Children personally construct explanations of natural phenomena, some of which differ from currently accepted scientific explanations. The replacement of personal explanations with scientific explanations, as well as the development of concrete, formal, and post-formal reasoning patterns, requires self-regulation in which alternative explanations…

Two hypotheses regarding the relationship between scientific reasoning skills and the use of the inquiry method of instruction in college biology labs were examined. The first hypothesis was that scientific reasoning skills influence an instructor's ability to teach biology using inquiry. The second hypothesis was that the effectiveness with which…

The purpose of this paper is to provide a set of criteria within a format that teachers, student teachers, and supervisors can use to better understand what inquiry is and how to evaluate the extent to which it is being incorporated into classroom activities. The evaluative criteria are organized into an instrument and are divided into the…

Asserts that inquiry-based activities increase student interest and motivation. Describes classroom management problems teachers may encounter in inquiry teaching. Outlines numerous ways to avoid or reduce the severity of problems by rearranging desks, dividing groups according to reading level and language skills, and by addressing student…

Presents a model of creative and critical thinking in which analogical reasoning is used to link planes of thought and generate ideas that are then tested by employing an "if/and/then" pattern of reasoning. Presents data suggesting that such thinking skills develop first in familiar and observable contexts before they can be used in less familiar…

Briefly describes the problem of graduate teaching assistants having little if any experience in inquiry teaching. Proposes solutions to this problem so it can be avoided in the future. (SAH)

A long-standing and continuing controversy exists regarding the role of induction and deduction in reasoning and in scientific inquiry. Given the inherent difficulty in reconstructing reasoning patterns based on personal and historical accounts, evidence about the nature of human reasoning in scientific inquiry has been sought from a controlled…

Discusses how biology teachers can design or adapt existing laboratory and field experiences to promote reflective thinking and self-regulation of students. (HM)

Presents activities that use the learning cycle to engage students in meaningful inquiries in the study of Mendelian genetics. Includes content-related background and teaching tips for each phase of the learning cycle. (JRH)

Provides and explains a teacher self-evaluation instrument designed to measure inquiry teaching. Recommends that a lesson be videotaped after which the educator scores the presentation on the criteria of lesson content, student behavior, teacher behavior, and questioning techniques. (CP)

The purpose of this study was to determine if factors to predict success in college biology (i.e., prior knowledge of biology or reasoning ability) depend on the instructional method employed (i.e., expository or inquiry). Reasoning ability was found to account for a significant amount of variance in final examination scores, regardless of…

Working from the 1970s to the early 1990s, Walter Alvarez and his research team sought the cause of the mass extinction that claimed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. The present paper discusses that research in terms of eight puzzling observations, eight episodes of hypothetico-predictive reasoning, enumerative induction, and Jung's…

Investigates the responses of a sample of preservice biology teachers enrolled in a teaching methods course to a casual question about why water rose in a jar inverted over a burning candle placed in a pan of water by formulating and testing six hypotheses. (Contains 43 references.) (Author/YDS)

Assessed the effect of a one-semester college biology course on the development of students (N=72) ability to reason formally and interactions among intelligence, cognitive style, and cognitive level. Includes implications for science instruction. (SK)

Presents study findings which explored the effect of teacher reasoning level and teaching style preference on improvement in student-reasoning ability. Reports that students of concrete operational teachers and of inquiry teachers showed greater gains in reasoning ability than students of formal operational teachers and of expository teachers. (ML)