Learning in An Inquiry-Driven Plant Physiology Laboratory

Plant physiology is best explored through participatory ac-tivities, where students are closely engaged in the process of dis-covery. A two-stage approach to instruction was implemented to enrich the learning in an undergraduate plant physiology labo-ratory. First, a core of 10 experiments was developed to provide structured, hands-on experience and to teach the principles and skills of modern physiological analyses. During Week 11 of a 15-wk semester, students observe a demonstration of a plant re-sponse, where the underlying cause of the phenomenon is not ev-ident. Working together in small groups, students hypothesize on the mechanisms that may be involved. They choose among al-ternative lines of inquiry and decide which variables will be most informative in revealing the underlying nature of the prob-lem. Each research team presents a study plan, and hypothese