DISCOVERY BOXES: NURTURING SCIENTIFIC THINKING WITH
NOVICE
Aaron D. Isabelle
The State University of New York at New Paltz, New Paltz,
NY 12561, U.S.A.
What
do you get when you combine assorted everyday materials, a medium size box, and
some imagination? A “Discovery Box.”
Sometimes referred to as an “Inquiry Box,” this simple construction not
only can motivate and excite students’ curiosity, but also can help to create a
classroom atmosphere characterized by inquiry, wonder, and scientific
thinking. As part of a graduate workshop
in science teaching in the elementary school, a basic strategy for implementing
discovering boxes (proposed by educator, Charles Pearce) was utilized with
twelve novice and in-service teachers.
This qualitative study investigates the effects that the Discovery Box
Inquiry Strategy has on the attitudes of novice and in-service teachers towards
an inquiry-based approach to science teaching.
Data collected from Likert-based inquiry questionnaires and open ended
response questions, administered before and after utilizing the Discovery
Boxes, indicate a positive effect on this group of teachers with regard to
their comfort level with inquiry-based teaching and learning. A comparison of the pre and post inquiry
questionnaires reveal more favorable attitudes toward inquiry-based teaching
and learning after using the Discovery Boxes, as well as a better understanding
of what an inquiry-based approach to teaching science means.
Introduction
According to the National Science Education Standards,
“Inquiry is central to science learning” (NRC, 1996). The Standards explain that when students are
engaged in inquiry-based learning they “describe objects and events, ask
questions, construct explanations, test those explanations against current
scientific knowledge, and communicate their ideas to others. They identify
their assumptions, use critical and logical thinking, and consider alternative
explanations” (NRC, 1996). The Standards
recommend that all science teachers continue to develop their pedagogy and
content knowledge through inquiry.
Research has shown that it is often difficult to prepare
teachers to use inquiry-based strategies in the science classroom. Reasons for this difficulty range from a
teacher’s lack of background knowledge in science, which is often exacerbated
by little to no experience conducting scientific investigations, to a teacher’s
failure to fully understand what is meant by an inquiry-based approach to
teaching science. A critical issue faced
by science teacher educators is how to effectively assist pre-service and
in-service teachers in becoming more comfortable and confident with scientific
inquiry-based teaching. This qualitative
study investigates the effect that Charles Pearce’s Discovery Box Inquiry
Strategy (which has been shown to be an effective teaching method in helping to
nurture scientific inquiry in elementary students) has on the attitudes of
novice and in-service elementary school teachers towards an inquiry-based approach
to science teaching.
Purpose
In elementary schools and increasingly in
middle schools, “The materials necessary to engage in inquiry science
instruction are provided in kits” (Jorgenson &
Vanosdall, 2002). Although a district may intend for a science kit to be implemented in an inquiry-oriented manner, far too often science kits are used in a step-by-step “cookbook” approach because “many teachers (especially elementary teachers) lack a strong background in scientific experimentation” (Jorgenson & Vanosdall, 2002). From another perspective, according to Saul (1999), most of the science kits prepared for school districts contain “narrow goals and objectives, lock-step lesson plans, and limited materials… robbing teacher and student of the opportunity to do that which is most essential to science- learn from mistakes, control an experiment more rigorously, and observe and record more carefully… since science begins with curiosity and investigation, teachers should be encouraged to see kits as a beginning, not an end” (p. 10). When utilizing a science kit, a teacher should be able to move his/her students from a non-inquiry, “verification” approach (where students are given basic instructions, often with the expected outcome, and follow a step-by-step procedure) toward an “open inquiry” approach (where students choose their own questions to answer and make their own decisions in the experimentation process) (Colburn, 2004). Therefore, the challenge for science educators is to help pre-service and in-service elementary teachers, many with limited backgrounds in science, become confident and comfortable with inquiry-based science teaching to initiate and sustain an open inquiry environment in their classrooms.
Conducting science from an open inquiry approach is
consistent with the rationale and philosophy behind Charles Pearce’s Discovery
Box inquiry strategy (Pearce, 1999).
Discovery Boxes aim to move teachers “beyond the science kit,” to create
a classroom learning environment that is more characteristic of the inquiry
practices of “real” scientists. However,
this largely rests upon the teachers’ general attitude and comfort level in
initiating and sustaining an inquiry-based learning environment. Pre-service and in-service teachers alike
need experiences inventing their own questions and explanations, as well as
dealing with the alternative explanations produced by others (Abell and Smith,
1994). The underlying question of this
study is: If novice and in-service teachers create and work with Discovery
Boxes, will their attitudes be positively influenced toward inquiry teaching,
and will they more fully develop an understanding of what inquiry is? If so, more favorable attitudes toward
inquiry should increase the possibility that these teachers will approach
science teaching from an inquiry perspective in their own classrooms.
Theoretical Framework
Discovery Boxes
The origin of the Discovery Box, in its basic form, can be
traced back to the invention of the “science kit.” As Jorgenson and Vanosdall (2002) state,
“More than 35 years ago,
Even earlier, in the late 1950s, two
Science kits, or boxes, can also be found in many museums
of natural history and museums of natural science. These boxes are prepared by various
organizations and can be borrowed by educators as teaching aides. For example, the Arkansas Archeological Survey produces
a variety of materials to aid teachers in their instruction on
Simpler,
homemade versions of science kits have also been proposed. One such box, referred to as a “mystery box,”
has also been used in elementary classrooms for quite some time. The mystery box exercise was first developed by in the
1950s by Alison Kay who created and used this strategy in her general science
course at the
Although similar to a “science kit” in its basic form, a
Discovery Box, sometimes referred to as an “inquiry box,” is markedly different
from a science kit in terms of how it is implemented in the classroom. Carole Roberts states, “Science kits take the
present curriculum and put the materials in the children’s hands, then allow
the children to carry out the demonstrations that were once done for them;
however, children are still not learning what scientists really do. Children should, like scientists, formulate a
question, and experiment or research to find an answer” (Saul & Reardon,
1996). Charles Pearce, a fifth grade
teacher at Manchester Elementary School in Manchester, Maryland states,
“Discovery Boxes, like hands-on science itself, are part of the inquiry spiral
that take children to higher levels of inquiry thinking and discovery… By
asking testable questions, the students begin thinking about using the boxes
for their own investigations” (Pearce, 1999).
In contrast to using a science kit, implementing a science Discovery Box
assists students in thinking and acting as scientists do by seeking answers to
their own authentic questions.
In his book, Nurturing Inquiry: Real Science for
the Elementary Classroom, Charles Pearce
describes a novel inquiry-based approach to using Discovery Boxes that derived
from his work with the Elementary Science Integration Project at the University
of Maryland. Pearce states,
“Discovery Boxes have been a natural extension for real-life hands-on inquiry
in my classroom. Once children feel
comfortable developing testable questions, the boxes serve as a resource to
help investigate those questions” (Pearce, 1999). Pearce goes on
to state, “The excitement during these Discovery Box periods is incredible… all
around the room discoveries are being made” (p. 36).
Pearce’s work with Discovery Boxes illustrates how Discovery Boxes can motivate and excite elementary students’ curiosity, as well
as help create a classroom atmosphere characterized by inquiry, wonder, and
scientific thinking.
Motivated by Pearce’s experiences and writings, Discovery
Boxes quickly became an integral part of my own graduate workshop for novice
and in-service teachers as part of a Master of Science in Education Program at
the State University of New York at New Paltz.
By introducing the Discovery Box concept, I hoped to add an exciting
inquiry-based teaching method to the teachers’ repertoire by having them model
the strategy as part of an in-class learning experience.
Teacher
Attitudes toward Inquiry-based Science Teaching
Hubbard and Abell (2005) reflect the
sentiments of science educators everywhere when they remarked, “We have often
experienced frustration as science teacher educators when students seem to miss
the boat when it comes to understanding and accepting an inquiry-based approach
to science teaching” (p. 5). Research
has found that “it is often difficult to prepare teachers to use inquiry-based
strategies in their classrooms. One
reason for this is that many elementary teachers do not have a background in
science” (Kielborn and Gilmer, 1999).
Another reason is that “many elementary teachers lack a strong
background in scientific experimentation” (Jorgenson and Vanosdall, 2002). Yet another obstacle to approaching science
from an inquiry approach is teachers often fail to fully understand what is
meant by inquiry and “what it means to think and act like a scientist” (Saul,
2002). Lastly, for many teachers who are
strongly rooted in a more traditional, expository form of science teaching, it
is difficult to accept and implement an inquiry-based approach to teaching
science (Costenson & Lawson, 1986).
Most of the research that has been done concerning attitudes toward inquiry and understanding of inquiry-based teaching practices is at the pre-service level (Cavallo, Miller & Saunders, 2002; Reif, 2002; Hubbard and Abell, 2005; Friedrichsen, 2001). Nevertheless, the overall conclusions of the research can certainly be applied to in-service teachers as well. As Lopez and Tuomi (1995) state, “The best way to learn science is to do science. This is the only way to get beyond the dry facts to the real business of science- asking questions, conducting experiments, collecting data, and looking for answers” (p. 78). Only by immersing both pre-service and in-service teachers in the process of doing science, in which they can gain practice with scientific experimentation, will they be able to understand and internalize what an inquiry approach to teaching and learning science is really all about. Similarly, as part of my graduate workshop in science teaching, by immersing twelve novice and in-service teachers in inquiry teaching by creating and working with Discovery Boxes, my goal was essentially to help nurture scientific thinking in these teachers.
Research Design and
Procedure
Participants
Pearce’s basic inquiry-based model for implementing
Discovery Boxes in the elementary classroom was utilized with twelve novice and
in-service elementary school teachers as part of a graduate course titled,
“Workshop in the Teaching of Science in the Elementary School,” at the State
University of New York at New Paltz during the fall of 2005. This 3-credit course, which is part of a
36-credit Master of Science in Childhood Education Program (grades 1 – 6) at
SUNY New Paltz, met once a week in the evening throughout the fall 2005
semester for approximately three hours.
For the purpose of this study, a novice teacher is defined
as a teacher who has completed his/her pre-service training with an entry-level
knowledge base and pedagogical skills for the classroom. The teacher holds a teaching certificate, but
has less than three years of classroom teaching experience. An in-service teacher is similarly defined;
however, the in-service teacher has three or more years of classroom teaching
experience. The definition is consistent
with the New York State Department of Education teacher certification
guidelines where a teacher can move from initial to professional teaching
certification after three years of classroom teaching experience have been
completed.
Out of the twelve teachers in the graduate workshop, three
teachers were considered to be in-service teachers and nine were novice
teachers. In this Master’s program, each
student needs to declare a specialization track. Ten teachers were in the
Math/Science/Technology specialization track and two teachers were in the
Environmental Education specialization track.
Both the Math/Science/Technology track and the Environmental Science
track are linked to students with an interest in the sciences; however, the
program does not require the student to have taken any prior coursework in the
sciences. The students are required to
take a minimum of nine credits in their specialization track as part of their
Master’s program.
All twelve teachers reported that they had taken a science
methods course as part of their pre-service teacher training; that is the extent
of the similarity among these teachers’ backgrounds. The science backgrounds of the teachers vary
considerably.
In the in-service teacher group, one teacher had taken six
credits of science coursework; another teacher had taken 42+ credits in geology,
earth science, and astronomy; and the third teacher had completed 40+ credits
in the earth and space sciences including completion of both Project WET and
Project WILD.
In the novice teacher group, all nine teachers reported
that they had taken one required three-credit undergraduate science content
course. Three of the nine novice
teachers had no further science background; two teachers had taken six credits
of science beyond the required undergraduate course; three teachers had taken
two science workshops including Project Learning Tree and a Hudson River Study;
and one novice teacher had completed a 30 credit undergraduate concentration in
geology.
In sum, out of this group of twelve teachers in my graduate
workshop, three had completed a considerable amount of science content courses
(30+); the remaining nine teachers had only completed between three and nine
credits of science coursework and up to two non-credit science workshops. These nine teachers obviously did not have a
strong background in science.
Class Meetings
The twelve teachers were organized into four special
interest groups: life science, earth science, physical science, and
environmental science. This grouping was
based upon a ranking of the areas of science that most interested the teachers,
which they reported on an introductory questionnaire. The teachers were also given a pre-inquiry
questionnaire at this time (which will be discussed in the following data
collection section). After the groups
were organized into four groups of three teachers, the first class session was
devoted to discussing the nature of “authentic questions.” As the National Science Education Standards
state, “Inquiry into authentic questions generated from student experiences is
the central strategy for teaching science” (NRC, 1996). Authentic questions are characterized by
curiosities or concerns, something that has intrinsic interest, a concrete
experience, a real-world problem that is challenging and meaningful, and most
importantly, something that can be tested.
With a special focus on the testable
characteristic of an authentic question, the teachers developed a list of
“authentic questions” in their interest groups that could be the focus of an
elementary science investigation. In
generating their questions, it was stressed that each question should not have
a single “correct answer,” but rather, the questions should provide for more
open-ended student investigations. After
sharing and compiling a class list of authentic questions, the teachers seemed
to have a much better understanding of what an authentic question is and how it
serves as a critical starting point for a scientific investigation. Questions generated included: How can you
clean up an oil spill? (environmental science group); How do different types of
soil effect erosion? (earth science group); Does the structure of a seed affect
how far it can travel? (life science group); and What kind of ramp will make a
matchbox car roll the fastest? (physical science group). Creating this list took most of the class
time. I observed that it was not easy
for these teachers to think about open ended questions which did not have a
single answer, while still maintaining that the question needed to be both
authentic and testable. It was clear to
me from this first class meeting that these teachers were not used to thinking
in terms of inquiry-based teaching. Even
this simple exercise was causing them to think outside of the traditional
science teaching box.
During the next two, three-hour class meetings, each group
was given time to create a Discovery Box focused upon a particular science
topic in their special interest area.
(Note: this is a departure from Pearce’s use of Discovery Boxes in his
classroom where the boxes contain everyday materials previously gathered by the
teacher. I felt that for these novice
and in-service teachers, it was important for them to have a complete
experience with the Discovery Boxes ranging from creation to implementation). Each group was asked to do following: 1)
select a medium size plastic or cardboard box and place a label on the box
which states the topic/theme of the Discovery Box; 2) include between 10-15
everyday items that relate to the topic; 3) use the National Science
Education Standards to help guide the selection of materials as well as the
development of at least three authentic
questions to be included on an index card;
4) and include at least one science trade book on the topic to give
background information. With regard to
trade books, Pearce states, “Trade books are the key… They serve to refresh the
memories of children who worked with the topic before, or to inspire new
questions with ideas and suggestions.
The books provide the literature link so important to inquiry science”
(p. 32). For this group of teachers, the
following Discovery Boxes were created: “Forces and Motion,” “Pollution,”
“Rocks and Minerals,” and “Worms and Environments.” Finally, I explained to class that at the
next class meeting each group would exchange boxes and conduct a Discovery Box
investigation or “inquiry period” (Pearce, 1999).
At the fourth class meeting, after trading Discovery Boxes,
the Discovery Box investigation began.
According to Pearce’s Discovery Box strategy, the first phase entailed
the “free exploration” of the materials in the box as well as the science trade
book(s) included. Each group carefully
read the list of authentic questions contained in the Discovery Box. The groups could either choose one of the
authentic questions or create a new question to answer, and then make a plan
for the inquiry period. (Note: In
Pearce’s classroom experiences, selection and exploration of Discovery Boxes
was done several days in advance of actually utilizing them for
experimentation. By doing so, the
students were not only given extended time to decide what question they wanted
to answer, but also if additional materials would be needed to answer the
question that were not in the box) (p. 32).
Each group then completed the "Plan for Inquiry Period" form
modified and adapted from a similar form created by Charles Pearce (p.
40). (See Appendix A) As Pearce states, “With the freedom of
autonomy comes the responsibility of documentation” (p. 36). The
primary goal of this phase was to choose or develop an authentic question to
answer through experimentation, think about how to approach answering the
question or solving the problem, and decide how the data and results would be
recorded and organized. Once the
plans were completed, the class held a “pre-inquiry discussion.” Each group shared with the class the
authentic question that would be investigated and their plan for the inquiry
period. Each plan was recorded for
everyone to see.
Over the next fifty minutes, the “Inquiry Period” was
conducted (Pearce, 1999). Each group worked together to conduct its
investigation with the materials in the Discovery Box. I made it clear that my role as facilitator
of the inquiry period was to listen, observe their interactions, ask questions,
and engage in dialogue with them. As
Pearce states, “Instead of checking to see if children are following directions
and doing it ‘right,’ the teacher steps back and listens in on what is being
investigated. Teachers need to allow
students the luxury of time to revise their thinking so that they - not the
teacher - own the experiences” (p. 36).
At the end of the inquiry period, each group member was responsible for
completing his/her own “Science Discovery Log” (Pearce, 1999). This document is almost identical to what is
used in Pearce’s book (p. 37). (See
Appendix B) In addition, I was surprised
that although working with graduate students and not elementary age children,
Pearce’s remarks hold true: “The excitement during these Discovery Boxes is
incredible… All around the room, discoveries are being made, and everyone wants
to share their observations” (p. 36).
The final phase of the Discovery Box investigation
culminated with a “Scientists' Meeting,” which Pearce refers to as the class
debriefing (Saul, 2002). Each group
chose a reporter to explain to the class what the group did to answer its question and what
was discovered. The purpose
of the scientists' meeting was not only for the teachers to share ideas,
difficulties encountered, strategies, and discoveries, but was also a time for
the class and the instructor to ask each group questions about what was learned
and to generate a discussion about experimental procedures, results, evidence,
and science concepts. Each group also
offered new testable questions which they were curious about as a result of the
investigation. As Saul states, “The scientists' meeting is critical in the
development of an authentic scientific community” (Saul, 2002). As Pearce states, “This is an important part
of the Discovery Box period. Not only
must the students conceptualize and verbalize their own ideas and perceptions,
but those listening always compare their own experiences with what is being
described. The teacher can use this time
to correct through questioning improper testing methods, lack of controls, or
serious misconceptions” (p. 38).
Finally, I had the teachers complete a post-inquiry questionnaire (which
will be discussed in the following data collection section).
Data Collection and Analysis
At the first class meeting for the graduate science
workshop, I asked the teachers to fill-out a “pre-inquiry questionnaire” to
determine their basic understanding and attitude toward inquiry-based
teaching. The questionnaire consisted of
an open-ended question in which I asked the teachers to “define what
inquiry-based teaching means to you.”
This question was followed by 5 statements to be rated on a 5-point
Likert scale ranging from: 1-Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Uncertain, 4-Agree,
and 5-Strongly Agree. (See Appendix C)
On the fourth class meeting, after the teachers had participated in the
Discovery Box investigation period, I asked the teachers to fill-out a
post-inquiry questionnaire. The first
half of the questionnaire was identical to the pre-inquiry questionnaire;
however, the post-inquiry questionnaire contained an additional five statements
(to be rated using the Likert scale) that directly addressed their experiences
and attitudes toward the use of Discovery Boxes. There was also an additional space at the
bottom of the questionnaire for the teachers to elaborate on their response to
statement #8 which reads: “I am more comfortable with inquiry-based teaching
after having created and worked with a Discovery Box.” (See Appendix D) Since this question is at the heart of this
study, I wanted the teachers to have a chance to elaborate on the statement and
share their thoughts and experiences with the Discovery Box Inquiry Strategy.
Pre-Inquiry Questionnaire
The following data has been compiled from the teachers’
responses on the pre-inquiry questionnaire:
- Statement #1 reads, “I use inquiry-based teaching
strategies when I teach.” 12 out of
12 teachers reported that they “agreed” with the statement.
- Statement #2 reads, “I use inquiry-based teaching
strategies when I teach science.” 8
teachers reported that they “agreed”; 3 teachers “strongly agreed,” and 1
teacher “strongly disagreed” with the statement.
- Statement #3 reads, “I am comfortable using
inquiry-based teaching strategies to teach science.” 7 teachers reported that they “agreed”;
4 teachers reported that they “strongly agreed,” and 1 teacher was
“uncertain.”
- Statement #4 reads, “Teaching science through inquiry
helps students to develop problem-solving skills.” 10 teachers reported that they “strongly
agreed” with the statement, and 2 teachers “agreed” with the statement.
- Statement #5 reads, “I find it difficult to create an
inquiry-based learning environment to teach science.” 1 teacher “strongly disagreed,” 3
teachers “disagreed,” 4 teachers “agreed,” and 4 teachers reported that
they were “uncertain” about this statement.
When asked to define what inquiry-based teaching is, the
teachers responded with the following answers:
- “allowing students to ask questions outside the box and also listening to their
comments about what they observe or know”
- “students learn from discovery; they are taught to ask questions, investigate, and manipulate to discover the
answers”
- “to learn by observation, trial and error, to solve
and come to a conclusion by asking
questions and by doing”
- “students are
allowed to ask questions that
they are curious about”
- “it’s when you pose a question to your students and they find the answer through the
process of discovery”
- “the teacher is a facilitator of learning; the teacher does not spoon-feed the
children the information”
- “a method that involves hands-on investigation through questioning, hypothesizing, and testing”
- “allows the children to investigate and explore
coming up with their own
questions and having them answer by doing experiments”
- “developing and structuring lessons which tap into a
students’ natural sense of wonderment
and excitement; it is comprised of many different methods which are student-centered and designed
specifically to enhance learning”
- “providing students with the knowledge, methods, and materials to discover the answers
rather than tell the answers”
- “helping or leading students to discover in their own way and at their own pace”
- “a method where the teacher is not lecturing, but
working with the students to answer student-driven
questions”
Overall, from the teachers’ responses on pre-inquiry
questionnaire, this group of teachers report not only that they use
inquiry-based teaching strategies when they teach science (with the exception
of one teacher), but also that they are comfortable using inquiry-based
teaching. They also believe that
inquiry-based teaching helps students to develop problem solving skills. However, when the teachers thought about
actually constructing an inquiry-based learning environment to teach science,
they had mixed responses: one-third of the teachers agreed that it was
difficult to create an inquiry-based environment, one-third was uncertain, and
one-third of the teachers felt that it was not difficult to create an inquiry-based
learning environment. As far as their
definitions of inquiry-based teaching, asking questions and student-posed
questions were stressed most often by the teachers. Learning by doing, discovery learning, and
teacher as facilitator were also emphasized.
There was very small emphasis on curiosity, wonder, and use of
materials.
Post-Inquiry Questionnaire: Part I
The following data has been compiled
from the teachers’ responses on the post-inquiry questionnaire, which was
administered a month and a half after the pre-inquiry questionnaire:
- Statement #1 reads, “I use inquiry-based teaching
strategies when I teach.” 7 out of
12 teachers reported that they “agreed”; 5 teachers “strongly agreed” with
the statement.
- Statement #2 reads, “I use inquiry-based teaching
strategies when I teach science.” 6
teachers reported that they “agreed” and 6 teachers “strongly agreed” with
the statement. (Note: 6 of the
teachers inserted the words “I will
use inquiry-based teaching when
I get my own classroom).
- Statement #3 reads, “I am comfortable using
inquiry-based teaching strategies to teach science.” 8 teachers reported that they “agreed”
and 4 teachers reported that they “strongly agreed.”
- Statement #4 reads, “Teaching science through inquiry
helps students to develop problem-solving skills.” 11 teachers reported that they “strongly
agreed” with the statement and 1 teacher “agreed” with the statement.
- Statement #5 reads, “I find it difficult to create an
inquiry-based learning environment to teach science.” 3 teachers “strongly disagreed,” 4
teachers “disagreed,” 1 teacher “agreed,” and 4 teachers reported that
they were “uncertain” about this statement.
Comparing the pre and post questionnaire responses for
statement #5 reveal that half of the teachers remained with their initial
responses on the pre-inquiry questionnaire: 3 teachers who were “uncertain,”
remained uncertain; 1 teacher still “strongly disagreed” and 1 teacher still
“disagreed” with the statement; and 1 teacher still “agreed” that it was
difficult to create an inquiry-based learning environment adding, “I think with
practice inquiry will get easier.”
However, the other half of the teachers changed their initial responses:
1 teacher who at first agreed that it was difficult to create an inquiry-based
learning environment, reported on the post-inquiry questionnaire that he was
“uncertain”; 1 teacher who at first was uncertain, now “disagreed” with the
statement; 2 teachers who had agreed with the statement, now “disagreed”; and 2
teachers who had initially disagreed, “strongly disagreed” with the statement
on the post questionnaire. As a result
of the Discovery Box strategy, 5 out of the 12 teachers were more positive
about creating an inquiry-based environment to teach science; 1 teacher,
although uncertain, no longer believed that it was difficult to create such an
environment.
When asked to define what
inquiry-based teaching is, the teachers responded with the following answers:
- “exploring, thinking, and testing the world around us; looking at our world in a way
that allows us to think about what is happening and be able to investigate and find-out!”
- “guiding students to question the world around them
and encouraging them to search for
answers to their questions”
- “students will explore
and investigate with little
teacher input; this allows students to learn more through doing”
- “a desire to satisfy the curiosity that arises before, during, and after a lesson”
- “children try to answer a question that motivates them; there is not one definite way
to answer the question, but rather students use their own ideas”
- “students figure
out problems and create their
own questions; from what they learn, they should continue to wonder more”
- “the use of authentic
questions to generate student exploration
and investigation; it puts
students in charge of what and how they learn”
- “a hands-on
investigation process where the children can work on their own questions that come from
exploration; they are all scientists”
- “inquiry is a
natural and intrinsic trait that guides students in learning; teaching
an inquiry-based lesson requires the educator to utilize authentic questions to tap into
students’ inquiry so that autonomy
can be achieved”
- “allowing the students the opportunity to discover on their own rather than
be told”
- “teaching in a hands-on,
open-ended, discovery method; the students act as scientists”
- “allowing students to answer their own questions through experimentation”
Overall, after creating and working with Discovery Boxes,
this group of teachers still report that they use inquiry-based teaching
strategies when they teach science, and that they are comfortable using
inquiry-based teaching. The one teacher,
who had “strongly disagreed” with statement #2, now “agreed” that she uses
inquiry-based teaching methods to teach science. Half of the teachers felt strongly enough to
write in, “I will use inquiry-based
teaching methods to teaching science when
I have my own classroom.” The one
teacher, who was “uncertain” about being comfortable with an inquiry-based
approach to teaching science, reported that she now felt comfortable with the
use of inquiry to teach science. The
teachers still largely believe that inquiry-based teaching helps students to
develop problem solving skills; however, one teacher that had initially
“agreed” with the statement, “strongly agreed” with the statement after working
with the Discovery Box strategy.
When the teachers revisited the idea of actually
constructing an inquiry-based learning environment to teach science, four of
the teachers were still uncertain; however, seven teachers felt that it was not
difficult to create an inquiry-based learning environment, and only one teacher
agreed that it was difficult to create an inquiry environment. Comparing the individual responses on the pre
and post questionnaires revealed that even though half of the teachers remained
with their initial responses, half of the teachers changed their
responses. It is interesting to note
that all of the teachers who changed their initial responses were more positive
about creating an inquiry-based environment after using the Discovery Box
approach.
Furthermore, the teachers’ views and thoughts about what
inquiry-based teaching means are much richer on the post-inquiry questionnaires
as compared to the definitions on the pre-inquiry questionnaires. The post-inquiry responses clearly stress
both the students’ own questions and learning by doing, exploration, and
testing. In all of the responses, a
connection is made between students coming up with their own questions and then
trying to find-out the answers. There is
also an emphasis on students’ thinking and acting as scientists. This was not evident in the pre-inquiry
questionnaire.
Post-Inquiry Questionnaire: Part 2
On the second half of the
post-inquiry questionnaire, which relates directly to the use of Discovery
Boxes, the following data was collected:
- Statement #6 reads, “Implementing a Discovery Box is
one way to effectively to teach science.” 8 teachers “strongly agreed”
with the statement and 4 teachers “agreed.”
- Statement #7 reads, “Implementing a Discovery Box can
effectively create an inquiry-based learning environment.” 9 teachers “strongly agreed” with the
statement and 3 teachers reported that they “agreed.”
- Statement #8 reads, “I am more comfortable with
inquiry-based teaching after having created and worked with a Discovery
Box.” 8 teachers reported that they
“strongly agreed,” 3 teachers reported that they “agreed,” and 1 teacher
was “uncertain.”
- Statement #9 reads, “I would feel comfortable
implementing a Discovery Box in a science classroom.” 7 teachers reported that they “strongly
agreed” and 5 teachers “agreed.”
- Statement #10 reads, “I plan on implementing a
Discovery Box in my classroom in the future.” 7 teachers “strongly agreed” and 5
teachers “agreed” with this statement.
In sum, all of the teachers reported that implementing a
Discovery Box is one way to effectively teach science and that it can be used
to create an inquiry-based learning environment. Eleven out of the twelve teachers reported
that they were more comfortable with
an inquiry-based approach to teaching science after using the Discovery Box
Inquiry Strategy; only one teacher was uncertain. Also, all of the teachers agreed that they would
not only feel comfortable implementing a Discovery Box in the science
classroom, but also that they plan on implementing Discovery Boxes in their
classrooms in the future. There did not
seem to be any differences in comfort level toward inquiry or experiences in
using the Discovery Boxes reported between the teachers who had a substantial
background in science versus those who did not.
All of the teachers reported similar positive experiences using the
Discovery Box approach.
Teacher Testimonials
When asked to elaborate on statement
#8 (i.e. “I am more comfortable with inquiry-based teaching after having
created and worked with a Discovery Box”), the teachers reported the following
thoughts:
- “It is fun to make decisions- a part from the teacher
telling students what to do; so I can imagine kids running with this
activity. I really needed to
experience this and see the different ideas that other people put
together. Discovery Boxes allow for
exploration and fun, and children being in control of variables instead of
following a book or a teacher’s ideas- freedom to think.”
- “I was concerned that the Discovery Box idea would be
too vague and too time consuming.
It actually worked will in gaining interest and promoting thought,
and it was not too lengthy.”
- “It was easy to get a Discovery Box together. Even for adults, it was a learning
experience; it was a fun learning experience. This Discovery Box was a one time event
and it showed how students can learn much easier.”
- “Discovery Boxes have given me a new way to think
about creative science lessons; however, the experiences I have with the
local student body cause me to hesitate using a Discovery Box. There are a lot of behavioral problems
that I deal with; I think some of the materials would be abused. The contents will have to be carefully
thought out.”
- “I really think that I will be better able to
implement inquiry-based teaching now that I have used this technique. I think it’s a great way for students to
feel as if they are ‘in charge’ of their investigations, as opposed to
just doing what the teacher asks them to do. They will be more motivated because they
are answering questions that are interesting to them. I really think students will enjoy it.”
- “I am just as comfortable with inquiry-based
teaching, if not more comfortable after working with the Discovery
Boxes. I definitely plan to
implement a Discovery Box for my classroom. Right now I teach low functioning
special education classes who have great difficulty thinking ‘out of the
box.’ I think this Discovery Box
could help them create their own questions and ideas. Even if at first they don’t ‘think on
their own,’ these boxes can help them realize that they don’t always need
a teacher’s help and that they can figure things out by themselves.”
- “Creating the authentic questions and preparing the
materials for the Discovery Box allowed me to get a better grasp of how to
set-up an inquiry-based environment.
I thought the Discovery Box strategy provided me with another
valuable teaching tool. Actually
completing the steps and using the boxes helped me understand how I can
implement it in my own classroom.”
- “I think the Discovery Box is a great idea. The children will learn a lot by using
them. From actually making one and
then exploring one allowed me to see the benefits the boxes would have on
children. However, I don’t think I
will be able to use the boxes until I became a settled teacher; then, I
would definitely start using the boxes.
The children would take great knowledge from them in all different
areas.”
- “I see where using Discovery Boxes could inspire
students to develop their own questions to answer, and I now see where
this method can lead to students sharing ideas with each other. I had a great time working with the
Discovery Boxes. I thought it was
very rewarding and it was great to see what everyone came up with.”
- “I think it will be hard to work these boxes into the
curriculum; sometimes, there is not enough time. I like the idea of a Discovery Box. I think it is something that I would
like to use after a few years of teaching when I am more comfortable in
the profession and when I have learned more about teaching.”
- “Viewing a variety of Discovery Boxes has helped me
to better understand this strategy.
I really liked using the Discovery Boxes; I especially liked having
the freedom to choose the materials from the box and work out a plan to
answer the question.”
- “I learned that it is not difficult to put together a
box on a certain topic. Using a
Discovery Box helped me to step inside a student’s mind and see how much
they would enjoy it. I think that
using a Discovery Box is a great way to teach science. I think the most difficult parts are the
time it takes in class and the cost, if you have to make many boxes. I loved ‘playing’ with the box and
really hope to do this when I have my own classroom.”
In sum, the teachers had very positive experiences working
with the Discovery Boxes. Actually
creating the boxes, working with them, and seeing the materials that the others
groups put into their boxes, seemed to be a powerful learning experience for
this group. Although a few of the
teachers shared their concerns about time, behavioral problems, and fitting the
Discovery Box into the set curriculum, all of the teachers reported looking
forward to implementing this strategy in their current classrooms or at least
once they get their own classrooms.
Conclusions and
Implications
From the initial planning stages to
the creation of the Discovery Boxes to the inquiry period itself, I observed a
high level of interest and excitement about the project on the part of the
teachers. It was truly amazing to see
the “childhood scientist” in each one of the teachers come to life as they
opened the Discovery Box created by their peers (Koch, 2005). This natural desire to explore and to
“find-out” was evident on the part of each of the teachers during the Discovery
Box investigation.
Teacher testimonials collected after the Discovery Box
investigation revealed strong positive experiences working with Discovery
Boxes. When asked whether or not they
would consider using Discovery Boxes in their own classrooms, all of the
teachers responded with affirmative statements, although three of the teachers
did voice concerns about actually using the Discovery Boxes in the classroom
(including concerns about time, behavioral problems, and fitting the Discovery
Box into the set curriculum). A
Likert-based inquiry questionnaire was given to the teachers before
(pre-inquiry questionnaire) and after the Discovery Box project (post-inquiry
questionnaire). A comparison of the pre
and post questionnaires revealed more favorable attitudes toward inquiry-based
learning after using the Discovery Boxes.
When the teachers revisited the idea of whether or not they
felt that it was difficult to construct an inquiry-based learning environment
to teach science, half of the teachers remained with their initial responses on
the pre-inquiry questionnaire, however, half of the teachers changed their responses. Those six teachers who changed their initial
responses were all more positive about creating an inquiry-based environment
after using the Discovery Box approach.
In addition, eleven out of the
twelve teachers reported that they were more
comfortable with an inquiry-based approach to teaching science after using
the Discovery Box Inquiry Strategy; only one teacher was uncertain about this
statement. There did not seem to be any
differences in comfort level toward inquiry or experiences in using the
Discovery Boxes reported between the teachers who had a substantial background
in science versus those who did not.
Furthermore, all of the teachers seemed to have a much better
understanding of what inquiry-based teaching meant after creating and working
with the boxes. In the post Discovery
Box definitions of inquiry, all of the teachers made a more explicit
correlation between students coming up with their own questions and then trying
to find-out the answers themselves.
There was also an emphasis on students thinking and acting as
scientists, which was not evident in the pre-inquiry questionnaire.
The Discovery Box inquiry strategy seemed to have a
positive effect on this group of novice and in-service teachers with regard to
their comfort level with inquiry based teaching. A different research design would be needed
to determine if the teachers actually improved in their scientific inquiry
skills by conducting a Discovery Box investigation. Also, a follow-up study with the teachers
(once they all get their own classrooms) would not only reveal if they actually
took this inquiry strategy back to their science classrooms, but also if the
teachers are using an inquiry-based approach to teaching science.
Lastly, the implications of this study for science teacher
education can best be summarized by the words of Wendy Saul (1996). She states, “There are two important points
(about inquiry). The first is that the
engagement that characterizes inquiry is very much in the mind of the
scientists, child, or adult. The second
point is that if teachers have no sense of what inquiry feels like, they have
neither reason nor the means for promoting it” (p. 7). By introducing novice and in-service teachers
to the Discovery Box inquiry strategy, by having them create their own
Discovery Boxes including developing authentic questions and choosing
appropriate materials, and finally by having the teachers conduct a scientific
investigation using the boxes, the teachers were immersed in an inquiry-based
environment. By having a positive
first-hand experience of what inquiry looks like in action and what it feels
like to think and act as a scientist, the teachers now have “a reason” to teach
science from an inquiry-based approach.
Whether the “means” for promoting inquiry will be Discovery Box strategy
or not, is not as important as the teachers having a better understanding of
what inquiry is, as well as a better sense of how to nurture scientific
thinking in children. This is epecially
important in light of the fact that the use of science kits is becoming more
and more popular in elementary schools.
Although this study only focused on a small group of teachers and their
experiences with using Discovery Boxes, I believe the Discovery Box approach
holds real promise for science teacher educators in nurturing inquiry in future
science teachers.
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Appendix A
“Plan for
Inquiry Period” Form
Date: _____________________
Group Member Names: ______________________ ________________________
______________________ ________________________
Discovery Box Topic:
_____________________________________________________
Testable Question that you will be
trying to answer: _____________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Materials to be used:
______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Are all of the materials that you
need for your investigation available in the Discovery Box? If "no,"
which additional materials are needed? _____________________________
________________________________________________________________________
To answer your testable question,
your group plans on doing the following:
(First)
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Next)
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Then) __________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What is your group's prediction
for the outcome of the investigation? (You can list more than one prediction.)
______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix B
“Science
Discovery Log” Form (Pearce, 1999)
Activity Topic: _________________ Names: ____________
_____________
____________
_____________
What question did you try to answer?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Explain what you
did to answer your question: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Make a sketch of
your experiment:
What new
question(s) are you curious about? What did you
discover today?
Are you pleased with your results today? YES _____NO ______NOT SURE ______
How would your group rate this activity? Explain.
Great 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Terrible
Appendix C
“Pre-Inquiry
Questionnaire”
In one or two sentences, please
define what “inquiry-based teaching” means to you:
Please rate the statements
below using the following 5-point scale:
1-Strongly Disagree 2-Disagree 3-Uncertain 4-Agree 5-Strongly
Agree
1.) I use inquiry-based teaching
strategies when I teach.
1 2 3 4 5
2.) I use inquiry-based teaching
strategies when I teach science.
1 2 3 4 5
3.) I am comfortable using
inquiry-based teaching strategies to teach science.
1 2 3 4 5
4.) Teaching science through
inquiry helps students to develop problem-solving skills.
1 2 3 4 5
5.) I find it difficult to create
an inquiry-based learning environment to teach science.
1 2 3 4 5
Appendix D
“Post-Inquiry
Questionnaire”
In one or two sentences, please
define what “inquiry-based teaching” means to you:
Please rate the statements
below using the following 5-point scale:
1-Strongly Disagree 2-Disagree 3-Uncertain 4-Agree 5-Strongly
Agree
1.) I use inquiry-based teaching
strategies when I teach.
1 2 3 4 5
2.) I use inquiry-based teaching
strategies when I teach science.
1 2 3 4 5
3.) I am comfortable using
inquiry-based teaching strategies to teach science.
1 2 3 4 5
4.) Teaching science through
inquiry helps students to develop problem-solving skills.
1 2 3 4 5
5.) I find it difficult to create
an inquiry-based learning environment to teach science.
1 2 3 4 5
________________________________________________________________________
6.) Implementing a Discovery Box
is one way to effectively to teach science.
1 2 3 4 5
7.) Implementing a Discovery Box
can effectively create an inquiry-based learning environment.
1 2 3 4 5
8.) I am more comfortable with
inquiry-based teaching after having created and worked with a Discovery Box.
1 2 3 4 5
9.) I would feel comfortable
implementing a Discovery Box in a science classroom.
1 2 3 4 5
10.) I plan on implementing a
Discovery Box in my classroom in the future.
1 2 3 4 5
**Please elaborate on your response to statement #8: