, different measures of attainment, across classrooms with varying levels of disciplinary standards and across gender and prior attainment subgroups.     

中国四省市与新加坡学生科学素养表现之比较——基于PISA2015数据的分析

PISA2015科学素养测试结果于2016年底正式公布后,受到社会各界的广泛关注。研究者从OECD在线公布的数据库中选取中国四省市与新加坡的有关数据,对两个经济体15岁在校生的科学素养表现进行比较分析,并通过多水平分析探讨影响学生科学素养的关键因素。结果发现:中国四省市学生在科学素养测试总量表及各分量表上的成绩均非常显著地低于新加坡学生,分差在32.82~43.29之间,效应量达到中等强度;中国四省市学生在工具性动机上得分非常显著地高于新加坡学生,但在科学乐趣与科学自我效能得分上非常显著地低于新加坡学生;在影响因素方面,家庭经济、社会和文化地位、科学乐趣、科学课纪律氛围、教师中科学教师的比例等因素对两个经济体的学生成绩具有显著正向预测效应,但考试焦虑、工具性动机、教师探究式教学等因素表现出显著的负向预测效应。中国四省市要有意识地借鉴新加坡教育经验,改革与完善科学教育,具体建议有:(1)进一步推动课程与教学改革,重视探究式教学与学生批判性思维的培养;(2)加强学校人力资源管理,提高教师专业水平;(3)关注学生非认知表现,激发学生科学学习的内部动机。     

Students’ motivational beliefs in science learning,school motivational contexts,and science achievement in Taiwan

ABSTRACT

Taiwanese students are featured as having high academic achievement but low motivational beliefs according to the serial results of the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Moreover, given that the role of context has become more important in the development of academic motivation theory, this study aimed to examine the relationship between motivational beliefs and science achievement at both the student and school levels. Based on the Expectancy-Value Theory, the three motivational beliefs, namely self-concept, intrinsic value, and utility value, were the focuses of this study. The two-level hierarchical linear model was used to analyse the Taiwanese TIMSS 2011 eighth-grade student data. The results indicated that each motivational belief had a positive predictive effect on science achievement. Additionally, a positive school contextual effect of self-concept on science achievement was identified. Furthermore, school-mean utility value had a negative moderating effect on the relationship between utility value and science achievement. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the functioning of motivational beliefs in science learning among Taiwanese adolescents with consideration of the school motivational contexts.     

Effects of a reform high school mathematics curriculum on student achievement: whom does it benefit?

This study compared the effects of an integrated reform-based curriculum to a subject-specific curriculum on student learning of 19,526 high school algebra students. Using hierarchical linear modelling to account for variation in student achievement, the impact of the reform-based Core-Plus Mathematics curricular materials on student test scores is compared to the subject-specific curriculum. Findings from this study indicate that students enrolled in integrated mathematics outperformed subject-specific students on an Algebra I exam (highly aligned with content), and performed equally on an Algebra II exam (poorly aligned). High minority students in high-need schools demonstrated higher performance when they were enrolled in integrated mathematics.     

Cognitive Research and Elementary Science Instruction: From the Laboratory,to the Classroom,and Back

Can cognitive research generate usable knowledge for elementary science instruction? Can issues raised by classroom practice drive the agenda of laboratory cognitive research? Answering yes to both questions, we advocate building a reciprocal interface between basic and applied research. We discuss five studies of the teaching, learning, and transfer of the “Control of Variables Strategy” in elementary school science. Beginning with investigations motivated by basic theoretical questions, we situate subsequent inquiries within authentic educational debates—contrasting hands-on manipulation of physical and virtual materials, evaluating direct instruction and discovery learning, replicating training methods in classroom, and narrowing science achievement gaps. We urge research programs to integrate basic research in “pure” laboratories with field work in “messy” classrooms. Finally, we suggest that those engaged in discussions about implications and applications of educational research focus on clearly defined instructional methods and procedures, rather than vague labels and outmoded “-isms.”     

Let's talk evidence – The case for combining inquiry-based and direct instruction

Many studies investigating inquiry learning in science domains have appeared over the years. Throughout this period, inquiry learning has been regularly criticized by scholars who favor direct instruction over inquiry learning. In this vein, Zhang, Kirschner, Cobern, and Sweller (2022) recently asserted that direct instruction is overall superior to inquiry-based instruction and reproached policy makers for ignoring this fact. In the current article we reply to this assertion and the premises on which it is based. We review the evidence and argue that a more complete and correct interpretation of the literature demonstrates that inquiry-based instruction produces better overall results for acquiring conceptual knowledge than does direct instruction. We show that this conclusion holds for controlled, correlational, and program-based studies. We subsequently argue that inquiry-based and direct instruction each have their specific virtues and disadvantages and that the effectiveness of each approach depends on moderating factors such as the learning goal, the domain involved, and students' prior knowledge and other student characteristics. Furthermore, inquiry-based instruction is most effective when supplemented with guidance that can be personalized based on these moderating factors and can even involve providing direct instruction. Therefore, we posit that a combination of inquiry and direct instruction may often be the best approach to support student learning. We conclude that policy makers rightfully advocate inquiry-based instruction, particularly when students’ investigations are supplemented with direct instruction at appropriate junctures.     

全球化背景下的学生学业成就比较研究——TIMSS和PISA

国际数学和科学成就趋势研究(Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study,TIMSS)和国际学生评价项目(Programme for International Student Assessment,PISA)是两项著名的国际学生学业成就比较研究,参与国家多达数十个,对全球的教育具有广泛的影响。为了使国内的教育工作者更好地了解和利用这两个项目的研究成果,本文将对这两个项目基本情况加以介绍,并着重分析两者在测评目的、理论模型、测评工具上的异同。