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<\/a>Animal Behavior Lab<\/p><\/div>\n
While inquiry is a term heard often these days in science education, a move to inquiry activities as a primary mode of instruction would still be a cause for some sleepless nights to many teachers.\u00a0 Shannon Ralph (a co-author within the program) is no different.\u00a0 She has been teaching for 9 years in Dodge City, and would have been considered a fairly traditional teacher several years ago.\u00a0 However, since then she has been converted heart and soul to an inquiry-style teacher.\u00a0 She writes about her experience with the transition:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a little scary moving to a new teaching style when it is not the pedagogy I was taught.\u00a0 What I have found however is that my students are more engaged, enjoy science more, AND learn the content!\u00a0 It\u2019s a win-win for us!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Group Cooperation is Critical<\/p><\/div>\n The project was formally commissioned a year ago to re-develop a curriculum to be delivered to general biology students in the 10th<\/sup> grade.\u00a0 With an honors program in place, the curriculum was designed for use by students in the lower two-thirds of the class.\u00a0 In the fall of 2009, two teachers (a co-author of the program, Shannon, and a teacher unfamiliar with the project, Kevin) used the materials in two pilot classes.\u00a0 The classes that would implement the curriculum were chosen at random from the catalogue.\u00a0 Numerical data was gathered from Kevin and compared to other sections of general biology that he taught using traditional materials (the lessons he had used the previous year, largely unchanged).\u00a0 Subjective data regarding student opinion was gathered from Shannon\u2019s classroom in the form of written feedback and a video interview.\u00a0 In addition, both teachers have provided anecdotal feedback and both classes participated in an interview with the building principle during the school year.<\/p>\n Can Beta Fish Learn?<\/p><\/div>\n The classroom methods implemented included inquiry laboratory experiences, hands-on activities, a technology rich environment, and contemporary approach to note taking.\u00a0 53% of all class days include laboratory work.\u00a0 When hands-on activities are added to the figure and assessments, assessment reviews, and a lab safety day are removed the \u201cactive learning day\u201d percentage jumps to 81%. \u00a0To supplement the classroom environment, the students had daily access to netbooks (very small laptops).\u00a0 They used the computers to access the class website for notes, handouts, or assignment turn-in.\u00a0 They also used the Internet as a resource for projects, the classroom forum for class discussions, and to interact with computer models and simulations.\u00a0 Finally, the class did not use a formal textbook.\u00a0 Instead, the students are trained to take effective notes (and use them).\u00a0 Lectures with note taking are limited to 20 minutes maximums, and PowerPoint slide counts to eight or less.\u00a0 The slides present the important information as it should be recorded, and nothing more.\u00a0 Students are allowed to listen to the lecture, because the noteworthy pieces have already been extracted for them.\u00a0 Afterwards, the product they have is useful to them during labs and activities.<\/p>\n Teaching Beta Fish<\/p><\/div>\n Results from the initial semester are promising.\u00a0 One section of Kevin\u2019s class used the new materials and was compared to two of his sections using traditional materials.\u00a0 The standardized test scores showed significant change.\u00a0 On the district specific CRAs (criterion reference assessments), students that pass rose from an average of 41% of the class to 56%.\u00a0 This is a move of two and a half standard deviations.\u00a0 On the state assessments, the percentage of the class that achieves an advanced or exemplary score increased from 27% to 49%.\u00a0 Both control classes had percentages of 27% and 28%.\u00a0 While the sample size is unfortunately small, these results are at the very least promising.\u00a0 The numbers are compared in the graph below.<\/p>\n Class Test Performance<\/p><\/div>\n The project\u2019s prime directive was to make biology relevant to students.\u00a0 The student feedback from the semester was overwhelmingly positive.\u00a0 Students gushed on the written forms, and two volunteered for a video interview.\u00a0 The principal commented after her interviews that most students responded multiple times during the class discussion, and all had great things to say about science.\u00a0 The students also had great things to say about themselves and what they felt they could accomplish.\u00a0 They felt they were working to, and meeting, \u201chigher standards.\u201d<\/p>\n Ecology Biomass Fieldwork <\/p><\/div>\n The early results indicate that all kinds of students can flourish in an inquiry environment.\u00a0 Many students in these classes are students that a teacher may consider unable to handle an inquiry-heavy environment.\u00a0 One student had already accumulated over 50 discipline referrals in his young career!\u00a0 However, there were zero behavior problems in either class all semester.\u00a0 The students indeed surpassed everyone\u2019s expectations in almost every way possible.\u00a0 This study is ongoing, but the early data indicates science educators may want to rethink who can or cannot benefit from an inquiry-rich environment.<\/p>\n Students Study Macromolecules<\/p><\/div>\n For a more complete description of the semester\u2019s results, including the students\u2019 interview and all written feedback forms, visit www.biologyrocks.org<\/a>.\u00a0 Kevin is using the inquiry-based materials in all of his courses this semester, and Shannon is using them in her honors courses.\u00a0 As the results from this semester become available, they will be posted to the project website as well.\u00a0 Next semester, a third cooperating teacher will begin using the materials in the same building.\u00a0 The project would also like to work with a beta site for replication.\u00a0 If you would like more information on the program, materials, or are interested in working with the project, visit the website or email mralph03@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A project that originated in Dodge City is exploring the impact a curriculum steeped in inquiry-based laboratories and activities can have on student learning and attitudes. While inquiry is a term heard often these days in science education, a move to inquiry activities as a primary mode of instruction would still be a cause for<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
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