The Design, Enactment, and Experience of Inquiry-Based Instruction in Undergraduate Science Education: A Case Study

摘要

The purpose of this study was to understand one case of undergraduateinquiry-based instruction through the words and actions of students and instructors. Thedata sources included tieldnotes from 16 of 29 classes, two sets of student and instructorinterviews (beginning and end of the semester), and a collection of artifacts, such asthe laboratory manual, lecture handouts, and the course syllabus. The participants fortethis study included four faculty instructors and two purposively selected student groups,totaling eight students. We found the instructors' two course goals, (a) teaching studentshow scientists do science and (b) using an interdisciplinary approach to develop students'content knowledge of the big ideas in science, were consistent with our observations andthe students' descriptions of their experience in the course. However, we observed, andthe students also noted, an important feature of the course that the instructors did notdescribe as a course goal was its reliance on the social nature of learning. This tellingcase demonstrates that inquiry-based instruction is achievable in undergraduate scienceeducation. Implications are discussed for college science instructors interested in inquiryteaching.