EXAMINING FACTORS AFFECTING IMPLEMENTATION OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING IN FINLAND AND SOUTH KOREA

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EXAMINING FACTORS AFFECTING IMPLEMENTATION OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING IN FINLAND AND SOUTH KOREA

Journal Title: Problems of Education in the 21st Century - Year 2016, Vol 74, Issue 12

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 confdence in conducting inquiry or insuffcient 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 fndings reveal that teachers’ confdence 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 signifcantly 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 nonsignifcant 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.

Authors and Affiliations

Jingoo Kang, Tuula Keinonen

Keywords

EP ID EP35454
DOI -
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