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1 – 10 of over 1000D'Arcy C. Randall, Christy Moore and Isabel S. Carvalho
The purpose of this paper is to describe specific techniques of “inquiry‐based learning” employed by three instructors in Engineering schools, one in Europe and two in the USA.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe specific techniques of “inquiry‐based learning” employed by three instructors in Engineering schools, one in Europe and two in the USA.
Design/methodology/approach
Theorists such as Bransford et al. argue that twenty‐first century educators need to teach students to do more than simply remember and repeat information. Engineering educators Prince and Felder critique traditional methods of teaching in which instructors focus on mathematics and theory, but fail to convey practical applications of that knowledge. They advocate moving students to a higher level of learning – past the stage of memorizing and reciting data – to more sophisticated methods of analysis, synthesis, and application of knowledge. To enact such transformations, Prince and Felder recommend “inductive teaching methods,” including “inquiry‐based learning,” in which students learn through engaging with challenges and a series of questions. The paper provides examples of inquiry‐based learning activities from each of the authors. The paper then discusses the cross‐pollination of ideas and describes how the authors have shared inquiry‐based teaching strategies and collaborated to develop new and relevant assignments and approaches to teaching.
Findings
The willingness of learners to discuss a range of pedagogical topics, from specific practices to shared experiences and readings, led to an exchange of ideas, and also to deeper reflections on current practices. The cross‐pollination of assignments and techniques resulted in well‐structured, stimulating, and relevant research projects that engage engineering students from Texas to Portugal, and from communication to technical classes.
Research limitations/implications
The use of inquiry‐based learning activities and the sharing of resources across continents aimed at improving learning and teaching requires expanding upon and further development.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates the use of cross‐pollination of ideas, development of assignments and improved approaches to teaching.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pedagogical implications of implementing inquiry‐based learning within the context of a problem‐solving oriented curriculum in a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pedagogical implications of implementing inquiry‐based learning within the context of a problem‐solving oriented curriculum in a polytechnic institution in Singapore. An interventionist study examines the impact of developing questioning skills on students’ problem‐solving abilities.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study approach was adopted as the key research methodology for this course. The students who participated in this study came from a class of 25 first‐year students and they were assigned to five groups consisting of five members in each group. These students ranged in ages from 17 to 19 and were an even mix in terms of gender distribution.
Findings
It was found in the study that inquiry‐based learning as an educational process of active learning encouraged students to discover new knowledge on their own and enhanced their problem‐solving abilities. By generating their own questions and evidence‐supported explanations, students were also able to engage in higher levels of cognitive reasoning in the classroom.
Originality/value
The findings of this study will inform curriculum designers and educators who wish to implement alternative pedagogies on how they can develop inquiry‐based lessons for their classes.
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This study seeks to understand the factors and orientations that are relevant to preservice teachers' (PSTs) beliefs about their ability to design lessons for inquiry-based K-6…
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to understand the factors and orientations that are relevant to preservice teachers' (PSTs) beliefs about their ability to design lessons for inquiry-based K-6 social studies instruction.
Design/methodology/approach
Seventy elementary PSTs participated in a series of inquiry-based learning activities in a social studies methods course. The study uses exploratory factor analysis, a quantitative method to explore teacher self-reported efficacy for designing inquiry lessons.
Findings
The findings revealed that three capabilities related to design are relevant to elementary social studies PSTs' self-efficacy for designing inquiries: lesson design competence, lesson design disposition and lesson design practices. Most PSTs expressed low self-efficacy in all three capabilities. PSTs with a higher disposition for designing inquiry lessons may show a strong sense of self-efficacy for inquiry-based curricula design and practice in elementary social studies education.
Originality/value
The article discusses the importance of understanding PSTs sense of efficacy and categories of such self-efficacy beliefs at the level of lesson design within the context of teacher education. It discusses the need for teacher educators to facilitate educationally sound critical reflection on lesson design skills, disposition and practices that foster PSTs' sense of ability to teach via inquiry in elementary classrooms.
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Boaz Dvir, Logan Rutten, Danielle Butville and Eric Wilson
Many K-12 teachers teach difficult topics as part of their curricula, and discussions of difficult topics are common across grade levels and content areas. As teachers…
Abstract
Purpose
Many K-12 teachers teach difficult topics as part of their curricula, and discussions of difficult topics are common across grade levels and content areas. As teachers increasingly engage with difficult topics in their classrooms, the need for high-quality professional learning experiences has also grown. In response, the purpose of this article is to introduce an emerging partnership between the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative at Penn State and the Red Lion Area School District (Red Lion, Pennsylvania), conceptualized from the outset with an explicit focus on intentionally engaging in collaborative, inquiry-based professional learning surrounding difficult topics in formalized curricula and within educational practice.
Design/methodology/approach
The article briefly describes how the partners came together, then provides a high-level overview of how they approached their first year of collaboration. Next, the partners’ adaptation of inquiry-based professional learning is outlined. The article concludes by discussing lessons learned from the first year of partnering and implications for scholarship in the areas of school-university partnerships, inquiry-based professional learning, and difficult topics.
Findings
The article observes that it took educators participating in a difficult-topics inquiry community an entire year to begin shifting ownership of inquiry to K-12 students. It illustrates how school-university partnerships can be used to support difficult-topics inquiry and raises new questions about the role of difficult topics in partnership work.
Originality/value
The article contributes an original example to the literature that demonstrates how inquiry-based professional learning focused on difficult topics can provide a powerful basis for forming a school-university partnership.
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Rudi Pretorius, Andrea Lombard and Anisa Khotoo
Inquiry-based approaches can potentially enrich sustainability learning in any educational context, more so in open and distance learning (ODL – perceived as theoretically…
Abstract
Purpose
Inquiry-based approaches can potentially enrich sustainability learning in any educational context, more so in open and distance learning (ODL – perceived as theoretically inclined) and in regions of educational need (such as the Global South, of which Africa forms part). The purpose of this paper is to map the benefits and challenges of using inquiry-based learning (IBL), with reference to ODL and the value added by IBL in terms of education for sustainability (EfS) in Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
Evidence-based reflection is used to provide a narrative assessment of the experience gained with IBL in two undergraduate sustainability-focussed modules in the Department of Geography at the University of South Africa (Unisa), an ODL provider in Africa and the Global South.
Findings
Consideration of enabling and limiting factors indicates that although constraints are experienced, adoption of IBL approaches holds potential as pedagogic for EfS in Africa, due to grounding of learning in theory and applied to local places/contexts. This indicates a role for IBL to change perceptions regarding the lack of practical utility of ODL.
Originality/value
Implementing place-based and contextual IBL is innovative in ODL. It adds value to learning experiences and supports transformative learning, both important components of EfS and addressing a need in the African context. Practitioners will find the experience gained with implementation of IBL, coupled with possibilities associated with information and communication technologies, of value.
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This study aims to present a scaffolding framework incorporating sophisticated technology that can inform instructional design to support student inquiry learning in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to present a scaffolding framework incorporating sophisticated technology that can inform instructional design to support student inquiry learning in the self-regulated online environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The classic predict, observe and explain (POE) framework has been extended through the incorporation of an additional evaluate (E) phase into the model to enhance the self-regulated online learning environment. The extended POEE scaffolding approach, in this study, has been conceptualized as an implicit guide to support the process of guided inquiry for learning particular science concepts. Digital tools were sourced and integrated into this design framework to substitute for the support typically offered by teachers and peers in classrooms.
Findings
The findings suggest that the POEE pedagogical design facilitated the inquiry process through promoting self-regulation and engaged exploration. It also promoted positive emotions in students towards the scaffolded learning modules.
Originality/value
Integrating technologies that benefit students differentially in educational settings remains a considerable challenge. More specifically, in science education, an appropriate inquiry learning context that allows access to well informed pedagogical design is imperative. The application of this inquiry-based scaffolding framework can inform educators in the process of creating their own instructional designs and contexts to provide more effective guided learning.
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Marjolein Zweekhorst and Dirk Essink
In order to address the complex problems of society, the innovation research process should incorporate technical, social, economic and ethical factors, but also actively involve…
Abstract
Purpose
In order to address the complex problems of society, the innovation research process should incorporate technical, social, economic and ethical factors, but also actively involve a diverse group of non-scientific actors. One way to prepare students for this type of research is to create “Citizen Scholars,” students who want to work for the betterment of society. Arvanitakis and Hornsby (2016) argue that we need to change how we teach and train students in specific proficiencies. The purpose of this paper is to assess how the pedagogical approach applied within the program contributes to building the proficiencies and attributes as described by Arvanitakis and Hornsby (2016).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a total of 12 interviews with alumni who started their program in 2014, one focus group discussion with lecturers and 132 questionnaires with alumni to discuss to what extend the proficiencies are trained in the program and whether these are used in their current jobs. The authors also included data of an earlier study conducted in 2014. These data contain 26 interviews with students during the first year of the program. These students graduated in 2017 and are thus from the same cohort as the alumni.
Findings
The results show that the pedagogical approach in the management policy analysis program trains all the attributes. Important elements in the program are: the inquiry-based approach intertwined with community service learning (CSL) throughout the program; gradually increased complexity of the real-world problems addressed; students working in teams; and gradually reducing support of the lecturer.
Research limitations/implications
The authors conclude that our pedagogical approach applied in the program contributes to learning the proficiencies. The authors argue that for the training of inter- and transdisciplinary, the proficiency knowledge integration should be added.
Practical implications
The result show that more inquiry-based approaches and CSL programs can stimulate the four clusters of proficiencies, which should hold a central place in universities if we want to create citizen scholars.
Social implications
With the approach, students contribute to research issues of local communities.
Originality/value
Despite the increasing interest of higher education to involve civic activities in the curricula, few pedagogical approaches are described. The research shows that theoretical insights in the adaption of a model to realize a citizen scholar.
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Cristina Valls-Bautista, Anna Solé-LLussà and Marina Casanoves
Scientific inquiry is a leading methodology that promotes science process skills to acquire scientific knowledge. There is evidence that primary school teachers have difficulties…
Abstract
Purpose
Scientific inquiry is a leading methodology that promotes science process skills to acquire scientific knowledge. There is evidence that primary school teachers have difficulties introducing inquiry-based activities in their classrooms. Hence, adequate teacher instruction in inquiry methodology is important to apply inquiry-based activities in school science lessons. This work aims to analyse if pre-service teachers succeeded in developing scientific knowledge and scientific skills through the application of an inquiry laboratory activity.
Design/methodology/approach
This article is presented as a case study developed in a group of 82 pre-service teachers. This research methodology involved qualitative and quantitative data.
Findings
The results demonstrate that pre-service teachers could improve their scientific skills and knowledge through inquiry-based laboratory activity.
Originality/value
The present study assesses not only the scientific knowledge but also if students can acquire scientific skills by doing the inquiry laboratory activity and if these skills are related to low-order cognitive skills or high-order cognitive skills.
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Tessa Withorn, Carolyn Caffrey, Joanna Messer Kimmitt, Jillian Eslami, Anthony Andora, Maggie Clarke, Nicole Patch, Karla Salinas Guajardo and Syann Lunsford
This paper aims to present recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering all library types.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2018.
Findings
The paper provides a brief description of all 422 sources, and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians and anyone interested as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.
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Michael J.R. Butler and Peter Reddy
This paper aims to focus on developing critical understanding in human resource management (HRM) students in Aston Business School, UK. The paper reveals that innovative teaching…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on developing critical understanding in human resource management (HRM) students in Aston Business School, UK. The paper reveals that innovative teaching methods encourage deep approaches to study, an indicator of students reaching their own understanding of material and ideas. This improves student employability and satisfies employer need.
Design/methodology/approach
Student response to two second year business modules, matched for high student approval rating, was collected through focus group discussion. One module was taught using EBL and the story method, whilst the other used traditional teaching methods. Transcripts were analysed and compared using the structure of the ASSIST measure.
Findings
Critical understanding and transformative learning can be developed through the innovative teaching methods of enquiry‐based learning (EBL) and the story method.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation is that this is a single case study comparing and contrasting two business modules. The implication is that the study should be replicated and developed in different learning settings, so that there are multiple data sets to confirm the research finding.
Practical implications
Future curriculum development, especially in terms of HE, still needs to encourage students and lecturers to understand more about the nature of knowledge and how to learn. The application of EBL and the story method is described in a module case study – “Strategy for Future Leaders”.
Originality/value
This is a systematic and comparative study to improve understanding of how students and lecturers learn and of the context in which the learning takes place.
Details