ABSTRACT
Scientic inquiry involves an understanding of the many ways scientists study nature and develop their ideas. us, teaching inquiry-based science means that students are engaged in inquirybased activities and understand that scientic knowledge is produced as a result of scientic inquiries. e NSES denes inquiry-based science as follows:
Inquiry is a multifaceted activity that involves making observations; posing questions; examining books and other sources of information to see what is already known; planning investigations; reviewing what is already known in light of experimental evidence; using tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data; proposing answers, explanations, and predictions; and communicating the results. Inquiry requires identification of assumptions, use of critical and logical thinking, and consideration of alternative explanations. (p. 23)
erefore, in an inquiry-based classroom, learners should:
ƒ be engaged with scientically-oriented questions; ƒ develop and evaluate explanations based on evidence; ƒ evaluate their explanations in light of alternative scientic explanations; and ƒ communicate and justify their proposed explanations.
