A discourse-based analysis of student inquiry in elementary

Abstract: Our purpose in this case study is to describe elementary student inquiry in science related to four elements: mechanistic reasoning, analogical reasoning, argumentation and scientific explanations. Findings show that prior to instruction the students were able to use different components of these four elements of student inquiry, at various levels of sophistication, suggesting that it may be more productive to help students to develop reliable access to those abilities. Theoretical framework Despite decades of calls for promoting inquiry in elementary science, the agenda has yet to establish i