One of the Most Powerful Teaching Methods to Engage Students in Science Inquiry
One of the significant methodologies that science teachers use to foster science inquiry is Project-based Learning is a compelling way that science teachers report as inspiring their students, and helping them develop a love of learning. As the graphic on the side bar shows, project-based learning represents a different paradigm of learning, and is distinct from the traditional (majority) paradigm used to characterize science learning. Science teachers who incorporate project-based learning recognize that students need to be decision-makers not only about what they learn, but how they learn. Project-based learning provides the kind of environment in which students, working in teams, construct meaning and understanding about the ideas they are investigating.
The essence of project-based teaching is shown in the chart below in which an older (traditional-majority paradigm) is compared to a newer contemporary project-based paradigm.
