The study concerned (1) identifying component processes of discovery and rule learning; (2) describing differences in learning outcomes produced by the two instructional methods, and; (3) optimizing learning. It was believed that understanding the effects of aptitude, instructional methods, and their interaction is important in the study of…

The authors briefly review some of the empirical studies which have compared discovery learning with expository learning. Essentially, their study replicates an earlier one in which these learning strategies were compared on two dimensions: (1) immediate acquisition; and (2) retention of concepts. Subjects were 228 seventh graders who had not…

Opportunities for science learnings at a woodworking bench are listed and described. Scientific inquiry is promoted through free experimentation; opportunities to grasp spatial and mathematical understanding are two examples presented. Helpful information related to use of this instructional procedure is included. (Author/EB)

A model for teaching social studies by the discovery approach is presented. The authors maintain that the temporal inquiry teaching model holds considerable promise for encouraging student enthusiasm, emphasizing higher cognitive levels, and stimulating divergent student thinking and activity. (Author/DB)

This paper discusses the benefits of teaching literature through levels of understanding so that teachers can more quickly and efficiently determine the operational levels of individual students. The seven levels of understanding and some of the generic questions by which they can be determined are: (1) perceptual level: "What happened, when,…

Elementary teachers and principals enrolled in an elementary education graduate course developed this guide which interprets and applies the concept of inquiry teaching and learning. The purpose of the guide is to bridge the gap between the theory of the inquiry process and its use in the classroom. It is written for use by elementary educators as…

Describes an activity that demonstrates a teaching-learning model in which students ask yes or no questions to determine an unknown number on a number line. Provides a sequence of five steps to carry out the activity and suggestions for extending and expanding the activity for different grade levels. (MDH)

A set of instructional materials and methods, designated Inquiry Development Program, was designed to teach children how to learn independently. The student was presented with an event which had an outcome that ran counter to his expectations. Motivated by his curiousity, he then searched for an explanation to the discrepancy between what he…

Previous research has shown a relationship between formal reasoning ability and science process skill attainment. It has been hypothesized that an increased emphasis on teaching process skills might enhance the formal thinking abilities of students. A variety of strategies have been proposed to better accomplish this task, most notable, the…

Presents an account of a week of learning and instruction from a high school physics course to provide a context for discussion of the role and demands of teacher inquiry. Argues coordination of student inquiry and traditional content is a matter of discerning and responding to students' particular strengths and needs. (Author/KB)

In an effort to put new vigor into the learning situation, an experiential approach to the teaching of social sciences in higher education is offered in this paper. The paper describes how the experiential approach is being used in an academic sociology course at Stanford which is adaptable to a wide variety of social sciences courses. Differing…

This is a report of a study conducted by a group of teachers to discover the extent to which students in the first three years of school were aware of the phonetic system of their native language (French) with emphasis on the means they used to analyze it. In the first year, the children discovered phonetic oppositions by touching their lips and…