Northern Illinois University
STEM Interest and Engagement (STEM IE)

An inquiry approach to learning is highly recommended in documents motivating recent STEM education curricular reform efforts (i.e., the Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core State Standards for mathematics). In science, such an approach generally follows the process that practicing scientists would undertake to ask and answer a question about the world. Accordingly, such a process regularly engages youth in multiple ways. When engaged in inquiry, youth are guided to ask questions based on observations of the world around them, to plan and carry out investigations to answer these questions, to collect and interpret data, and to present their findings.

A word about structure and planning is important here. Educators often mistakenly think that the inquiry approach entails having less structure than is present in a program that takes a more directive approach to learning. This is not necessarily the case. Successfully implementing an inquiry approach requires a great deal of hidden structure. Careful planning and advance preparation of materials and procedures provides the essential structure that enables youth to observe, ask questions, organize their investigations, interpret their data, and present their findings. Structuring these tasks is crucial for having the activities run smoothly.

The Framework for K–12 Science Education from the National Research Council (2012) highlights a view of inquiry that is focused on engaging students (and youth) in scientific and engineering practices, or the regularly occurring activities of practicing scientists and engineers, as steps toward learning through an inquiry approach.

This one-page table from the National Research Council’s (2000) report on Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards summarizes the inquiry approach. It is posted on the Afterschool Training Toolkit website.

Why Should Students Learn to Plan and Carry Out Investigations in Science and Engineering?, a STEM Teaching Tools brief, discusses how having youth plan and carry out investigations promotes their sense of agency. It includes recommendations for practice.

The National 4-H Channel on YouTube has a series of videos on the inquiry approach. The videos include those with background information on the inquiry approach and numerous examples of the approach in action.

An essential aspect of the inquiry approach entails guiding rather than directly instructing youth. NIU EA Scaffolding shows activity leaders explaining and demonstrating why and how they guide youth in a summer engineering program.

It is not surprising that when youth are provided choices, they feel that they have more control and ownership over their learning than if they are told exactly what to do and how to do it. The flip side of choice is responsibility—when youth are provided with choices, they also are expected to take responsibility.

Choices can be large or small. Large choices could include deciding what questions to investigate (see information on the inquiry approach, above), the topic of an independent project, or how to present their final project to others. There are many ways to provide “small” choices within a given activity. For example, youth could choose (1) where they want to work, (2) whether they want to work independently or in a group, (3) what materials they will use to learn or to design their projects, and (4) extraneous details such as what colors to use for graphing data.

In a previous study conducted in classrooms, we found that adolescents who were given either large or small choices reported feeling more agency than if they were not given any choices. However, the type of choice they were given did matter in terms of how engaged youth were in the activity. For example, when young people got to choose who they were working with, they were more likely show universally low engagement in the task. When they were able to choose how to frame the problems and/or how to complete a course activity, they became fully engaged. Choosing materials was associated with having fun but did not lead to working harder. 

This clip shows youth choice in a STEAM program and the responsibility they are given in the program.

This clip shows girls in an engineering and technology program being given choices and responsibilities in a program that builds a sense of agency and ownership.

Young adolescents, in particular, react negatively to authoritarian management practices, which are characterized by making demands without nurturing and explaining, punishing infractions harshly and unreasonably, not taking youth perspective into account, and a “my way or the highway” attitude. Authoritative management includes providing explanations for why established limits and practices are in place. For example, youth should be told that they must wear goggles to protect their eyes rather than just being told they must wear goggles at all times. Providing reasons promotes youth agency because understanding reasons for limits and rules allows them to direct their own behavior in the future and to understand that the leaders have their best interests in mind.