Engaging Students in Scientific Inquiry

Engaging Students in Scientific Inquiry

Professional Learning for Educators

Engaging Students in Scientific Inquiry provides a learning framework for pre-service teachers, practising teachers and university educators. These self-paced professional learning resources include video, practical and research resources, designed to help you understand and teach science based on contemporary scientific research practice.

“Understanding the logics of scientific research is central to learning science and becoming a science teacher. Scientific inquiry must form the foundation for all science learning.”

Dr Alberto Bellocchi, Lead Academic

About the resources and how to use them

Introducing ‘Engaging Students to Scientific Inquiry’
Dr Alberto Bellocchi, QUT

Practising Science – How contemporary scientists think
through their work
Dr Tanya Doyle, James Cook University

 

Extended scientific investigations are an important part of school science instruction and student learning experiences. Engaging in the design, conduct and reporting of scientific inquiry projects, enables students to gain a more reflective and practical understanding of science.

Educators and scientists have collaborated to create these unique resources, which unpack the processes involved with scientific inquiry across different fields. The resources are appropriate for secondary science education across physics, chemistry, ecological science and medical research. Engaging Students in Scientific Inquiry will help pre-service, beginning and experienced teachers in deepening their understanding and application of scientific inquiry. Teachers can adapt the resources for use in their school classrooms.

To find out more: contact Dr Alberto Bellocchi, QUT, lead academic on the project, and see further information below.

 

Professional Learning Resources – Examples of Scientific Research Designs

DESIGNING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SCIENTIFIC THINKING
Dr James Davies, who has developed this series of videos and practical learning activities. Dr Jennifer Firn, who developed this series of videos and practical learning activities. Johnston Davidson, Experimental Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science, who developed this series of learning resources. Jason Doyle, Experimental Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science, who developed this learning resource.
Correlational research design: Dr James Davis discusses correlational inquiry in the medical research field.
+ see also correlational inquiry explained & classroom learning activities.		 Manipulative experimental research design: Dr Jennifer Firn discusses experimental inquiry in the ecological sciences.
+ see also experimental inquiry explained.		 The role of distributed reasoning: Johnston Davidson discusses scientists thinking through problems in multi-disciplinary teams. The role of analogical reasoning: Jason Doyle discusses scientists thinking through similarities to rapidly navigate a problem space.
Dr Stephen Hughes, who developed this series of videos and practical learning activities. Jana Adamovska, who developed this series of videos and practical learning activities. Dr Paul Muir, Collection Manager and Researcher, Museum of Tropical Queensland, who developed this learning resource.
Descriptive / observational research design: Dr Stephen Hughes discusses descriptive / observational inquiry in the field of Astrophysics.
+ see also descriptive inquiry explained & classroom learning activities.		 Manipulative experimental research design: Jana Adamovska discusses experimental inquiry in chemistry, working with biofuels.
+ see also experimental research explained.		 The role of unexpected findings: Dr Paul Muir discusses scientists thinking their way into novel theories and inquiries.

 

Professional Learning Resources – Research Design Explained

COMPARATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH DESIGN DESCRIPTIVE / OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH DESIGN
Overview video Overview video
 Overview video
Comparative Inquiry – classroom learning activities (pdf) Correlational Inquiry – classroom learning activities (pdf)
+ see scientist’s video focusing on correlational inquiry in medical research		 Descriptive Inquiry – classroom learning activities (pdf)
+ see scientist’s video focusing on descriptive / observational inquiry in astrophysics
MANIPULATIVE EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN PERTURBATION RESEARCH DESIGN AND OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES RESEARCH LITERATURE AND LINKS
Overview video Overview video Summary document (pdf)
+ see scientists’ videos focusing on experimental inquiry in ecology and chemistry Perturbation Studies – classroom learning activities (pdf)

 

About the project

Engaging Students in Scientific Inquiry is part of a project called Practising science with pre-service teachers. The project was aimed at enhancing pre-service teachers’ learning experiences in higher education to support school-based instruction.

The resources are useful for pre-service teachers and teacher educators, for beginning and experienced teachers, as they unpack scientific inquiry in contemporary research and its real-world application. This includes:

  • The wide range of methodologies used by scientists to design valid scientific research (i.e. not just manipulative experimental designs)
  • The way in which inquiries are designed in specific STEM areas of research
  • How high school teachers might leverage these inquiry principles to design and conduct scientific inquiries that do not require specialised equipment in the classroom.

This project and the professional learning resources were developed and implemented from 2013-2016, within the Step Up project. Resources were introduced as part of teacher education courses at Queensland University of Technology and James Cook University.

You can find out more about the scientists and the project team and contact Dr Alberto Bellocchi, Queensland University of Technology, for more information.