Effects of Inquiry–based Agriscience Instruction on Student Achievement

Abstract

Testing to build research-based evidence to support teaching methodologies that promote student learning has become increasingly important in a standards-based educational system in the United States. One challenge is the lack of studies that support specific methodologies so teachers and administers can make professional development and curricular decisions. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effect of two teaching methods on student content knowledge achievement. Inquiry-based instruction was compared to the subject matter approach in 15 agriscience education classes found within seven different secondary schools across the United States. Utilizing student pretest score as a covariate, there was a statistically significant difference between groups on the posttest. Those students taught through inquiry-based instruction were reported as having higher content knowledge achievement than students taught through the subject matter approach.

Incorporating Learning Objects in a Curriculum Redesign to Meet Needs of Students with Specific Learning Disabilities in Illinois Agricultural Education Programs

“…Students taught through IBI scored significantly higher on content knowledge exams and scientific reasoning (Thoron & Myers, 2011). This study found a moderate relationship between the method used and the scientific reasoning score.…”

“…Means and Voss (1996) stated that reasoning skills and content knowledge are related. As a larger part of this study Thoron and Myers (2011) found students, taught through inquiry-based instruction, scored significantly higher on content knowledge assessments when compared to the subject matter approach. Current teaching methods are not satisfying the needs of individuals entering careers in agriculture, attending major universities, or pursuing other postsecondary education endeavors (NRC, 1998).…”

The Infusion of Inquiry-based Learning into School-Based Agricultural Education: A Review of Literature

“…Moving to Priority 5 of the NRA, "Efficient and Effective Agricultural Education Programs", this notion has underscored the need for advancing agricultural education into a model that emphasizes pragmatic, high-quality, and academically-rigorous curricula. As inquiry-based learning is designed to create relevant and problem-based learning environments (Parr & Edwards, 2004;Thoron & Myers, 2011), the creation and sustainment of high-quality SBAE through this teaching and learning theory is well-supported.…”

“…In order to help further enhance students' interests in various content areas, many educators have incorporated the use of inquiry-based learning into their curricula. As supported by educational philosopher John Dewey (1910, as cited in Thoron & Myers, 2011), inquiry-based learning aids in students' processes of discovery about selected topics, particularly those of interest to individual students. As a result, higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) and more cognitively-rooted ideas are more apt to occur (Thoron & Myers, 2011).…”

“…As supported by educational philosopher John Dewey (1910, as cited in Thoron & Myers, 2011), inquiry-based learning aids in students' processes of discovery about selected topics, particularly those of interest to individual students. As a result, higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) and more cognitively-rooted ideas are more apt to occur (Thoron & Myers, 2011). Interestingly, inquiry-based learning and teaching has historically occupied a very prominent role in agricultural education classrooms across the United States in the form of problem-based learning (PBL) (Parr & Edwards, 2004).…”