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2004 NSF K-12 Math, Science, and Technology Curriculum Developers Conference

The Impact of Inquiry Instruction on Student Outcomes: A Synthesis of Research

Dr. Jeanne Rose Century

With funding from the National Science Foundation, the Center for Science Education at Education Development Center, Inc. is conducting a synthesis of research that will answer the question: What is the impact of inquiry science instruction on student outcomes? Sub-Questions include: Has inquiry science had an effect on particular student outcomes?; If so, what is the nature of its effect(s)?; If so, what can be said about the conditions and populations for which it has effects?; If not, what factors might explain its lack of impact?; and Is there a difference between the impact of instruction in which students manipulate materials while engaged in inquiry compared to instruction in which students manipulate materials but are not engaged in inquiry?

• This three-year study, is considering studies that are:
  • (a) quantitative and qualitative;
  • (b) published and unpublished;
  • (c) foreign and domestic; and
  • (d) span a continuum from formal, structured, experimental models to informal but purposeful information gathering undertaken by school district administrators and other practitioners.
• Specifically, the synthesis includes studies that:
  • examine one or more aspects of inquiry science instruction – studies can take place in a range of settings (e.g., classrooms, after-school programs, or science museums); either alone or in comparison to another instructional strategy;
  • assess student outcomes (e.g., achievement in science content, acquisition of inquiry skills, changed attitudes, course enrollment, career choices);
  • were conducted in or after 1984; and
  • focus on ages/grades K-12.

The project is divided into three phases:

1. Phase I - Study Search and Retrieval;
2. Phase II - Coding for Inclusion/Exclusion, Inquiry Instruction, Rigor, Context and Findings; and
3. Phase III - analyzing and synthesizing the data. As each phase of the research is completed, the findings are shared with the field through a range of venues.

In addition to the findings that directly address the research questions, this project also will produce findings that relate to: How definitions of “inquiry” have evolved; The changing foci of research on inquiry over time; and How the quality of research on inquiry science has evolved. Further, the project will yield advances in methodology for conducting qualitative syntheses of research in education; strategies for combining the use of qualitative and quantitative data to understand the impact of inquiry on student outcomes; an articulation of the state of the field with regard to research on inquiry science instruction; a foundation for a future research agenda; and a database of studies. Finally, the project has developed a framework for describing inquiry instruction that has the potential to become a widely used shared research tool for conducting research on inquiry instruction and evaluations of its impact.

The findings will inform professional and public discourse on science education by generating increased understanding about whether inquiry science has made a difference, and what factors explain the extent and nature of its impact. Further, it will contribute to the on-going national dialogue about the nature, quality, and impact of education research.

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. ESI-0352345). Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.