Innovative Inquiry-based Methods in Learning and Teaching Science

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to synthesize the peer-reviewed literature about innovative inquiry-based approaches for science learning and teaching. This study answers the following research questions: (1) Based on the peer-reviewed literature, what hybrid inquiry-based learning (IBL) approaches exist which respond to the challenges and expectations of education in the 21st century? (2) What features do they have? (3) What empirical evidence supports their effectiveness? (4) At which levels of education do they appear? (5) What learning outcomes are achieved? Using the methodology of systematic literature review, 110 articles obtained by the Google Scholar engine. We selected different approaches based on the following criteria: (1) they respond to the challenges and expectations of education in the 21st century, (2) technology supports the learning and teaching process, and (3) IBL is combined with some other learning approaches to increase the efficiency of the learning and teaching process. The full texts of 54 studies were read and assessed that satisfied the inclusion criteria. Four categories of hybrid IBL were identified: project-based inquiry learning, game-transformed inquiry-based learning, web-based collaborative inquiry learning, and simulation-based inquiry learning. We define and describe these approaches and present the empirical work in detail. Finally, we compare the presented learning approaches and highlight the limitations of technology integration into the classroom. This study helps to draw attention to the huge pedagogical potential of these technology-supported hybrid IBL approaches and the value of researching them.