Enhancing Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Web-based Scientific Inquiry

This paper describes how the Web-based Inquiry for Learning Science (WBI) instrument was used with preservice elementary and secondary science teachers in science methods courses to enhance their understanding of Webbased scientific inquiry. The WBI instrument is designed to help teachers identify Web-based inquiry activities for learning science and classify those activities along a continuum from learner-directed to materials-directed for each of the five essential features of inquiry as described in Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 2000). Recommendations for using the WBI instrument in preservice science methods courses are discussed.