Argument-Driven Inquiry To Promote the Understanding of Important Concepts & Practices in Biology

摘要

Inquiry is an integral part of the teaching and learning of science. However, many science teachers are unsure of how to promote and support inquiry in the classroom or how to design lessons that engage students in inquiry in a way that improves students' understanding of important concepts and practices in biology. In this article we describe an instructional model called Argument- Driven Inquiry (ADI) that enables biology teachers to integrate inquiry-based laboratory experiences in biology with other school subjects, such as reading and writing, in a way that promotes and supports learning. It also provides biology teachers with a way to help students develop important habits of mind and critical thinking skills by emphasizing the important role argumentaion plays in the generation and validation of scientific knowledge (Driver, Newton & Osborne, 2000; Duschl & Osborne, 2002).