International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Volume 3, Number 2, July 2009

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Research Article

Excerpt

Effects of Inquiry-based Learning on Students’ Science Literacy Skills and Confidence

Calls for reform in university education have prompted a movement from teacher- to student-centered course design, and included developments such as peer-teaching, problem and inquiry-based learning. In the sciences, inquiry-based learning has been widely promoted to increase literacy and skill development, but there has been little comparison to more traditional curricula. In this study, we demonstrated greater improvements in students’ science literacy and research skills using inquiry lab instruction. We also found that inquiry students gained self-confidence in scientific abilities, but traditional students’ gain was greater –likely indicating that the traditional curriculum promoted over-confidence. Inquiry lab students valued more authentic science exposure but acknowledged that experiencing the complexity and frustrations faced by practicing scientists was challenging, and may explain the widespread reported student resistance to inquiry curricula.

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Bios

Cara Gormally
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, USA
cgormally@plantbio.uga.edu

I am a doctoral candidate in the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Georgia (UGA) and I hold a B.A. in History and Philosophy of Mathematics and Science from St. John’s College. While my dissertation research focuses on the evolutionary ecology of coastal dune plant populations, I am also engaged in the scholarship of teaching and learning. I am interested in improving undergraduate biology education, especially for non-science majors. I am also committed to advancing pedagogical training for teaching assistants across all disciplines through my position as a graduate assistant at the Center for Teaching & Learning at UGA. My research interests include evolutionary ecology, the teaching of evolution, undergraduate science education, and diversity in STEM fields.

Peggy Brickman
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, USA
brickman@uga.edu

Currently, I specialize in teaching huge (330 each) sections of introductory biology for non-scientists as an Associate Professor of Plant Biology at the University of Georgia. My research interests include development and assessment of case studies, inquiry-based lab exercises, and cooperative learning strategies on student learning and motivation. I am also interested in teacher development and work training graduate student and post-doctoral instructors. I have received the Richard B. Russell Undergraduate Teaching Award (2006) from the University of Georgia and the 2008 Georgia State Regents Award for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Website: http://www.biosci.uga.edu/Brickman

Brittan Hallar
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Division of Science and Research
brittan.hallar@wvresearch.org

I graduated from the University of Georgia (UGA) in May 2009 with a Ph.D. in Science Education. I also hold a M.S. in Entomology from UGA and a B.A. in Biology from Truman State University. I recently joined the Division of Science and Research at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission in June 2009 as a postdoctoral fellow in research administration, where I assist with oversight and analysis of the division’s activities, including program management, evaluation, and accountability. My dissertation research focused on a service-learning program that places science undergraduate students in elementary schools to help improve science teaching and learning. My research interests include university-school collaborations, elementary science education, and diversity in the STEM fields.

Norris Armstrong
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, USA
narmstro@uga.edu

I received my degree in Zoology specializing in Development Biology from Duke University and am an Associate Professor of Genetics at the University of Georgia. My scholarly publications include refereed journal articles in developmental biology and science education as well as educational materials for both elementary and college level courses. I teach Introductory Biology to science and non-science undergraduate students. I received the Sandy Beaver Special Teaching Award at the University of Georgia and was named a National Academies Education Fellow in the Live Sciences in 2004. My research interests include cooperative learning, writing-to-learn, inquiry-based learning, and improving educational practices in large classes.

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