Mediating Effects of Epistemological Beliefs and Value of Collaboration on Inquiry-Based Teaching and Science Achievement

• In Event: 47.029 - Epistemic Cognition and Reasoning in Science Learning

Abstract

Inquiry-based teaching has gained attention across science classrooms for its potential to enable students to understand, evaluate and responsibly respond to current and future health and environmental issues. To this end, teachers encourage students to argue, debate, and talk about scientific problems with their peers. However, studies revealed that inquiry-based approaches seemed to negatively affect science learning. This study revisited these shortcomings in light of a dialogic framework, specifically, the extent to which inquiry-based teaching promotes dialogic attitudes, operationalized here in terms of epistemological beliefs and an awareness of the value of collaboration. Utilizing Canadian 2015 PISA data, results revealed that indirect effects of dialogic attitudes did not succeed in changing the negative relationship between inquiry-based approaches and scientific achievement.

Authors

• Stephanie Beck, McGill University

• Shan Li, McGill University

• Juan Zheng, McGill University