Moving from structured to open inquiry

The article provides science educators with definitions of inquiry and its
levels, relating them to real-world scientific processes. Such an
educational shift entails a fundamental cultural change in the
epistemology of science learning in schools, shifting it from
‘instructionism' to social constructivist learning. The highest level of
inquiry, open inquiry, simulates and reflects the type of research and
experimental work that is performed by scientists, and demands highorder
thinking capabilities (i.e., questioning, designing an experimental
array, critical and logical thinking, reflection). Students who participate
in an open inquiry project demonstrated ownership and responsibility
for determining the purpose of the investigation and the question to be
investigated as a scientist would. We present a model that has been
implemented in Israel's high school biology teaching for the past twelve
years. The model consists of several components, each of them
independently proven important to inquiry teaching by the relevant research
literature available. In the article, we present the components of our
model, emphasizing the importance of each component. The components
(development, implementation, support, and control) at the heart of the
model presented here are based on numerous projects and researches
from the literature.