Skip to main content
Log in

Reconsidering the Character and Role of Inquiry in School Science: Analysis of a Conference

  • Published:
Science & Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We summarize a conference on scientific inquiry bringing together science educators, cognitive scientists and philosophers of science with three goals:

  1. 1.

    to establish how much consensus exists about scientific inquiry,

  2. 2.

    to discuss implications of that consensus for teaching science,

  3. 3.

    to identify areas where consensus is lacking to establish where further research and discussion would be most valuable.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • F. Abd-El-Khalick et al. (2004) ArticleTitle‘Inquiry in Science Education: International Perspectives’ Science Education 88 IssueID3 397–419 Occurrence Handle10.1002/sce.10118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abd-El-Khalick, F.: 2005, ‘Modeling Science Classrooms after Scientific Laboratories: Sketching Some Affordances and Constraints Drawn from Examining Underlying Assumptions’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • R.J. Ackerman (1985) Data, Instruments, and Theory: A Dialectical Approach to Understanding Science Princeton University Press Princeton, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, P.: 2005, ‘Inquiry as Inscriptional Work: A Commentary on Norris and Phillips’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • Bordeaux, J.: 2005, ‘A Commentary on “Engineering Pedagogical Reform” by Dan Edelson’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • Brewer, W.: 2005, ‘In What Sense Can The Child Be Considered to be a “Little Scientist”?’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched. html

  • Brickhouse, N.: 2005a, ‘Should Social Epistemology be Rated X’? NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • Brickhouse, N.: 2005b, ‘What is inquiry? To whom should it be authentic’? NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • N. Cartwright (1983) How the Laws of Physics Lie Oxford University Press Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Catley, K., Lehrer, R. & Reiser, B.: 2005, Tracing a prospective learning progression for developing understanding of evolution, commissioned by the National Academies Committee on Test Design for K-12 Science Achievement, National Academies, Washington, D.C., http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bota/Test_Design_K-12_Science.html

  • Chinn, C. & Samarapungavan, A.: 2005, ‘Learning to Use Scientific Models: Multiple Dimensions of Conceptual Change’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • R. Driver J. Leach R. Millar P. Scott (1996) Young People’s Images of Science Open University Press Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Dunbar (1995) How Scientists Really Reason: Scientific Reasoning in Real-World Laboratories R.J. Sternberg J.E. Davidson (Eds) The Nature of Insight MIT Press Cambridge, MA 365–395

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Duschl (2004) Assessment of Inquiry J.M. Atkin J.C. Coffey (Eds) Everyday Assessment in the Science Classroom NSTA Press Arlington, VA

    Google Scholar 

  • Duschl, R. & Grandy, R.: 2005, ‘Reconsidering the Character and Role of Inquiry in School Science: Framingthe Debates’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings,http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • Edelson, D.: 2005, ‘Engineering Pedagogical Reform: A Case Study of Technology Supported Inquiry’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/ NSFConSched.html

  • J. Eflin S. Glennan G. Reisch (1999) ArticleTitle‘The Nature of Science: A Perspective from the Philosophy of Science’ Journal of Research in Science Teaching 36 IssueID1 107–116 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1098-2736(199901)36:1<107::AID-TEA7>3.0.CO;2-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Giere (1988) Explaining Science: A Cognitive Approach University of Chicago Press Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Giere (1999a) Science Without Laws University of Chicago Press Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Giere (1999b) Models as Part of Distributed Cognitive Systems L. Magnani N. Nersessian P. Thagard (Eds) Model-based Reasoning in Scientific Discovery Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers New York

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Gopnik (1996) ArticleTitle‘The Scientist as Child’ Philosophy of Science 63 485–514

    Google Scholar 

  • R.E. Grandy (2003) ArticleTitle‘What are models and why do we need them?’ Science and Education 12 773–777 Occurrence Handle10.1023/B:SCED.0000004572.67859.43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, D. (with Russ, R., Mikeska, J. & Scherr, R.): 2005, ‘Identifying Inquiry and Conceptualizing Abilities’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • N.R. Hanson (1958) Patterns of Discovery: An Inquiry into the Conceptual Foundations of Science Cambridge University Press Cambridge, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • E. Hutchins (1995) Cognition in the Wild MIT Press Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, G.: 2005, ‘Inquiry, Activity, and Epistemic Practice’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • Krajcik, J.: 2005, ‘Commentary on Chinn’s and Samarapungavan’s Paper’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • Longino, H.: 1990, Science as Social Knowledge, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ

  • H. Longino (2002) The Fate of Knowledge Princeton University Press Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Millikan, R.A.: 1965, ‘The electron and the light-quant from the experimental point of view’, Nobel Lectures–Physics 1922–41, Amsterdam

  • National Research Council: 2000, Inquiry and the National Standards in Science Education, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. (http://www.nap.edu)

  • N. Nersessian (1999) Model Based Reasoning in Conceptual Change L. Magnani N. Nersessian P. Thagard (Eds) Model-based Reasoning in Scientific Discovery Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Nersessian, N.: 2005, ‘How science works’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • Norris, S. (With L. Phillips): 2005, ‘Reading as Inquiry’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • A Pickering (Eds) (1992) Science as Practice and Culture University of Chicago Press Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Reichenbach, H.: 1938, Experience and Prediction, University of Chicago Press, Chicago

  • Rudolph, J.: 2005, ‘Commentary on “Inquiry, Activity, and Epistemic Practice,” by Gregory J. Kelly’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/ NSFConSched.html

  • Sandoval, W.: 2005, ‘Exploring children’s understanding of the purpose and value of inquiry’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched. html

  • Schauble, L.: 2005, ‘Three Questions About Development’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • Smith, C., Wiser, M., Anderson, C.A., Krajick, J. & Coppola, B.: 2005, Implications of research on children’s learning for assessment: Matter and atomic molecular theory, commissioned by the National Academies Committee on Test Design for K-12 Science Achievement, National Academies, Washington, D.C., http://www7.nationalacademies. org/bota/Test_Design_K-12_Science.html

  • Solomon, M.: 2005, ‘Social Epistemology of Science’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched.html

  • M. Solomon (2001) Social Empiricism MIT Press Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Suppe, F.: 1989, The Semantic Conception of Theories and Scientific realism, University of Illinois Press, Chicago

  • Suppes, P.: 1969, ‘Models of Data’, Studies in the Methodology and Foundations of Science: Selected papers from 1951 to 1969, D. Reidel, Dordrecht, pp. 24–35

  • P. Thagard (1994) ArticleTitle‘Mind, Society, and the Growth of Knowledge’ Philosophy of Science 61 IssueID4 629–645

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Windshitl (2004) ArticleTitle‘Caught in the Cycle of Reproducing Folk Theories of “Inquiry”: How Pre-service Teachers Continue the Discourse and Practices of an Atheoretical Scientific Method’ Journal of Research in Science Teaching 45 IssueID5 481–512 Occurrence Handle10.1002/tea.20010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Windshitl, M.: 2005, ‘Our challenge in disrupting popular folk theories for “Doing Science”’, NSF Inquiry Conference Proceedings, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~rgrandy/NSFConSched. html

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard Grandy.

Additional information

This research was supported by NSF grant ESIE #0343196 awarded to the authors. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Paper presented at the International History and Philosophy of Science and Science Teaching Group meeting in Leeds, England July 15–18, 2005.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Grandy, R., Duschl, R.A. Reconsidering the Character and Role of Inquiry in School Science: Analysis of a Conference. Sci Educ 16, 141–166 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-005-2865-z

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-005-2865-z

Keywords

Navigation