Inquiry-based Science Teaching (IBST) in

Inquiry-based Science Teaching (IBST) in Biology Education in Upper Secondary School
Exploring the impact of technology - supported IBST on students’ learning in ecology and environmental science
Majken Korsager, Department of Teacher Education and School Development, University of Oslo, Norway
Supervisor: Doris Jorde
The aim of introducing
technology-supported IBST
into the biology education,
is to support students in
making sense of their own
observations, learning to
use evidence to support
their scientific claims and
get a deeper understanding
of ecology and
environmental issues.
KEY FOCUS AND RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The focus of my PhD work is
to investigate the impact of
technology supported
inquiry-based science
teaching (IBST), when
learning ecology and
environmental science in
the upper secondary school.
• What is the impact of IBST
on student learning?
Keywords: knowledge
about ecological and
environmental issues,
understanding of scientific
inquiry and NOS, inquiry
skills.
• What is the impact of IBST
on student interest in, and
motivation for, engaging in
ecology and environmental
issues?
Keywords: interest for
learning about and
motivation for engaging in
ecology and environmental
issues.
DESIGN
Norwegian and Swedish upper secondary students and their teachers are followed in two case
studies; the GCE Project & the ECO Project. The teachers implement IBST when teaching about
ecology and environmental science. Each project lasts for 4 - 6 weeks and is conducted 2-3 times ,
with different participants. During the lessons students collaborate in groups, where they gather,
analyze, discuss and interpret their own findings (1st hand knowledge) in relation to the information
they collect from the literature (2nd hand knowledge). The focus of IBST teaching is on supporting the
students while conducting fieldwork, interpreting their own collected data, finding and using evidence
to support their scientific claims and developing their knowledge about ecology and environmental
issues.
Study I: The Global Climate Exchange (GCE) Project
The GCE project is a science project that aims to engage students from China, Canada,
Norway and Sweden in online, interactive discussions about the science of global climate
change. The project is an example of how to conduct IBST using international collaboration
supported by ICT.
Study II: The ECO Project
The ECO project aims to engage students in peers collaboration exploring ecological and
environmental issues doing fieldwork, using ICT to communicate and debate their findings.
The ECO project is an example of how to conduct IBST in traditional fieldwork supported
by technology and ICT.
DATA MATERIAL
(1) Pre- and post-questionnaires , inclusive open comments(students & teachers)
(2) Field notes
(3) Pre- and post-interviews (students & teachers)
(4) Students written texts
(5) Video- and audio-recordings (students & teachers)
ANALYSIS
Mixed-method design.
• Impact on student learning: levels of explanations in the written text will be analyzed. The content
in each text will be classified using a 5-step scale (table 1).
• Impact on student interest and motivation: level of interest and usefulness
of activities will be analyzed using a 5-step scale (IMI, Ryan & Grolnick, 1986), together with students’
comments and field notes.
• Implications for science teaching: Classification of teacher-student dialogue will be analyzed using
an analyzing instrument (in prep.), together with teachers’ comments and field notes.
Table 1: levels of explanations in the written text, classified according to use of 1st & 2nd hand knowledge and level of relationship between ecological components.
Level
1
2
3
4
• What is the implication of
implementing IBST for
science teaching?
Keywords: characteristic of
the teachers’ work in and
out of the classroom,
benefits and implications.
5
Title
Explanatory level
Student describes own
observations, measurements or
Descriptive:
describes/reproduces second
Description of hand information.
phenomena or Keywords: describing, naming,
issue
defining, identifying, listing,
locating, recalling
Student describes and
interprets the direct
Direct:
relationship between
Description
components in own
and
observations, measurements
interpretation using second hand information.
of direct
Keywords:
ecological
Interpreting, paraphrasing,
relationship
classifying, comparing,
summarizing, explaining,
converting
Student describes and
interprets indirect relationships
Indirect:
between components in own
Description
observations and
and
measurements using second
interpretation hand information.
of indirect
Keywords: Applying,
ecological
implementing, carrying out,
relationships
using, executing, applying,
calculating, practicing,
demonstrating
Student interprets complex
ecological relationships in own
observations and
Complex:
measurements using second
Description
hand information.
and
Keywords: Comparing,
interpretation organizing, deconstructing,
of complex
interrogating, finding
ecological
relationships, analyzing,
relationships
contrasting, deducing,
differentiating, distinguishing,
inferring
Student interpret more complex
and subtle ecological
relationships in own
observations and
measurements using second
Subtle:
hand information.
Interpretation Keywords: Evaluating, checking,
of complex
hypothesising, critiquing,
and subtle
experimenting, judging,
ecological
composing, creating, designing,
relationships
formulating, producing,
rearranging
Example from students’ written text
ECO PROJECT
Forest investigation
Observations in a deciduous forest.
STRATUM: (1) Tree layer: willow, maple
(2) Field Layer: juniper bush (3) Shrub layer: raspberry,
bracken(4)Bottom layer: anemones, Ground-elder, moss, grass. pH: 7,
temperature in air: 15C (shadow), 24C (sun).
Forest investigation
Food chain in deciduous habitat:
Leaves (producer) - Ants (Consumer) - Yellowhammer (2nd level
consumer) - Pygmy Owl (3rd level consumer). Nutrition pyramid: only
10% of the energy is transferred from each trophic level to the next
level.
Example from students’ written text
GCE PROJECT
Issue : Acid rain
Acid Rain is rain with a pH lower than normal, usually 5.6. Acid rain is
formed through the release of various chemical compounds into the
atmosphere (including CO2, SO2, NOx) which then react with water, oxygen,
and oxidants in the atmosphere to form acidic compounds. This chemical
reaction produces sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and other such acids
Issue: Deforestation
Trees are very important factors when trying to combat global warming. By
absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, they clean the air. However,
if these trees are cut down, the carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere.
Forest investigation
The soil in a deciduous forest is called luvisol and consists largely of
regular litter, between the undisturbed litter (humus) and mineral
soil. The podsol soil however, which is found in a coniferous forest soil is
clearly divided into layers (see diagram). This is because the soil is
acidic and therefore less suitable for decomposers. The forest we
examined was a mixed forest (deciduous and coniferous) and we
found both types of soils in the profile. The pH we measured was
around 7 (neutral) suggesting that the luvisol dominated in this area.
Issue: Changing acidity (pH) of waterways
Forest investigation
In the deciduous forest we measured pH 7,5 suggesting that the soil is
nearly neutral. This causes many decomposers to thrive and their
quick work leads to a very fertile soil, the luvisol. The leafs from
deciduous trees even allow the sun's rays to reach the ground to some
extent and reflect the sunlight in the different strata of the forest. The
combination of the fertile soil and good light conditions creates a
productive environment which is favorable to vegetation on the
ground, leading to diverse vegetation and the great biodiversity we
observed.
Issue: Rising sea levels
Water investigation
The phosphorus and the level of nitrate we measured were quite high.
This indicates that the pond is eutrophicated. A high level of nutrients
in the water causes algae blooming, leading to hypoxia. The cause of
this is that we give the plants too much fertilizer and bottom animals
consume large amounts of oxygen. We can solve this problem by
reducing emissions of these hazardous gases and provide less manure
to fields, rivers and streams as well. All the pollution is not necessarily
caused by the nearby village, this may be related to emissions and
pollution from major cities in Sweden or even from other the countries
all around the world.
Discussion about “what is global in climate change”
Majken Korsager
Department of Teacher Education and School Development
University of Oslo, Postboks 1099 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
Email: majken.korsager@uv.uio.no
Phone: +47 22854154
Low pH are directly toxic to fish. In addition, low pH cause chronic stress
leads to lower body weight and smaller size and makes fish less able to
compete for food and habitat. At pH 5, most fish eggs cannot hatch leading
to fish populations are reduced or lost.
Rising sea levels can cause places of very low elevation to be covered by
water. Melting icebergs and snow globally adds to the total water of the
ocean. A place in the Americas that has been and can further be effected by
the rising sea levels is New Orleans in the United States because it has an
elevation below sea level. Ice and snow melting in the ocean not only raises
sea levels, it also causes us to lose our precious fresh water. Water in the
ocean is salty while water in ice and snow is not. When ice and snow melt
into the ocean, they become salty as well making them unusable as drinking
water.
When the climate changes in one part of the world, it is possible that this
could lead to the melting of permafrost in this part of the world. When this
happens, the massive amounts of carbon locked up within the permafrost is
released into the atmosphere as carbon compounds and greenhouse
gases. These greenhouse gases do not simply remain in the atmosphere
directly above the part of the world where the permafrost melted. Of course,
these gases spread out over the atmosphere of the entire Earth, causing and
increasing climate change in other parts of the world as well. Thus, climate
change in one part of the world directly affects climate change in the rest of
the world, as everything in the Earth is like a cycle of life and everything, no
matter where it is in the planet, is directly connected to everything
else. There is nothing except distance which separates one part of the world
from the rest of the world and climate change can easily overcome that
distance.
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
(ECO project only)
• Student learning
Figure 1: Distribution of explanatory level
(table 1) in the written text.
Explanatory level sorted by level
% coverage in text
INTRODUCTION
Ecologist often face major
challenges because of the
multidisciplinary nature of
ecology. This biological
subject area has also been
found to be one of the most
challenging for students to
understand (D'AVANZO,
2003; Munson, 1994). The
challenge for science
teachers is to present the
structured and systematic
nature of ecology, while at
the same time, explain that
the dynamic processes of
doing science also contain a
degree of creativity and
hidden interpretation.
70,00
60,00
50,00
40,00G1
30,00
20,00G2
10,00G3
0,00
G4
G5
14,70
22,38
11,77
46,93
4,39
33,87
12,81
7,77
37,41
8,14
28,80
29,44
13,52
22,37
5,75
16,47
Level1
63,712
Level
14,293
Level
5,654
Level
0,005
Level
19,15
50,11
12,01
19,08
0,00
Explanatory level
• Student motivation &
interest
Figure 2: Scores from questionnaire on
claims about the activities in terms of
experienced interest and usefulness.
Impact from Activities
I would describe this activity as
very interesting
Teachers lecturing
Reporting findings
I think this activity helped me to
understand the subject content
better
fieldwork
Analyzes of data
0,0
1,0
2,0
3,0
4,0
5,0
Average score on a 5-step scale
1=Not at all true, 2=Somewhat true, 3=Neutral, 4=Fairly true, 5=Very true
DISCUSSION
The explanatory level 2;
description and interpretation
of direct ecological
relationship, was used most
often (fig. 1). However, all
students used at least level 4;
description and interpretation
of complex ecological
relationships, in their
explanations.
These findings show that all
students managed to interpret
their own findings in relation
to 2nd hand knowledge. It also
indicates that students
developed a deep
understanding of complex
relationships between
ecological and environmental
issues through inquiry related
activities.
The results from the
motivation questionnaire
show that students score
above average for
experiencing activities as
interesting and useful to
understand the subject
content better (fig. 2). Doing
fieldwork and analyzing data
scored the highest in both
categories. The teacher also
report high levels of interest
among the students.