Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning in a Diverse Classroom : Investigating Strategies of Scaffolding and Students' Views of Scientific Inquiry

This thesis, an explorative case study, provides insights into the implementation of inquiry-based learning in an authentic classroom. For one year, a teacher was accompanied while implementing inquiry-based learning in a highly diverse class. In doing so, the observations focused on strategies for both scaffolding and dealing with diversity. Additionally, data reflecting students' views of scientific inquiry were gathered. The results show a successive implementation of inquiry-based learning through four phases supported by various scaffolding strategies. The views of scientific inquiry are discussed on both the class and the individual level. Finally, all these findings are brought together to paint a vivid picture of the investigated class.Die vorliegende Arbeit, eine explorative Fallstudie, bietet einen Einblick in ein authentisches Klassenzimmer, in dem Forschendes Lernen eingef#65533;hrt wurde. Dazu wurde eine Lehrperson ein Jahr lang begleitet. Die Beforschung fokussierte auf Lernbegleitungsstrategien, den Umgang mit Diversit#65533;t sowie den Sichtweisen der Sch#65533;lerinnen und Sch#65533;ler #65533;ber Naturwissenschaften. Die Resultate zeigen eine schrittweise Einf#65533;hrung von Forschendem Lernen in vier Phasen, begleitet von vielf#65533;ltigen Lernbegleitungsstrategien. Schlie#65533;lich werden alle Ergebnisse zusammengef#65533;hrt, um ein lebendiges Bild des untersuchten Unterrichts und der Personen zu zeichnen. 1 Introduction 13 2 Requirements for a Reflective Citizen 16 3 Inquiry-based Learning 20 3.1 The Abilities to do Inquiry 22 3.2 Effectiveness of Inquiry-based Learning 26 3.3 Levels of Inquiry 27 3.4 Nature of Science and Nature of Scientific Inquiry 35 4 Diversity 39 4.1 Diversity and Migration 40 4.2 Diversity and Language 42 4.2.1 Language and Migration 42 4.2.2 Language and Science – Scientific Terminology 44 4.3 Diversity and Culture 45 5 Inquiry-based Learning and Diversity 47 6 Scaffolding 51 6.1 Scaffolding of Inquiry-based Learning 51 6.2 Scaffolding of Language 54 6.3 Cultural Considerations concerning Scaffolding 55 7 Conclusion 57 8 Research Design 58 8.1 Research Area 58 8.2 Research Questions 59 8.3 Methods 59 8.3.1 Methods of Data Collection 61 8.3.1.1 Views of Scientific Inquiry (VOSI) 63 8.3.1.2 Questionnaire about Demographic Data, Attitude towards Science, and Academic Self-concept 64 8.3.1.3 Intelligence Test CFT 20-R 65 8.3.2 Methods of Analyzing Data 66 8.3.2.1 Description of the Class and its Students 67 8.3.2.2 Categorization of the Task Sheets 67 8.3.2.3 Analysis of the Scaffolding 71 8.3.2.4 Analysis of the Development of the Views of Scientific Inquiry 74 8.3.2.5 Analysis of the Attitudes towards Science and the Academic Self-concept 78 9 Background Information about the Class 79 9.1 Diversity of the Class 79 9.1.1 Language 79 9.1.2 Educational Background 81 9.1.3 Age 82 9.2 Characterization of the Class 83 9.3 The Class through the Lens of Questionnaires and Numbers 85 9.3.1 Attitudes towards Science and Subject-related Self-concept 85 9.3.2 Analysis of the CFT-20R Test 87 10 Insights into the Laboratory Lessons 89 10.1 Overview of the Tasks 89 10.2 Four Phases 91 10.2.1 Phase 1: Introduction 92 10.2.2 Phase 2: Further Opening 92 10.2.3 Phase 3: Application 93 10.2.4 Phase 4: Asking Questions 93 10.2.5 The Stepwise Introduction 94 11 The Scaffolding by the Teacher 94 11.1 Scaffolding of Language 95 11.1.1 Language Aids in the Task Sheets 96 11.1.2 Language Aids during the Inquiry Process 98 11.1.3 Language Aids for Writing a Lab Report 99 11.2 Scaffolding of “Doing Inquiry” 103 11.2.1 Level 0 103 11.2.2 Level 1 104 11.2.3 Level 2 106 11.3 Scaffolding of “Learning about Inquiry” 108 11.4 Role of Content 109 11.5 Conclusion 114 12 The Questionnaire “Views of Scientific Inquiry” 115 13 Focus on Individual Persons 122 13.1 Dana9F 122 13.2 Lija 125 13.3 Melina 127 13.4 Dimitrij 129 14 Discussion 132 14.1 Successive Implementation of Inquiry-based Learning 132 14.2 The Scaffolding 133 14.2.1 Taking the Diversity into Account 133 14.2.2 Scaffolding while “Doing Inquiry-based Learning” 135 14.2.3 Difficulties of Scaffolding when “Learning About Inquiry” 135 14.2.4 Conclusions about the Scaffolding by the Teacher 136 14.3 Students’ Views of Scientific Inquiry 137 14.4 Discussion of the Methods 139 14.4.1 Data Collection 139 14.4.2 Intelligence Test 139 14.4.3 Questionnaire “Views of Scientific Inquiry” 140 14.4.4 PISA Questionnaire 140 14.4.5 Suitable Methods for Diverse Classrooms 141 14.5 Conclusion and Outlook 141 References 144 Abstract 160 Zusammenfassung 161 List of Figures and Tables 162 Appendix 165 Appendix 1: Coding Manual – Scaffolding 165 Appendix 2: Coding Manual – “Views of Scientific Inquiry” 173 diversity,inquiry-based learning,scaffolding,views of scientific inquiry This thesis, an explorative case study, provides insights into the implementation of inquiry-based learning in an authentic classroom. For one year, a teacher was accompanied while implementing inquiry-based learning in a highly diverse class. In doing so, the observations focused on strategies for both scaffolding and dealing with diversity. Additionally, data reflecting students' views of scientific inquiry were gathered. The results show a successive implementation of inquiry-based learning through four phases supported by various scaffolding strategies. The views of scientific inquiry are discussed on both the class and the individual level. Finally, all these findings are brought together to paint a vivid picture of the investigated class. Long description: This thesis, an explorative case study, provides insights into the implementation of inquiry-based learning in an authentic classroom. For one year, a teacher was accompanied while implementing inquiry-based learning in a highly diverse class. In doing so, the observations focused on strategies for both scaffolding and dealing with diversity. Additionally, data reflecting students' views of scientific inquiry were gathered. The results show a successive implementation of inquiry-based learning through four phases supported by various scaffolding strategies. The views of scientific inquiry are discussed on both the class and the individual level. Finally, all these findings are brought together to paint a vivid picture of the investigated class. Die vorliegende Arbeit, eine explorative Fallstudie, bietet einen Einblick in ein authentisches Klassenzimmer, in dem Forschendes Lernen eingeführt wurde. Dazu wurde eine Lehrperson ein Jahr lang begleitet. Die Beforschung fokussierte auf Lernbegleitungsstrategien, den Umgang mit Diversität sowie den Sichtweisen der Schülerinnen und Schüler über Naturwissenschaften. Die Resultate zeigen eine schrittweise Einführung von Forschendem Lernen in vier Phasen, begleitet von vielfältigen Lernbegleitungsstrategien. Schließlich werden alle Ergebnisse zusammengeführt, um ein lebendiges Bild des untersuchten Unterrichts und der Personen zu zeichnen