-
Effect Of Inquiry Teaching Method On Students’ Achievement
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 3]
Page 2 of 3
-
-
-
There is a debate as to which type of inquiry is best. The general
consensus is that, any form of inquiry (structured, guided, or open) can
be useful to students when taught appropriately well. Structured
inquiry is the most teacher-centered of the three types of inquiry. This
type of inquiry is commonly seen in science classrooms in the form of
laboratory exercises.
The teacher provides fairly structured
procedures for the inquiry activity, and students carry out the
investigations. Structured inquiry could be described as the most
traditional approach to inquiry (Cheval & Hart, 2007).
On the far
side of the spectrum is an open inquiry. This type of inquiry requires
the least amount of teacher intervention and is student centered.
Students often work in groups and plan all phases of their
investigations. This is the purest form of inquiry conducted in science
classrooms (Cheval & Hart, 2005).
Guided inquiry falls in the
middle of the inquiry instructional spectrum. This approach is commonly
used when students are asked to make tools or develop a process that
results in a desired outcome. For example, a science teacher gives his
seventh grade middle school students materials to create a rocket but no
instructions for designing the rocket. The students must use their own
knowledge and creativity to design the rocket so that it will launch
properly, fly a certain distance, and land without becoming
disassembled. The teacher provides the problem and materials and the
students develop the rocket using their own scientific process or
Procedure
Cheval and Hart, (2005).
In this study every type of inquiry was used and students were given topics and materials.
Students
were to develop a method to find answers to the problem given to them.
Lecture method is used primarily to introduce students to a new subject
but it is also a valuable method for summarizing ideas, showing
relationship between theory and practice and re-emphasizing main points
(Sola &Ojo, 2007). Lecture-demonstration method is a teaching
technique that combines oral presentation with doing to communicate
process, concepts ideas and facts, observation. It is particularly
effective in teaching a skill that can be observed (Sola &Ojo,
2007).
According to Garba (1996), lecture method is a
traditional/conventional method of transmission of knowledge; it is
characterized by a one-way flow of information from the teacher who is
always active to the learners who are always passive. According to him,
conventional method has the following characteristics:
(i) Students are absolutely passive listeners and passively assimilating information/fact being given to them.
(ii) Students are responsible for making their own notes.
(iii)
Teachers or lecturers does the major activities i.e. talking,
illustration or presentation of the film or other aid.
Conventional method is noted for the following merits:
(i) Knowledge, facts or information are transmitted to students who gain some understanding of a subject.
(ii)
It is less expensive compared to the inquiry methods. However,
conventional method has its own short comings, which include the
following:
(i) Passive learning on the part of the students and this makes them weak and disinterested.
(ii) No immediate evaluation is made of what has been learned.
(iii)
Soft-spoken teacher/ instructor could create a breakdown in the
communication this is because some students may lose interest in his
lecture.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 3]
Page 2 of 3
-
