Using the Inquiry Matrix Using the Inquiry Matrix to Improve Teachingto Improve Teaching

Dr. Anna LewisCollege of EducationUniversity of South FloridaSt. Petersburg FL 33701ARLewis@usf.edu

Goals of Science Goals of Science EducationEducation

To become self-reliant learnersTo think critically and

systemicallyTo collaborate in constructing

understanding regarding the natural world

The Pendulum SwingsThe Pendulum Swings

Historically - the pendulum of educational practice has been mostly on Direct Teaching

In recent years, with the formulation of national and state science education standards, Inquiry Teaching has become the favored practice for science instruction

(National Research Council, 2000b; American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1990;

Alberts, 2008).

Inquiry Instruction Inquiry Instruction

Reflects the investigative approachUses empirical techniques A reliance on evidence that

scientists use in making discoveries and constructing new knowledge

Is student centered

Inquiry Doesn’t Work!Inquiry Doesn’t Work!

It’s too confusingIt’s hard to doIt takes too much time to planIt takes students too much time

to thinkStudents don’t like it

Introducing the Inquiry Introducing the Inquiry MatrixMatrix

Grady, Julie “The Inquiry Matrix”Sci Teach 77 no8 N 2010 p. 32-7

The Matrix for Assessing and Planning Scientific Inquiry (MAPSI) a modification of a tool designed by Dolan and Grady (2010), was inspired by the National Research Council's "Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry and Their Variations“

(NRC. 2000. Inquiry and the national science education standards: A guide for teaching and learning. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.)

MAPSIMAPSIAssess existing lessonsModify lessons to increase

complexityIntroduce incremental steps toward

greater inquiryPlan future inquiries so that

students are gradually able to engage in more complex reasoning

Identify areas of student strengths to facilitate their engagement with more complex tasks

Let’s try it!Let’s try it!Use the Inquiry Matrix to Assess

Lessons◦Review 5 lessons◦For each lesson identify where in the

matrix it falls for each section: Generating scientifically oriented questions Making predictions or posing preliminary

hypotheses prior to conducting investigations

Designing and conducting the research study 4 sub-processes

Explaining Results 6 sub-processes

Let’s try it!Let’s try it!

Use the Inquiry Matrix to Modify Lessons, to Increase Complexity & Introduce Incremental Steps Toward Greater Inquiry Tasks

◦Take one of the lessons – list 2 things that would increase the inquiry quotient

Let’s try it!Let’s try it!

Use the Inquiry Matrix to Plan Future Inquiries so that Students are Gradually able to Engage in more Complex Reasoning

◦Take one of the lessons – list 2 things that would increase student engagement in the lesson

Let’s try it!Let’s try it!

Use the Inquiry Matrix to Identify Areas of Student Strengths to Facilitate their Engagement with more Complex Tasks

◦Take one of the lessons – write some characteristics of one of your students – now look to the matrix and identify items that might increase this student’s engagement in that particular lesson

Inquiry Works!Inquiry Works!

Use the matrix to…identify inquiry components

increase complexity quicklyplan critical thinking tasksidentify additional ways to engage students

Thank you!Thank you!

ARLewis@usf.eduARLewis@usf.edu