"
Skip to Content
Version 1.1 – Updated August 2021

Inquiry-based teaching

Overview

  • Influence: Inquiry-based teaching
  • Domain: Teaching Strategies
  • Sub-Domain: Instructional strategies
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to accelerate
  • Influence Definition: Inquiry-based teaching is an educational practice in which students are called upon to behave as scientists or philosophers, generating questions and seeking to develop answers through the accumulation of evidence. This could include asking questions and solving problems and often includes procedures such as small-scale investigations and practical projects.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 8
  • Number of studies: 353
  • Number of students: 15,728
  • Number of effects: 553
  • Effect size: 0.46

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author First Author's Country Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Journal of Research in Science Teaching Sweitzer & Anderson USA A meta-analysis of research on science teacher education practices associated with inquiry strategy 1983 Inquiry teaching in science 68 0 19 0.44
Journal of Research in Science Teaching Shymansky, Hedges & Woodworth USA A reassessment of the effects of inquiry-based science curricula of the 60's on student performance 1990 Inquiry methods in science 81 0 320 0.27
Conference Paper Bangert-Drowns USA Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Inquiry-Based Instruction on Critical Thinking 1992 Inquiry teaching effects on critical thinking 21 0 21 0.37
Unpublished Thesis Smith USA A meta-analysis of student outcomes attributable to the teaching of science as inquiry as compared to traditional methodology 1996 Inquiry method in science 35 7,437 60 0.17
Review of Educational Research Lazonder & Harmsen Netherlands Meta-Analysis of Inquiry-Based Learning: Effects of Guidance 2016 Inquiry learning 72 0 72 0.62
AERA Open Estrella, Au, Jaeggi, & Collins USA Is Inquiry Science Instruction Effective for English Language Learners? A Meta-Analytic Review 2018 Inquiry on ELL science 23 8,291 23 0.28
Journal of the Turkish Science Education Aktamis, Hidge, & Ozden Turkey Effects of the inquiry-based learning method on student's' achievements, science process skills, and attitude towards science: A meta-analysis science 2016 Inquiry learning in science 16 0 1 1.03
Review of Educational Research Furtak, Seidel, Iverson & Briggs USA Experimental and quasi-experimental studies of inquiry-based science teaching: A meta-analysis 2012 Inquiry method in science 37 0 37 0.50
TOTAL/AVERAGE 353 15,728 553 0.46

Confidence

The Confidence is the average of these four measures, each divided into five approximately equal groups and assigned a value from 1 to 5 based on the following criteria:

  • Number of Meta-analyses
    • 1 = 1
    • 2 = 2–3
    • 3 = 4–6
    • 4 = 7–9
    • 5 = 10+
  • Number of Studies
    • 1 = 1–10
    • 2 = 11–50
    • 3 = 51–200
    • 4 = 201–400
    • 5 = 400+
  • Number of Students
    • 1 = 1–2,500
    • 2 = 2,501–10,000
    • 3 = 10,000–20,000
    • 4 = 20,000–100,000
    • 5 = 100,001+
  • Number of Effects
    • 1 = 1–100
    • 2 = 101–300
    • 3 = 301–600
    • 4 = 601–1,200
    • 5 = 1,200+
Confidences
Number of Meta-Analyses Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Overall Confidence
Confidence Factor 4 4 3 3 4
Back to top