Learning by Discovery

In this review an attempt is made to determine what findings can be drawn from discovery learning experiments. The results of these experiments are conflicting and often insignificant, but they tend to favor discovery learning methods compared to other teaching methods. However, many results are suspect due to limitations in experimental design and analysis, as is demonstrated in a critical analysis of the studies. Also, direct comparison of experimental findings is difficult due to differing ideas concerning the nature of discovery learning, Progress in this field will be limited until the experimental methodology is improved, and until acceptable operational definitions of discovery learning variables are used; some relevant proposals are briefly discussed.