Teaching Scientific Inquiry

摘要

Science teachers in kindergarten to 12th grade (K-12) classrooms face a curious paradox. On one hand, according to the generally accepted theory, scientific inquiry in the classroom is "at the heart of the science and science learning". In essence, the teaching of science should mirror the processes used by professional scientific researchers. On the other hand, a school classroom is not a research laboratory. Scientific research typically involves complex methods and problem-solving approaches, resulting in conclusions that are subjected to worldwide evaluation. Capturing these characteristics of professional science within the K-12 school classroom is daunting.