A big focus of my studies in my secondary science specialization class this past winter was around the concept of inquiry and its importance in aiding students develop understanding. Inquiry requires students to ask questions and take ownership of their learning. Rather than simply listen to a teacher lecture science from the front of the room, students are given the opportunity to discover scientific concepts on their own. Students are engaged in inquiry when they consider scientifically oriented questions, they formulate evidence-based explanations, they compare the merit of their explanations, and they can communicate their findings (Volkman & Abell, 2003). These ideas which explain the concept of inquiry can be related to many concepts of critical science literacy.
An assumption that many students at the post-secondary level hold regarding science is that it is indisputable and that there is nothing that they can contribute to science (Gigante, 2014). This is an issue from a critical literacy standpoint because one of the competencies of critically literate individuals is to question the information they receive and analyze its reliability. Assuming that science is indisputable removes the questioning component that is integral to being critically literate. If we use inquiry in science lessons at the grade school level students can be taught that science is not indisputable, and their own study of scientific concepts is valuable. Inquiry also teaches students the value of questioning.
Wong (2021) discusses the use of ill-defined problems to enhance critical literacy skills in students. They describe ill-defined problems as problems which do not have a clear path to a solution or may have multiple solutions. The critical literacy competencies required to answer this type of problem are questioning the validity of sources and cross-referencing with existing knowledge to make meaning (Wong, 2021). The ill-defined problem which Wong describes is the type of problem that is perfect for inquiry because it forces students to take charge and choose a direction in which to take their learning.
Inquiry also allows students to draw from their own funds of knowledge to make sense of what they are learning (Moll et al., 2005). Barton et al. (2008) describes this idea as creating hybrid spaces where school science and students lived experiences and culture meet. In creating hybrid spaces through inquiry-based lessons teachers can help students to feel connected to the science that they are learning. The application of funds of knowledge outside the science curriculum to what they are learning helps students develop the skills required to apply the third dimension of critical literacy, focusing on the sociopolitical (Lewison et al., 2015). The more practice students have with applying concepts from outside of the classroom to concepts inside the classroom, the better equipped they will be to understand how science is related to social and political aspects of our society.
Before starting this project, I viewed inquiry as important to promote the development of a robust scientific understanding in students. As I have been reading literature on critical literacy strategies, I have noticed that many strategies of critical literacy and scientific inquiry overlap. The development of understanding coupled with the way that inquiry lends itself to the development of critical science literacy skills shows that it is an invaluable tool to use in the classroom. I look forward to discovering more ways in which inquiry can be used to aid in critical science literacy skill development.
References:
Barton, A., Tan, E., & Rivet, A. (2008). Creating hybrid spaces for engaging school science among urban middle school girls. American Educational Research Journal, 45(1), 68-103.
Gigante, M. (2014). Critical science literacy of science majors. Bulletin of Science, Technology, and Society, 34(3-4), 77-86.
Lewison, M., Leland, C., & Harste, J. C. (2015). Creating critical classrooms: Reading and writing with an edge. Routledge
Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & González, N. (2005). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. In N. González, L.C. Moll, & C. Amanti. Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms. (pp. 71-88). Routledge
Wong, S., Kim, M., & Jin, Q. (2021) Critical literacy practices within problem-based learning projects in science. Interchange, 52, 463-477.
Volkmann, M. J., & Abell, S. K. (2003). Rethinking laboratories: Tools for converting cookbook labs to inquiry. Science Links, 70(6), 38-41.