Since 2008: Inquiry-Based Learning Enriched by History and Philosophy of Science

The research project of Andreas Henke aims at a better understanding of two teaching approaches which both have been recommended for learning effectively about the nature of science in science education. It is not clear until today which aspects of the nature of science might be fostered either by learning science with its history and philosophy or by an inquiry-based approach. On the other hand several authors have asked for a combination of inquiry-based learning and learning with history and philosophy of science for about 20 years.

Within this project two groups of students have been compared, each taught by the same physics teacher about the same scientific content. For each group of students s pecific treatment was designed and taught as teaching intervention. Both interventions are inquiry-based, but only one is enriched with historical background information and replications of historical instruments. Data have been collected based on interviews, questionnaires and videotaped lessons. A thorough analysis of the data aims at a better understanding of how each of the treatments might foster students’ beliefs about the nature of science.

Publications attributed to the project:

Henke, A. (2016). Lernen über die Natur der Naturwissenschaften – Forschender und historisch orientierter Physikunterricht im Vergleich. ZfDN.

Henke, A. & Höttecke, D. (2013). Students’ beliefs about the diachronic nature of science: a metaphor-based analysis of 8th-graders’ drawings of “the way of science". In Silva, C. C. & Prestes, M. E. B. (Eds.), Aprendendo ciência e sobre sua natureza: abordagens históricas e filosóficas (pp. 327-356). São Paulo: Tipographia Editoria Expressa.

Henke, A. & Höttecke, D. (2012). Lernen über die Natur der Naturwissenschaften. Forschendes Lernen und historische Fallstudien im Vergleich. In S. Bernholt (Hrsg.), Konzepte fachdidaktischer Strukturierung für den Unterricht (S. 592-594). Gesellschaft für Didaktik der Chemie und Physik. Jahrestagung in Oldenburg 2011. Münster: LIT-Verlag .

Henke, A., & Höttecke, D. (2010). Lernen über die Natur der Naturwissenschaften - Vergleichende Untersuchung der Wirkung expliziter Reflektion in historischen Fallstudien & forschendem Lernen. In D. Höttecke (ed.) (2010), Entwicklung naturwissenschaftlichen Denkens zwischen Phänomen und Systematik. Gesellschaft für Didaktik der Chemie und Physik. Jahrestagung in Dresden 2009. Münster: LIT-Verlag..