Benefits of Inquiry Learning in an Inclusive Elementary Science Setting.
ACEI Standard 1 Development, Learning and MotivationThis literature review summarizes and compares several research articles which explore the topic
of inquiry learning in an inclusive elementary science setting. This review shows that I have
actively investigated research in the field of child development. This article also touches upon
ways which teachers can accommodate students with a variety of physical, emotional and
learning needs so as to maximize each student’s learning experience.
BENEFITS OF INQUIRY LEARNING IN AN INCLUSIVE ELEMENTARY SCIENCE
SETTING.
The Benefits of Using an Inquiry Based Learning Approach
When teaching in an Inclusive Elementary Setting.
Danielle LeoGrande
SUNY Cortland
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Benefits of Inquiry Learning in an Inclusive Elementary Science Setting.
Abstract
The National Research Council is now recommending that science be taught using inquiry or
discovery based learning whenever possible in elementary science classrooms (national Research
Council, 1996). With an increased number of students that have physical, emotional and
learning disabilities being taught in general education classrooms, it is more important than ever
to utilize teaching models that will accommodate the learning needs of every student. The intent
of this literature review is to identify what the benefits of using an inquiry-based teaching model
would be in an inclusive elementary science setting. The research indicates that there are at
least three benefits that can arise from using inquiry learning in such a setting. These are
increased academic ability, improved social skills, and increased self-confidence
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Benefits of Inquiry Learning in an Inclusive Elementary Science Setting.
The Benefits of Using an Inquiry Based Learning Approach When teaching in an Inclusive
Elementary Setting.
In recent years there has been an enormous attempt to integrate children with emotional,
physical, and learning disabilities into the general education classroom. This paper explores five
articles that investigate the benefits of using inquiry based learning in the elementary inclusive
classroom setting versus a more traditional, objective model of learning. Inquiry or discovery
learning is a student-centered approach to learning. In an inquiry learning setting the students
ask questions, explore possibilities, observe, analyze, and communicate with each other to
construct knowledge on their own. In more traditional teaching models, the teacher is the center
of the lesson. Learning may take place by way of lectures, textbooks, worksheets and
standardized tests as forms of assessment. The National Research Council now recommends that
inquiry based science lessons be utilized as much as possible, as it helps the children to
understand scientific relationships by engaging in activities, acquiring the knowledge on their
own and relating it to their own experiences (National Research Council, 1996). Many educators
feel that this type of student engagement is ideal for students with special needs, and for reason
often times students with any range of learning, emotional, or physical disabilities are included in
general education science lessons. My goal in reviewing these articles is to determine the
possible benefits of using an inquiry based learning model in an inclusive elementary science
setting.
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Benefits of Inquiry Learning in an Inclusive Elementary Science Setting.
In reviewing the articles I discovered that there are many ways that inquiry learning can
benefit the identified students; however the three main areas of growth were increased academic
understanding in the content area, improved social development, and an increase in science selfefficacy (Bencze & Upton, 2006). Improving science self-efficacy means that the students
improved their confidence and their beliefs that they could be successful in science.
Studies have shown that inquiry approaches to teaching may improve academic success
for students that have been identified as having learning disabilities or physical handicaps. A
study by Palincsar, Magnusson, and Collins (2001) explored academic achievement of students
when they were engaged in lessons that were taught by teachers that had been trained to support
the special needs of children with learning disabilities. The teachers were trained how to
recognize literacy, social, and cognitive challenges that the students in the class may be facing.
This study showed that in three of the four classes, the students that were identified as having
learning disabilities showed increased understanding of the scientific content that was
comparable to that of their normally achieving students. One specific case study looks at the
significant achievement of a fourth grader named Don. Don suffers from asthma and difficulty
with fine motor skills. He has delayed literacy skills and has been diagnosed by his school
psychologist as having severe learning disabilities (Palincsar, Collins, & Marano, 2000). Don
was included in a general education class that used guided inquiry exercises to discover more
about the topic of density. At the beginning of the lesson, Don’s participation was minimal, and
he scored in the bottom third of his class on a pre-test that was administered to every student
(Palincsar et al. 2000). After the six week lesson period was over, the students were given a post
–test to determine the scope of their knowledge acquisition. Don’s score on the post-test placed
him at the average for his class, indicating his comprehension of the topic was on par with the
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Benefits of Inquiry Learning in an Inclusive Elementary Science Setting.
comprehension of the rest of the students in that general education classroom. Similar results
can be seen in a study by Mastropieri, Scruggs, Mantzicopoulos, Sturgeon, Goodwin, and Chung
(1997). Their study compares the results of three fourth grade inclusive education classrooms,
which studied the topic of ecosystems using varied teaching methods. Two of the classes studied
the topic using traditional textbooks, worksheets, and teacher lectures. The third class built their
own ecosystems and then changed variables over time to determine the levels of interdependency
amongst the life forms in their ecosystem. The researchers found that students in the activitiesbased classroom had a better overall understanding of the content, and were more able to relate
the content to their own lives (Mastropieri, et al. 1997). The results of a post-test indicated that
most students with identified learning disabilities that were in the activities-based classroom
scored comparably to their average achieving peers, and they scored higher than the other
children with learning disabilities in the textbook-based classroom (Mastropieri et al. 1997).
These studies indicate that with the proper instruction and learning environment, many students
with learning or physical disabilities have the potential to reach the same level of understanding
as the rest of the students in their class.
While developing a strong understanding of the topic at hand is extremely important, it is
not the only benefit that may come from introducing children with learning or physical
disabilities into a general education inquiry learning environment. Another benefit to the
children is the opportunity for social growth that is available when learning by discovery. Often
times inquiry or discovery learning incorporates cooperative learning activities and discussions.
This student to student interaction can be the ideal environment to foster social skills in some
students that may be lacking social development or have emotional disabilities. For example,
take the case of Fiona, a nine year old girl with identified learning disabilities and emotional
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Benefits of Inquiry Learning in an Inclusive Elementary Science Setting.
impairment. Fiona was a part of a study that researched the important role that activity–based
children’s science museums can have on the improvement of science content comprehension
(Rapp, 2005). At the beginning of the study, Fiona was extremely aggressive towards her peers,
and had a difficult time focusing her attention on one task. After the fourth and final trip to the
science museum Fiona showed less signs of aggressive behavior and had earned herself a
positive place in her classroom learning community (Rapp, 2005). It is important to note here
that there is evidence to suggest that students that have a more positive and productive role in the
learning community show increased comprehension in cognitive development (Rapp, 2005).
This indicates that the academic benefits and the social benefits of using an inquiry-based
learning approach may be interconnected.
Along with the idea of social growth is the concept of science self-efficacy. Science selfefficacy refers to the confidence that one has in relation to their ability to understand and convey
scientific topics (Bencze & Upton, 2006). Inquiry learning models have the potential to benefit
students by improving their self confidence in the area of science. In a 1996 study, Carlisle and
Chang researched two cohorts of fourth and sixth grade students for a three year period. The
students filled out self-evaluations each year. The teachers also filled out an evaluation on each
student. The results indicated that the students in the older cohort rated themselves as having the
same capabilities as their peers in two of the three evaluations (Carlisle & Chang, 1996). The
students in the younger cohort consistently rated themselves as being less capable than their
peers. One possible explanation for this is that many teachers consistently rated the students
with learning disabilities as less capable than the other students. This indicates that the teachers
may be bringing a bias into the classroom against the students with identified learning
disabilities. We have talked about several studies that have indicated that students with learning
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Benefits of Inquiry Learning in an Inclusive Elementary Science Setting.
disabilities can be just as successful as their peers given the proper learning environment. Now,
it is up to the teacher to teach without prejudice and to provide every student with an equal
opportunity to be engaged in activities that suit their individual learning needs.
While there is much research to be done in the field of inquiry-based learning in
elementary inclusive settings, the research that has been done indicates that the practice may
have substantial rewards for some children. While the benefits may be seen individually as
increased academic understanding, social growth, and improved self confidence it is important to
note that these three things work collaboratively to enhance the learning environment for all
students. The benefits in this case are cyclical: social growth promotes academic growth,
academic growth improves self confidence, and self confidence improves the student’s social
skills. Another important common theme is the significant role that the teachers’ perceived
ability of the children played in the students’ academic success. It is the responsibility of the
teacher to provide each and every student with an equal opportunity for academic success in the
classroom. In order for the students to reap the benefits of discovery learning, the teacher must
set them up for success.
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Benefits of Inquiry Learning in an Inclusive Elementary Science Setting.
References
Bencze, L., & Upton, L. (2006). Being your own role model for improving self-efficacy: An
elementary teacher self-actualizes through drama-based science teaching. Canadian
Journal of Science, 6(3), 207-224.
Carlisle, J., & Chang, V. (1996). Evaluation of academic capabilities in science by students with
and without learning disabilities and their teachers. The Journal of Special Education,
30(1), 18-34.
Mastropieri, M., Scruggs, T., Mantzicopoulos, P., Sturgeon, A., Goodwin, L., & Chung, S.
(1997). A place where living things effect and depend on each other: Qualitative and
quantitative outcomes associated with inclusive science teaching. Science Education,
82(2), 163-179.
National Research Council. (1996). National science education standards. Washington DC:
national Academy Press.
Palincsar, A., Collins, K., & Marano, N. (2000). Investigating the engagement and learning of
students with learning disabilities in guided inquiry science teaching. Language, Speech,
and Hearing Services in Schools, 31(3), 240-251.
Palincsar, A., Magnusson, S., & Collins, K. (2001). Making science accessible to all: results of a
design experiment in inclusive classrooms. Learning Disability Quarterly, 24(1), 15-32.
Rapp, W. (2005). Inquiry-based environments for the inclusion of students with exceptional
learning needs. Remedial and Special Education, 26(5), 297-310.
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Benefits of Inquiry Learning in an Inclusive Elementary Science Setting.
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