Science departments in higher education have been adjusting their curricula to include more inquiry-based instruction, and research on inquiry-based teaching at the collegiate level has been increasing. However, more data are needed regarding the effectiveness of inquiry-based pedagogy in improving students' conceptual understanding and attitudes…

We present a guided-inquiry biology lesson, using the plant-rhizobium symbiosis as a model system. This system provides a rich environment for developing connections between the big ideas in biology as outlined in the College Board's new AP Biology Curriculum. Students gain experience with the practice of scientific investigation, from…

Recent reform initiatives in undergraduate biology call for curricula that prepare students for dealing with real-world issues and making important links between science and society. In response to this call, we have developed an issues-based laboratory module that uses guided inquiry to integrate the concepts of animal behavior and population…

The authors have developed and field-tested high school-level curricular materials that guide students to use biology, mathematics, and physics to understand plankton and how these tiny organisms move in a world where their intuition does not apply. The authors chose plankton as the focus of their materials primarily because the challenges faced…

In 1993 two of the authors of this article published a survey of introductory biology laboratory instruction in colleges and universities of the U.S. in order to document the status of laboratory instruction, and in particular, the use of inquiry based instruction. In this article, the authors present a survey that examined the changes that may…

Describes an ecology curriculum primarily for elementary school students but also adaptable to junior and senior high school classes. Includes investigative and inquiry-based laboratory problems to accompany inquiry-based teaching. Connects the science learning that happens in school to students' own experiences. (SOE)

Describes a Standards-based activity entitled "The Limits of Learning" that is inquiry-based and designed for high school biology classes. The activity concerns how well repetitious material can be learned and improved upon. (YDS)

Describes the modification of computer programs (BISON and POLLUT) to accommodate species and areas indigenous to the Pacific Coast area. Suggests that these programs, suitable for PET microcomputers, may foster a long-term, ongoing, inquiry-directed approach in biology. (DS)

The National Science Education Standards (National Research Council [NRC], 1996) call for a greater emphasis on scientific inquiry in K-12 science classes. The Inquiry Standards recommend that students be engaged with scientific questions in which they collect and interpret data, give priority to evidence to construct explanations, test those…

Presents a study that compares an introductory high school biology curriculum, Biology: A Community Context (BACC), with traditional curricula. Discusses the differences between standards-based BACC and traditional instruction. Identifies the instructional method in BACC as investigative inquiry and the activities proceed from concrete to more…

Presents the results of a comparative study of Canada and Israel. Science achievements based on data collected in the Second International Science Study are examined. Also the intended and translated curriculum are considered. The populations of the study, results of the study, and the similarities between students are described. (CW)

Describes how high school biology teachers can use the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program protocols and data in their classrooms. Includes background information on plant phenology, an overview of GLOBE phenology protocols and materials, and implications for protocols with both deciduous trees and grasses…

The Elizabeth Towns Incident (ETI), a set of inquiry lessons on human anatomy, was developed as part of a partnership between the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and Baylor College of Medicine. This collaboration was funded by the National Science Foundation's program, Graduate Teaching Fellowship in K-12 Education. The Houston-based…