JoinSociety for College Science Teachers: Was "Inquiry" a Mistake? It's all in the Name
If teaching by inquiry is recommended as a practice for science teachers because it models the practice of scientific researchers and research supports it, why do scientific researchers resist it? The arguments vary--we teach the way we were taught, it is too difficult or time consuming, we have to give up content, and so on. Perhaps there is another, simpler reason--perhaps we gave it the wrong name! This SCST column discusses the importance of inquiry teaching and explains how the term "inquiry" has been misinterpreted.