Elementary School Students’ Understanding of the Nature of Scientific Inquiry: Preliminary Findings and a Proposed Innovative Instructional Framework
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Abstract
Understanding the Nature of Scientific Inquiry (NOSI) is a fundamental component of science learning, as it enables students to engage effectively in scientific practices and construct meaningful scientific knowledge. Inquiry-based science learning that integrates digital technology and explicitly emphasizes NOSI can therefore provide students with richer opportunities to acquire knowledge through scientific processes in a more comprehensive school context. This study aimed to investigate elementary students’ understanding of the NOSI and to propose an instructional framework. The participants were 22 Grade 4 and Grade 5 students, representing the entire student population of one school. Data were collected using the Views About Scientific Inquiry - Elementary (VASI-E) questionnaire. The findings from the VASI-E indicated that students' understanding of NOSI varied across aspects. The proportions of students demonstrating informed understanding across the five aspects, with the highest proportions in conclusions must be consistent with data collected (CCDC) and conclusions developed from data and prior knowledge (CDDPK), followed by starting with a question (SWQ), procedures guided by the question asked (PGQ), and multiple methods (MM), respectively. Based on these findings, the researchers proposed a novel instructional framework designed to promote elementary students’ understanding of the NOSI through an evidence-based approach. This framework is intended to serve as an evidence-based innovative instructional model for systematically enhancing the quality of inquiry-based science teaching and learning at the elementary school level.
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