Agriscience Education Through Inquiry-Based Learning: Investigating Factors that Influence the Science Competence of Middle School Students

This study investigated the effectiveness of inquiry-based learning (IBL) approach in ratio and proportion on the mathematics reasoning skill of seventh-grade students. The study was carried out in a seventh-grade mathematics course in a middle school located in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey during the 2016-2017 academic year. The IBL content was prepared and implemented about the ratio and proportion topics on which the reasoning skill is effective in the 7th grade curriculum. The IBL teaching implementations were conducted with 30 seventh grade students, but nine students, who represented different math achievement levels, were selected for the study’s analysis. Course video recordings, worksheets, student interviews, and diaries were used as data collection tools. The results showed that the students' predictive, explanation, generalization and justification skills emerged as indicators of reasoning skill. Students made different predictions and generalizations based on their existing knowledge and they developed solutions to problems using different strategies in IBL process. According to these findings, it was concluded that students' reasoning skill were effective during IBL. Keywords: Inquiry-Based Learning in Mathematics (IBL-M), Reasoning skill, Ratio and proportion, Middle school students

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Investigated effects of guided inquiry-based learning approach on students’ conceptual change and durability

Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences ◽

10.18844/cjes.v15i4.5050 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 674-685

Author(s):

Ayberk Bostan Sarioglan ◽

Ibrahim Gedik

Keyword(s):

Middle School ◽

Middle School Students ◽

Conceptual Change ◽

Relevant Literature ◽

Sixth Grade ◽

Study Group ◽

Learning Approach ◽

Guided Inquiry ◽

School Students ◽

Inquiry Based Learning

This study aims to investigate the effect of guided inquiry-based learning approach on conceptual change and durability of sixth-grade middle school students regarding density concept. In this study, qualitative research methods were used. The study group consisted of 26 students studying in the sixth grade of a state middle school in the western part of Turkey. The data collection tool Test of Conceptual Understanding of Density (TCUD), including three open-ended questions, was used. TCUD was administered to the students in the study group before, immediately after, 6 weeks after and 24 weeks after the instruction. The results showed that the rate of giving scientific answers about the density concept of increased, whereas the rate of misconceptions decreased. It was also determined that the students were able to preserve scientific knowledge 6 and 24 weeks after the instruction, even if it was not the same as after the instruction. The effect of the course content which was prepared by following the guided inquiry-based learning approach on students' conceptual change and durability regarding the concept of density was discussed within the scope of the relevant literature and suggestions were made for further studies. Keywords: Conceptual change, conceptual durability, guided inquiry, middle school students

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