The efficacy of student-centered instruction in supporting science learning

Much of the excitement of scientific discovery seems to get lost when science is taught as facts by lectures. Granger et al. (p. [105][1]) present a large study of outcomes comparing inquiry-based teaching with more traditional teaching methods. Over 2000 students were involved, in 125 classrooms of 4th- and 5th-graders. The classes studied space-science with a curriculum that uses models and evidence to entice students into improving their own understanding of the science. Students who were encouraged to use evidence to support their models seemed to develop improved knowledge of content. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1223709