Poster #66 - Measuring Learning Environments: Making Sense of Student-Reported Inquiry-Driven Science Teaching Practices

• In Event: 25.087 - MTCC Poster Session Four
  In Poster Session: 25.087-9 - Upcoming Researchers Showcase Multiple Examples of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment in Schools: A Graduate Student Poster Session

Abstract

Inquiry-driven instruction is a loosely defined construct that occupies a central role in science education. Many studies have investigated the relationship between student achievement and various inquiry instructional practices. The PISA inquiry-driven instruction index uses nine questionnaire items to describe student-reported frequency of instructional practices. However, the practices described in these items vary widely and do not measure a single construct. This study examines the patterns of responses from US students and identifies three unique factors emergent from these data. The OECD policy recommendations, based on a single index comprising all nine items, fails to capture the complexity of instruction collectively described as “inquiry.” Using three indices will better describe the relationship between instructional practices and student achievement.

Author

• Sara Dozier, Stanford University