Model-Based Inquiry and School Science: Creating Connections

Much has been made in recent years of inquiry approaches to science education and the promise of such instruction to alleviate some of the ills of science education, yet in some ways this construct is still unclear to many in the field. In this paper we explore one view of inquiry in science that is based on the development, use, assessment, and revision of models and related explanations. Because modeling plays a central role in scientific inquiry it should be a prominent feature of students' science education. We present a framework based on this view that can serve as a guide to curriculum development and instructional decision-making with the goal of creating classroom environments that mirror important aspects of scientific practice. Specifically, the framework allows us to emphasize that scientists: engage in inquiry other than controlled experiments, use existing models in their inquiries, engage in inquiry that leads to revised models, use models to construct explanations, use models to unify their understanding, and engage in argumentation. Here, we discuss how these practices can be incorporated into science classrooms and illustrate that discussion with examples from our research classrooms.