This chapter introduces the background of the study. Firstly, science teaching and inquiry-based teaching in the early years are explained. Later, the aims and significance of this research are presented.
1.1 Background for science teaching
Several existing studies have indicated the need for further discussion to develop science education worldwide. Firstly, the primary focus of the research has been in secondary school science. The previous research (Maltese & Tai, 2010; Archer et al., 2013) has shown evidence that it is too late to start creating engagement in science learning in the secondary school years. The interest in learning new things also decreases in the last years of elementary school (Havu-Nuutinen, 2005; Archer et al., 2013; Vettenranta et al., 2016). Also, young people’s interest in scientific careers is relatively low (DeWitt et al., 2011; Kärnä, Houtsonen & Tähkä, 2012; Vettenranta et al. 2016; Leino et al. 2019). The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) testing has shown that the learning outcomes in science have decreased among the 9th graders. These facts about the previous studies create the importance of engaging the children in science learning already in their early years. Children’s premises to science learning are good because they have a high natural interest in the environment and nature in the early years of schooling. They are naturally intrigued of learning new things and problem-solving. Furthermore, children have a high interest in their neighborhood and the phenomenon happening there, especially at the stage of starting their school (Havu-Nuutinen, 2005; Archer et al., 2013; Vettenranta et al. 2016). Previous studies have also shown that those who choose to either study or work in a scientific field have got an interest in science already during their elementary school years. The positive experiences of science learning at the early phases of school will positively impact one’s thoughts about science and scientific careers later in life. (Maltese & Tai, 2010; Archer et al., 2013.)
On the other hand, the positive learning experiences usually involve inquiry-based teaching (Havu-Nuutinen, 2005; Havu-Nuutinen et al., 2011; 2018), which means that students can challenge
themselves with the other students. Inquiry-based teaching is driven on problem-centered working where the skills of conducting research are practiced. It involves forming the research questions, acquisition of information, and making conclusions. Furthermore, inquiry-based teaching is seen as an inclusive, engaging, and collaborative learning method where students also encounter cognitively challenging tasks that arouse children's natural interest (Havu-Nuutinen, 2005; Havu-Nuutinen et al. 2011; 2018). In addition, it has been noted that small children need meaningful learning experiences, which create their set of values. The importance of emotions in guiding the thinking and behavioral process with small children is essential. (Havu-Nuutinen, 2005;
Archer et al. 2013; Vettenranta et al. 2016.)
Children are naturally active learners – with their functionality and activity, which are also highlighted in the inquiry-based teaching. Guiding children to the phenomenon involved in their everyday lives reinforces the understanding of the phenomenon and engagement in learning. The inquiry-based teaching method supports learning at the early age stage because students can challenge themselves among their peers. (Havu-Nuutinen, 2005; Havu-Nuutinen et al, 2011; 2018.) Although textbooks can be seen as essential support in learning, they are not enough to reinforce the scientific expertise. Usually problem-solving makes the children think of new problems to be solved, creating the learning path. (Havu-Nuutinen, 2020.) In inquiry-based teaching the children need guiding during the process, towards the concepts in science and perceiving the phenomenon. In addition, inquiry-based teaching can be divided into open inquiry, guided inquiry, and confirmation inquiry (Havu-Nuutinen, 2005; Havu-Nuutinen et al. 2017; DeWit et al., 2013).
Although inquiry-based teaching is seen as an effective method in engaging the children into science learning, it has been mentioned that one of the common challenges using it is maintaining students’ interest and engaging them in the inquiry-based teaching activities as well as communicating with the students in the inquiry activities (Bencze, 2009; Oliveria, 2009). Another challenge revealed in several studies among primary school teachers is the lack of their science content knowledge (Kallery & Psillos 2001; Ødegaard et al., 2014). Content knowledge is considered one of the core elements in using inquiry-based science teaching. Furthermore, the content expertise affects the teacher’s confidence and classroom management (Enugu &
Hokayem, 2017).
1.2 Inquiry-based teaching in early years
Despite the challenges, inquiry-based science teaching is important because it is an effective and engaging method for children to learn things related to science. Kang (2017) mentions that inquiry-based learning has come to a keystone of science education for it fosters students’ understanding of nature of science and scientific inquiry. It requires students to involve at least a basic inquiry cycle such as “asking a simple question, completing an investigation, answering the question, and presenting the results to others.” (National Research Council, 1996). Also, Juntunen (2015) notes that the holistic and inquiry-based chemistry education supports versatile studying and citizenship skills in a new way. It motivates students to study chemistry and guides them to take sustainable development into account. The author emphasized that education for sustainable development is needed at all school levels. Furthermore, Louis, and Stead (2015) show reasons why science should be taught in the early years in the first place. The authors note that young children are naturally curious and “science is all about finding out about the world; science encourages exploration and investigation.” Science is a subject that engages and interests’ young children. In addition, science teaching in the early years helps children understand their bodies which underpins the ideas about keeping healthy. Havu-Nuutinen (2020) has also noted the importance of science teaching in general. Science teaching is based on ensuring human well-being in addition to maintain the stability of the earth, which needs more and more specifically, people with knowledge and professionalism to solve the phenomenon and challenges about humans and nature. More often, solving the phenomenon requires thinking outside of the box as all the things cannot be in the researchers' minds beforehand.
1.3 The changes in the American educational system
After defining the importance of using inquiry-based teaching in science teaching and the significance of science teaching in general, it is essential to discuss the changes in the American educational system as the interviews in this research focused on American elementary school teachers. In the United States of America, the common core standards provide clear and consistent learning goals which will help the students for college, career, and life. The common
core standards demonstrate what students are expected to learn at each grade level to understand and support students' learning. The common core standards focus on the core concepts and procedures starting in the early grades, which gives teachers the time needed to teach the students and the students time required to master them. Because the standards provide grade-specific goals, they do not define what materials and methods should be used by the teacher or how the standards should be taught. (Common core state standards initiative, 2010.) Because the Standards do not clearly state how science or any other subjects should be taught, the teacher has the freedom to choose whether to use inquiry-based science teaching or not.
In addition, it is essential to note that inquiry-based science teaching has its origins in the United States of America. It is a method that was first implemented used there for a long time. Also, science teaching has played an essential role in the American educational field. However, in the year 2015 American educational system experienced a significant change when the importance of science was not highlighted anymore after the common core standards in the United States of America changed. Those changes emphasized the role of language arts/literature and mathematics, which left science to the side. (Common core state standards initiative, 2010.) These changes have caused a massive impact on how inquiry is implemented in science teaching and how science learning is assessed because of the lack of time that the teachers have. The importance of language arts and literature and mathematics take time away from science teaching, and now inquiry-based teaching is in danger of disappearing from the country. As mentioned earlier, using inquiry-based teaching is not explicitly guided in the National Common Core Standards, which ultimately leaves the decision to the teacher. As noted earlier, using inquiry-based teaching has its challenges which reduces the use of it among the teachers.
Still, it has been noted that having to make the decisions about their teaching is something that teachers in the United States must face often. Suominen (2021) noted that the American teacher interviews suggest that at least when it comes to teaching the concept of history politics, the teachers have quite a bit of room for maneuverability, which they also gladly use. For this reason, at the grassroots level, education can further very different kinds of ambitions depending on the preferences of individual teachers. The responsibility to make the final choice about teaching the
concept of history politics has been shifted to textbook authors and teachers (Suominen, 2021).
This means that American teachers are not left without clear guidelines in science teaching only – the same principles also apply to other subjects. It is also vital to notice that in the United States, the curriculum frameworks of individual states vary (TIMMS 2015 Encyclopedia, United States).
Because those curriculum frameworks can be different in each state, there is no national clarity on how science education should be done. Though the Next Generation Science Standards are national and developed to improve science education through three-dimensional learning, even those standards do not clearly state how inquiry-based learning should be implemented in teaching. That is why this research about the teachers’ perceptions about inquiry-based learning is significant.
1.4 The aim of the research
Because the American curriculum documents do not clearly define how inquiry-based teaching should be used in science education, this research aims to figure out how do the teachers perceive inquiry-based teaching and what are the approaches that they use to implement the method in their science teaching. Also, the matter of how the elementary school teachers assess children’s science learning is essential to find out in this research, especially when the inquiry-based teaching gives the science learning assessment a different perspective as it is assessed more with formative assessment practices and includes the actions, emotions, and interactions as a part of the assessment.
The significance of this study is justified with the importance of seeing how the elementary school teachers in the United States of America perceive inquiry-based teaching, especially as the American curriculum framework does not define how science should be taught and whether using inquiry-based teaching is necessary. Also, it is important to see how the changes that were done in the common core standards in 2015 affect science teaching, as the emphasis on the standards changed into language arts/literature and mathematics. In addition, teachers’ assessment of children’s science learning is under the focus of this study. The significance of including assessment as a part of this research is justified with the fact that assessment is seen crucial in
inquiry-based teaching approaches, as it includes formative assessment more into assessing the children’s learning process.