Preparing the ground: considerations on cultivating scientific inquiry through curriculum

Science education in secondary schools may be considered to have several purposes to include increasing the number of STEM undergraduate enrolments (economic), developing a scientifically literate citizenry (social) and appreciating the epistemology of the domain (intellectual culture).

Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) aims to provide students with learning experiences authentic to scientific work and thinking, ideally drawing on student natural curiosity to address contemporary contexts in a flexible, problem-based approach.  Science Technology and Society (STS) advocates an interdisciplinary approach integrating multiple disciplines with science, implied from real world problems, to improve student motivation towards science.

These inductive, student-centred approaches are largely at odds with teacher-centred, didactic approaches that remove students from decision-making.  Research has shown that Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) have limited effects on changing practice.

This paper proposes that the fundamental change in mind-set required to realise IBSE must focus on increasing student engagement, not solely motivation with science, and considers the role of teacher agency with respect to the new junior science specification in the Junior Cycle Framework (JCF).  Empirical work on how power dynamics in classrooms effects IBSE will lead to evidence of the impact of a curriculum structure (Negotiated Integrated Curriculum) on student agentic engagement in STS themes.  Considerations will be offered regarding the cultivation of an inquiry habitus in the context of the JCF, ITE and CPD.

Biography

Dr. John O’Reilly is a lecturer in Initial Teacher Education in the University of Limerick addressing areas such as professionalism, planning, curriculum development, active learning, classroom management and assessment for the Postgraduate Masters in Education programme.  His research interests are all schools based with strong partnerships in the areas of science education (IBSE and PCK in particular) and curriculum development with schools, professional development agencies and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.   He served as a member of the junior cycle science specification development group and has just completed leading the FP7 project “Chain Reaction” focused on professional development for IBSE in Ireland.