Claims

Program-based studies show mixed results: a large inquiry-curriculum study found higher achievement, while two carefully designed comparison studies found no differences

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims

Reading the evidence codes

q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.

This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.

q2 i? In a study of more than 8000 students, the inquiry-based curriculum cohort showed higher science achievement overall, statistically significant in four of six courses. → de Jong 2023 q2 i? A randomized controlled study of direct instruction versus inquiry lessons found no significant differences between conditions. → de Jong 2023 (2)

Evidence

de Jong 2023

de Jong, T., Lazonder, A. W., Chinn, C. A., Fischer, F., Gobert, J., Hmelo-Silver, C. H., Koedinger, K. R., Krajcik, J. S., Kyza, E. A., Linn, M. C., Pedaste, M., Scheiter, K., & Zacharia, Z. C. (2023). Let's talk evidence – The case for combining inquiry-based and direct instruction. Educational Research Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2023.100536

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review describes the Linn et al. (2006) program-based study with more than 8000 students comparing two cohorts across six science courses, where the WISE-based inquiry curriculum cohort "showed higher science achievement overall" with significance in four of six courses.

"Students in the inquiry-based curriculum showed higher science achievement overall than students in the typical curriculum; this difference was statistically significant in four of the six courses."

de Jong 2023 (2)

de Jong, T., Lazonder, A. W., Chinn, C. A., Fischer, F., Gobert, J., Hmelo-Silver, C. H., Koedinger, K. R., Krajcik, J. S., Kyza, E. A., Linn, M. C., Pedaste, M., Scheiter, K., & Zacharia, Z. C. (2023). Let's talk evidence – The case for combining inquiry-based and direct instruction. Educational Research Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2023.100536

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review describes the Schuster et al. (2018) randomized controlled study of 8-day physics lessons on dynamics and light, delivered over 5 years to more than 100 participants per year, in which "No significant differences between conditions were found."

"No significant differences between conditions were found, and the authors stated in their abstract, "Findings suggest that teachers need not be bound to one mode throughout and can flexibly decide on the pedagogical approach for each concept and situation"

Discussion

Page metadata
Field Value
type claim
id program-based-studies-mixed-results
title Program-based studies show mixed results: a large inquiry-curriculum study found higher achievement, while two carefully designed comparison studies found no differences
description Program-based studies show mixed results: a large inquiry-curriculum study found higher achievement, while two carefully designed comparison studies found no differences
status review
evidence_strength mixed
newest_evidence 2023
generated by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-21
trust unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources 2 — de-jong-2023, de-jong-2023-2

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