EXAMINING FACTORS AFFECTING IMPLEMENTATION OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING IN FINLAND AND SOUTH KOREA
Journal: Problems of Education in the 21st Century (Vol.74, No. 1)Publication Date: 2016-12-30
Authors : Jingoo Kang Tuula Keinonen;
Page : 31-48
Keywords : inquiry-based learning; teacher collaboration; teacher confidence;
Abstract
Using inquiry has become a universal factor in science education, but teachers often face challenges in implementing inquiry-based learning (IBL) because of, for instance, teachers' low confidence in conducting inquiry or insufficient school resources. Much research has been conducted to identify the barriers that impede inquiry practice. However, most studies have employed small-scale qualitative methods from a single-country sample, and, thus, the effects of each factor on conducting inquiry in different educational systems have yet to be measured in one statistical model. Accordingly, this research was aimed to explore the extent to which various teacher- and school-factors have respectively affected teachers' implementation of inquiry-based learning at lower secondary schools. To examine this issue, samples of 496 Finnish teachers in 135 lower secondary schools and 184 Korean teachers in 147 lower secondary schools were selected from the TIMSS 2011 science data set. The findings reveal that teachers' confidence in teaching science and their collaboration to improve science teaching were strongly associated with facilitating inquiry in both countries, and these two factors' positive effects on the implementation were partially derived from inquiry-related professional development in the Finnish sample. In addition, class size and school resources were also significantly related to inquiry practice in Finland, and the teachers' education levels were negatively correlated with the frequency of inquiry practice in Korea. However, in both countries, the teachers' emphasis on exams was indicated as a non-significant factor in predicting inquiry frequency. The results have implications in respect of the roles of professional development and school environment in increasing IBL practice in school science.
Other Latest Articles
- A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MINI-PERCUTANEOUS NEPHROLITHOTRIPSY AND URETEROSCOPIC PNEUMATIC LITHOTRIPSY IN THE TREATMENT OF LARGE IMPACTED UPPER URETERIC STONES
- ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS OF HEAD TEACHERS AT SECONDARY SCHOOLS LEVEL IN PAKISTAN
- DESIGN OF DIDACTIC MATERIAL FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING SITUATIONS: THE CASE OF SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE, AFRICA
- SAUDI TEACHERS’ PRACTICES OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
- PISA RESULTS OR X-RAY FILMS OF EDUCATION SYSTEMS?
Last modified: 2018-06-23 16:42:05