The development of middle school students' inquiry strategies in project-based science classrooms

Inquiry is an essential component of science learning (Lunetta, in press; Roth, 1995). New constructivist and social constructivist approaches to science instruction feature inquiry as essential for student learning. These approaches assume that students need opportunities to find solutions to real questions by asking and refining questions, designing and conducting investigations, gathering and analyzing information and data, making interpretations, drawing conclusions, and reporting findings. A number of programs have been developed that stress engaging students in inquiry. Examples include Scientists in Action developed by the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992), Linn's (in press) Computers as Learning Partner, Songer's (1993) Kids as Global Scientists, Brown and Campione's (1994) Community of Learners, and Peas' (1992) Collaborative Visualization.