Imagine science classrooms in which: The teacher pushes a steel needle through a balloon and the balloon does not burst. The teacher asks the students to find out why the balloon didn't burst. Students are dropping objects into jars containing liquids with different densities and recording the time it takes each object to reach the bottom of the jar. They are trying to find out about viscosity. Students are using probes connected to a microcomputer to measure the heart rates of students before and after doing five minutes of exercise. They are investigating the effect of exercise on pulse rate. Students are reading newspaper articles on the topic "toxic waste dumps" in order to form opinions about a proposed dump being established in their community.

What is Inquiry?  "Inquiry is the [set] of behaviors involved in the struggle of human beings for reasonable explanations of phenomena about which they are curious." (Novak 1964) So, inquiry involves activity and skills, but the focus is on the active search for knowledge or understanding to satisfy a curiosity.  A focus on inquiry always involves, though, collection and interpretation of information in response to wondering and exploring.

What is Inquiry?  It is the scientific process by which knowledge is generated and validated. In this process the learners are confronted with a problem- a discrepancy or a puzzle for which a solution is not obviously evident- and by gathering information, they generate ideas of the explanation and subsequently test them to assess their usefulness.  It is not discovery of an answer that is taken out from the text book but rather the development of an answer by the learner based on the result of the investigation.  Inquiry is a term used in science teaching that refers to a way of questioning, seeking knowledge or information, or finding out about phenomena.

A pedagogical perspective  Inquiry-oriented teaching is often contrasted with more traditional expository methods and reflects the constructivist model of learning, often referred to as active learning, so strongly held among science educators today. According to constructivist models, learning is the result of ongoing changes in our mental frameworks as we attempt to make meaning out of our experiences (Osborne & Freyberg, 1985).  In classrooms where students are encouraged to make meaning, they are generally involved in "developing and restructuring [their] knowledge schemes through experiences with phenomena, through exploratory talk and teacher intervention" (Driver, 1989). Indeed, research findings indicate that, "students are likely to begin to understand the natural world if they work directly with natural phenomena, using their senses to observe and using instruments to extend the power of their senses" (National Science Board, 1991, p. 27).

A pedagogical perspective  In its essence, then, inquiry-oriented teaching engages students in investigations to satisfy curiosities, with curiosities being satisfied when individuals have constructed mental frameworks that adequately explain their experiences. One implication is that inquiry- oriented teaching begins or at least involves stimulating curiosity or provoking wonder. There is no authentic investigation or meaningful learning if there is no inquiring mind seeking an answer, solution, explanation, or decision.

Principles of Inquiry Learning Intrinsic motivation is basic to inquiry Process oriented rather than content oriented conceptual rather than factual It is student centered

The phases of Inquiry teaching Defining a problem: It assumes learning begins with a dilemma, puzzle or a problem bothering the learner. The questions or problems should be in researchable forms rather than precise terms. Eg. How does access to internet affect learning of SCE students?

The phases of Inquiry teaching Formulating hypothesis: Hypothesis is an unverified generalization. Hypothesis generation may be done by brainstorming: generate ideas to analyze and prioritize They make meaningful guesses to the problems in the light of their experiences and data available to them.

The phases of Inquiry teaching Gathering data: The data is gathered to either support or refute hypothesis. Some of the ways of gathering data are surveys, case study, interviews, field trips, questionnaires. Testing the validity of the hypothesis: The data gathered is analyzed to test the validity of the hypothesis. Those hypotheses which are supported by adequate evidences are checked and accepted. The hypotheses which are not supported by adequate evidences are refuted or studied further

The phases of Inquiry teaching Generalizing or drawing Conclusion: Baesd on the accepted hypothesis students will generalize stating the solution to the problem encountered. This generalization is not the final truth but is tentative and subject to change. Applying the Solution/Generalization/Conclusion The teacher can guide the students so that they may resolve to apply the solution to new learning situations or in their day to day life experiences