Inquiry-Based Learning and Conceptual Change in Balance Beam Understanding

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Science Education

Background:

• Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is recognized for fostering conceptual change.
• The link between IBL and advancements in strategy use remains under-explored.
• Strategy use can reflect conceptual change, particularly in problem-solving tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if inquiry-based learning leads to advancements in strategy use.
• To test the hypothesis that conceptual change can be measured by changes in strategy use.
• To model changes in strategy use using latent transition analysis (LTA).

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design comparing an experimental group (digital IBL on balance beam, n=113) with a control group (different IBL topic, n=44).
• Participants (ages 8-13) completed a balance beam test (pretest and posttest) assessing strategy use.
• Latent transition analysis (LTA) was employed to model changes in strategy use attributed to the intervention.

Main Results:

• Overall accuracy on the balance beam test improved significantly in the experimental group but not the control group.
• LTA revealed changes in strategy use from pretest to posttest, with more improvements in the experimental group.
• 26% of children in the experimental group demonstrated conceptual change, evidenced by shifts in strategy use.

Conclusions:

• Inquiry-based learning can effectively promote advancements in strategy use, indicating conceptual change.
• Measuring strategy use changes via methods like LTA provides a quantifiable way to assess conceptual change.
• Understanding prior knowledge and its impact on learning pathways is crucial in science education.