Learning Science As and Through Inquiry

Inquiry science teaching has been at the heart of science education reform efforts for as long as most of us can remember. Clearly, the longstanding efforts to move science education in this direction are not a passing education fad. However, confusion often exists regarding what inquiry science teaching means and what it looks like in the complex world of classroom teaching. Inquiry science teaching may refer to teaching science as inquiry (helping students understand how scientific knowledge is developed) or teaching science through inquiry (having students take part in inquiry activities to help them come to more deeply understand science concepts). When done well, inquiry science teaching accomplishes both