Interactions in an open‐inquiry physics laboratory

This is a naturalistic study of interactions in an open‐inquiry physics laboratory. The following aspects‐‐the nature of student‐‐student interactions, the nature of the peer group‐‐teacher interactions, the interactions involved in task management, and the views of students toward group work‐‐indicated some patterns. Primarily, students negotiated in a collaborative mode, an adversarial mode, and by following a majority rule. During the planning and the data interpretation phases of an experiment, interactions were primarily verbal and took shape according to the behaviour of participating individuals. From the analysis of the degree of participation by different members of a group, three major patterns of interaction emerged: symmetric, asymmetric, and shifting asymmetric. During the planning and the data interpretation sessions, interactions between the teacher and students were either a Socratic interlocution or a discussion between a coach and novices. During the data collection stage, the teacher primarily helped students solve various local problems pertaining to the equipment or measurements. Students’ views toward working in a group, as expressed in their essays, were generally very positive.