The Effectiveness of Inquiry Based Science Education in Relation to the Learners' Motivation Types

Elyssa Gooding

ET

Škoda, J., Doulík, P., Bílek, M., & Šimonová, I. (2015). THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INQUIRY BASED SCIENCE EDUCATION IN RELATION TO THE LEARNERS' MOTIVATION TYPES. Journal Of Baltic Science Education, 14(6), 791-803.

Summary:

This article studies inquiry based learning in science education. The authors found that students fell into 4 different learning types: explorers, directors, coordinators, and accurators. The researchers tested the students before the lesson, after the lesson, and then four months later. The results of the research found that inquiry based learning does not work for all students. The recommendation of the authors is that teachers adjust their teaching to accommodate all four types of learners, which means that inquiry based learning is not the only method they recommend employing.

Review:

I found that the conclusions from this study are a little bit of an indictment of teachers who rely to heavily on any one form of teaching. Clearly, inquiry based learning is a helpful part of teaching, but it should not be the only method. If lessons are too heavily structured to inquiry based learning, a portion of the student body will not be successful.