Defining inquiry
In 1983, the report A Nation at Risk revealed that American schools
were not preparing students adequately for the demands of current and future
workplaces, and that our economy would suffer as a result.
This conclusion triggered a reform movement in American education that is
beginning to bear fruit today. Inquiry learning prepares students to be citizens
and workers in today's world. Using inquiry techniques in the classroom addresses
key elements of workforce development identified by the Department of Labor, giving
students the flexibility, critical thinking, and technology skills they need to work
and live as part of a global economy.
Five essential elements of inquiry (as defined
in Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards)
- Learners are engaged by scientifically oriented questions.
- Learners give priority to evidence, which allows them to develop and
evaluate explanations that address scientifically oriented questions.
- Learners formulate explanations from evidence to address scientifically
oriented questions.
- Learners evaluate their explanations in light of alternative explanations,
particularly those reflecting scientific understanding.
- Learners communicate and justify their proposed explanations.
Five key competencies for workforce
development (as described by SCANS, formed by the U.S. Departments
of Labor and Education
- Resources: Identifies, organizes, plans and allocates resources (such
as time, money, and materials and facilities).
- Interpersonal: Works and communicates with others.
- Information: Acquires and evaluates information. Interprets and
communicates information.
- Systems: Understands complex interrelationships, monitors and corrects
performance, and improves on the design of systems.
- Technology: Works with a variety of technologies.
