The Effects of Cooperative Learning Experiences on Students’ Scientific Reasoning and Discourse During Inquiry Science

• In Event: Advances in Cooperative Learning

Abstract

Emphasis in recent years has been placed on having teachers teach science using an inquiry approach where students are actively involved in scientific investigations that provide them with opportunities to explore possible solutions, explain phenomena, elaborate on potential outcomes, and evaluate findings. The emphasis on inquiry-learning has originated from: concerns about the decline in students choosing to study science; the importance of capturing students’ interest in science; and, the evidence that has emerged of how cooperative student talk promotes reasoning and scientific understanding. This study will report on the first year of a three-year Australian Research Council project that involves 30 Year 6 teachers and their students in which the students worked in cooperative groups on inquiry-based science tasks.

Author

• Robyn Margaret Gillies, The University of Queensland