Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med ökade kunskaper om hur lärare använder och uppfattar undersökande arbete samt undersöka om det finns några skillnader beroende på om de använder sig av NTA-materialet eller inte. Dataempirin samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer från tio lågstadielärare där hälften använde sig av NTA-materialet. Resultatet visar att det inte är några större skillnader mellan de två grupperna i varför lärare använder sig av ett undersökande arbete och vad eleverna ska lära sig. Skillnaderna fanns främst i hur lärarna använder sig av undersökande arbete och vilka förutsättningar som finns på skolan för att arbeta undersökande. Det fanns ett tydligt samband mellan hur de arbetade och lärarnas engagemang och intresse. Lärarnas yrkeserfarenhet och ämneskunskap visade sig även ha en stor betydelse vid användningen av arbetsmetoden. / The purpose of this study is to contribute with increased knowledge of how teachers use and perceive inquiry-based work methods as well as to see if there are any differences depending on if they use the NTA-material or not. The data was collected through qualitative interviews where ten primary school teachers were interviewed. The results shows there are no major differences in why teachers use inquiry-based work methods and/or what students will learn when the methods are used. The differences rather appeared in how the teachers used the inquiry-based work methods and what type of prerequisites that are available. Furthermore, there was a strong correlation between what methods they used and the teacher’s engagement. Lastly the teachers professional experience and subject knowledge proved to have a significant meaning when using the work method.

Läroplanen för gymnasiets Kemi 1 och Kemi 2 förespråkar elevplanerade laboratorieövningar. Men de nuvarande populära kurslitteratur som används för att undervisa Kemi 1 och Kemi 2 beskriver primärt bara elevlaboratorier med fullständiga instruktioner för eleverna att följa. Denna litteraturstudie listar och beskriver 15 undersökande elevaktiviteter för i Kemi 1 och Kemi 2. Beskrivningen fokuserar på elevaktivitet, förutsättningar och läranderesultat. Varje aktivitet hittades i en publicerad referentgranskad artikel. Dessa 15 elevaktiviteter kan sammanlagt användas till undervisning av 11 av de 19 screenade centrala innehåll från läroplanen för Kemi 1 och Kemi 2. / The state prescribed curriculum for the two chemistry courses Kemi 1 and Kemi 2 for Swedish upper secondary school, advocates student planned laboratory exercises. But the current popular course literature book systems used for teaching Kemi 1 and Kemi 2 primarily describe student laboratory exercises with complete step-by-step instructions for the students to follow. This literature study lists and describes 15 inquiry-based learning activities for students attending Kemi 1 and Kemi 2, the descriptions focus on student activity, preconditions, and learning outcome. Each activity was found in a published peer-reviewed article. Combined these 15 student activities can be used for teaching 11 out of the 19 screened core contents listed in the state prescribed curriculum for Kemi 1 and Kemi 2.

The success of inquiry-based learning (IBL) in supporting science literacy can be challenged when students encounter obstacles in the absence of proper support. This research is intended to evaluate the effectiveness of an Oregon public school district's regional science fair coaching program in promoting inquiry skills and positive attitudes toward science in participating high school students. The purpose of this study was to better understand students' perception of program support, obstacles or barriers faced by students, and potential benefits of IBL facilitated by the science fair program. Data included responses to informal and semi-structured interviews, an anonymous survey, a Skills assessment of final project displays, and an in-depth case study on three students' experiences. Results suggest that the science fair program can properly engage participants in authentic IBL. However, when assessing the participant's final project displays, I found that previous fair experience did not significantly increase mean scores as identified by the official Oregon Department of Education (ODE) scoring guides. Based on results from the case study, it is suggested that participants' low science self-concept, poor understanding of inquiry skills, and inability to engage in reflective discourse may reduce students' abilities to truly benefit. Recommendations to address this discrepancy include identifying specific needs of students through a pre–fair survey to develop more targeted support, and providing new opportunities to develop skills associated with science-self concept, understanding of inquiry and reflective discourse. In addition, results suggest that students would benefit from more financial support in the form of grants, and more connections with knowledgeable mentors.

Ett övergripande examensmål för naturvetenskapsprogrammet är att eleverna ska utveckla ett naturvetenskapligt förhållningssätt enligt gällande läroplan. Detta innefattar ”förmåga till kritiskt tänkande, logiska resonemang, problemlösning och systematiska iakttagelser” (Lgy11). Öppna laborationer är en undervisningsform som syftar till utvecklandet av dessa förmågor och som därför rekommenderas av Skolverket. Men hur ser kemilärare på öppna laborationer och deras användbarhet i undervisningen? Vad använder de sig av för stöd och hjälp när de ska planera undervisning genom öppna laborationer utifrån läroplanen? Denna studie syftar till att ur ett läroplansteoretiskt perspektiv utforska gymnasielärares tankar kring hur det är att använda öppna laborationer I kemiundervisningen på gymnasiet. Tre lärare som vid studiens genomförande använde sig av öppna laborationer i sin undervisning intervjuades. Dessutom undersöktes två webbaserade kemilärarresurser med avseende på vilken typ av stöd gällande öppna laborationer de erbjöd, i vilken utsträckning och på vilket sätt. Studien visar på att lärarnas övergripande syfte med öppna laborationer var att få eleverna att tänka, vilket speglar hur öppna laborationer syftar till att ge elever möjlighet att utveckla ett naturvetenskapligt förhållningssätt. Vid planerande av öppna laborationer i undervisningen litar lärarna i studien huvudsakligen på egen beprövad erfarenhet. Dessutom pekar studien på att inte bara konkreta ramfaktorer, såsom undervisningstid och grupper inverkar på lärarnas planering, utan också det ”undervisningsklimat” som råder på skolan i allmänhet. / A main objective according to the Swedish national curriculum of the science program in upper secondary school is for the students to develop the ability of scientific reasoning. This includes the abilities of chritical thinking, logical reasoning, problemsolving and systematic observations. The objective of open laboratory practices (inquiry-based laboratory) teaching pedagogics is for the students to develop their scientific reasoning skills. Thus, such pedagogical methods are recommended by Skolverket. But what do teachers think about inquiry-based laboratory practices and its application in class? What kind of support do they have when, according to the curriculum, including inquiry-based laboratory practices in their chemistry classes? This study aims to explore teachers view on using inquiry-based laboratory practices in chemistry class, from a curriculum theory perspective. Three teachers, who were using inquiry laboratory pedagogics at the time of the study, were interviewed. Two online resourses for chemistry teachers were also investigated regarding what type of information and support they contained regarding inquiry-based laboratory teaching material. What type of material and to what extent was it available? This study shows that the teachers’ main goal with inquiry-based laboratory practices was to make the students think, mirroring how the pedagogic of inquiry-based laboratory practices aims to develop students scientific reasoning. Teachers mainly rely on their own experience when planning inquiry-based laboratory practices. Additionally, this study also suggests that not only framing factors such as time and group size influence on how teachers plan their open laboratory classes, also the teaching and learning climate of the school in general influences how the teachers open up the laboratory practices towards inquiry.

Currently, a debate exists between the strengths and weaknesses of direct and inquiry instruction. Inquiry instruction is related to positive effect on learner motivation whereas supporters of direct instruction point to its ability to adequately support learners’ working memories (Hmelo-Silver, Duncan, & Chinn, 2007; Kirschner, Sweller, & Clark, 2006; Kuhn, 2007; Sweller, 1988). This study examined the possibility of combining the best features of both inquiry and direct instruction by sequencing them together. A two-part lesson on electrical circuits was presented in three separate sequences of instruction to middle school students to determine if differences in student motivation and academic achievement emerge depending on whether a guided inquiry lab followed or preceded direct instruction. Results indicated equal levels of perceived competence by students across all instructional sequences and greater interest/enjoyment and perceived autonomy support when the instructional sequence began with a guided inquiry lesson. No significant differences in achievement were reported among the sequences.

This thesis focuses on a year-long project of implementing active learning in undergraduate dynamics courses at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo from 2012-2013. The purpose is to increase conceptual understanding of critical dynamics concepts and to repair misconceptions of the students. Conceptual understanding in Dynamics is vital to understanding the big picture, building upon previous knowledge, and better understanding the behavior of engineering systems. Through various hands-on activities, students make predictions, test their conceptions, and solve real world problems. These active learning methods allow students to improve their learning of Dynamics concepts. Education research on active learning is present in Physics and Mathematics disciplines, yet is still growing in Engineering. Four Inquiry-Based Learning Activities (IBLAs) and two Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs) are discussed in this thesis. Inquiry-Based Learning Activities feature student prediction and experimentation in which the physical world acts as the authority. On the other hand, Model-Eliciting-Activities prompt students to solve real world problems and deliver results to a client. From the results, some activities yield an increase in conceptual understanding, as measured by assessment items, while others do not yield a significant increase. These activities not only help to promote conceptual gains, but also to motivate students and offer realistic engineering contexts. In conclusion, the six total IBLA and MEAS will continue in practice and be improved in their implementation. This thesis work will contribute to engineering education research of active learning methods, and improve the undergraduate dynamics curriculum locally at Cal Poly.

The Swedish National Agency for Education and the Swedish School Inspectorate raised a red flag that pupils' interest in science lowered between year 4 and year 8. The purpose of this literature study was to investigate possible ways to conduct science education in a way to promote and to maintain pupils’ interest in science. This purpose led to the two research questions: - What work methods can be used to promote and maintain pupils’ interest in science? - What aspects are important in the process of selecting subject content, to promote and maintain pupils’ interest in science? Ten different studies that focused on pupils' interest in science, or lack of, in science were analysed to find solutions to the problem at hand. The results showed five topics, all of which had a positive impact on pupils' interest in science. Methods such as communicative work, inquiry-based science education and laborative work, together with aspects of subject content such as science in an everyday context, pupils' influence and pupil involvementwere all key factors to gaining pupils' interest. This study points out how work methods and teachers’ didactic choices can be used to increase pupils' interest. We further on discuss how the new Swedish curriculum may be incompatible with such work. As well as how, or if, our pupils’ interest and knowledge will be able to coexist through primary school science education.

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the impact of a long-term, 5E inquiry-based professional development on content and pedagogical knowledge in eighth-grade science teachers in Texas. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected via university designed reflective prompts, science content pretests and post-tests, and a classroom observation instrument. Results showed the professional development had a statistically significant impact on teachers' content knowledge in earth science, less significant impact in content knowledge in physical science and that teachers' levels of inquiry-based practice were in the early stages. The teachers' reflections of the professional development's impact indicated self-identified growth in their content knowledge and an impact on their understanding of inquiry-based classroom instructional practice. The findings suggest inquiry-based professional development has an impact on teachers' content and pedagogical knowledge, specifically regarding conveying content effectively, concept interconnection, lesson design, and teachers' opportunities to experience inquiry-based learning themselves before implementing it in their classrooms. The study's implications for further research include examinations of professional learning opportunities at local district and campus levels to identify and incorporate science teachers' existing levels of content and inquiry-based pedagogical knowledge and provide opportunities for practice to incorporate the pedagogy in classrooms.

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