CHAPTER 2

INQUIRY APPROACH TO SCIENCE EDUCATION (CHEMISTRY)

Good education prepares the situation for the child to carry out his own
experiments, and seeks answers to his own questions, connects the results with one
another, compares what he finds with those found by other children. through the
inquiry approach students are given the opportunity to search for and find regularities
and related things through their own observation framework and experience. teaching
based on the inquiry approach is teaching where teachers and children learn scientific
events with the approach and soul of scientists.
A. Preface
Jerome Brune, a United States education expert, founder and pioneer of
discovery learning theory in modern science education, provides his views on the
inquiry approach, when this concept was first implemented in the United States. he
argued that the inquiry approach provides benefits for the development of education,
including:
first, the inquiry approach enhances students' intellectual potential because
with this approach students are given the opportunity to search for and find
regularities and related things through their own observation framework and
experience. a student who discovers for himself that the water expands when frozen,
is more expected to explain why the ice floats on water, or why a bottle filled with
water will crack if the water in the bottle freezes.
second, because when the student has succeeded in his discovery he will get
an intellectual satisfaction that comes from inside, an intrinsic reward that is higher in
value and more meaningful than just extrinsic reward, such as praise from the teacher.
third, Bruner said that the student could learn how to make discoveries only
through the process of making discoveries. so in this context, Bruner saw the
implementation of learning from findings that had already been discovered, which
were applied in the inquiry approach.
fourth, learning through the inquiry approach prolongs the memory process
or in other words the things learned through inquiry can be remembered longer.
 B. Inquiry Approach
1. Introduction to Inquiry Approach
etymologically, the word inquiry comes from the English word "inquiry" with
the meaning "question" or "inquiry". so with inquiry, students are given the
opportunity to answer the questions faced / submitted to them.
he conducts an investigation to find and find regularities and related matters
through his own framework of observation and experience. this is the most basic
understanding of the inquiry approach.
some education experts try to provide a more comprehensive and holistic
definition of the inquiry approach. Jean Plaget, for example, provides a functional
definition of the inquiry approach. Plaget suggests: a good education prepares the
situation for the child to carry out his own experiments, in the broadest sense of
wanting to use symbols, asking questions and seeking answers to his own questions,
linking the findings with one another, comparing what he finds with found another
child. teaching based on inquiry approaches is a teaching in which teachers and
children learn scientific events with the approach and soul of scientists.
Kuslan and Stone also provide an operational definition of the inquiry
approach. according to these two experts, the process of learning with an inquiry
approach is characterized by the following characteristics:
a. using the science process
b. time is not a problem, there is no obligation to complete certain units in a
certain time.
c. the answers sought are not known in advance. these answers are not found
in textbooks, because textbooks and selected instructions contain questions and
suggestions to find answers instead of giving answers.
d. children are eager to find problem solving
e. the teaching-learning process is centered on the "why", "knowing"
questions, "is it true that conclusions" are often put forward.
f. a problem is found and narrowed down, until you see there is the possibility
of these problems can be solved by the students.
g. the hypothesis is formulated by students who guide the investigation
h. students propose ways to collect data by experimenting, making reading
observations, and using other sources.
 i. all of these proposals are assessed together. if possible, also determined the
assumptions, limitations and difficulties.
j. students do the research, individually, or in groups to collect data needed to
test hypotheses.
k. students process data and they come to a temporary conclusion. also tried
to provide scientific descriptions.
C. The development of inquiry attitude
since childhood there are actually a lot of children who have an inquiry
attitude. they throw their questions, views and curiosity at the parents or adults
around them, but often their hobbies eventually turn into games and fantasies. there
are times when the questions they ask do not get a satisfactory answer, and even some
parents who do not want to be bothered by the children’s questions.
a teacher who wants to develop an inquiry attitude, trying to channel the
children's interests. they are invited to do an investigation to find relationships that
are not recognized by the children. The teacher does not answer directly the child
questions asked, but guides them to find answers to their questions. cultivated, so that
every question answered, every hobby has been satisfied will open the door to new
questions and new interests.
then the inquiry-oriented teacher guides his students by asking good
questions. by asking, the teacher helps students in using their estimates.
The use of inquiry approach would cover fewer subject matter in order to
develop ways to think, ask questions and find answers.
D. three kinds of inquiry approaches
Sund and Trowbridge propose three types of inquiry approaches, namely:
1. guided inquiry
2. free inquiry
3. modified free inquiry
in the teaching and learning process through a guided inquiry approach,
students obtain the necessary instructions. these instructions are generally guiding
questions. this approach is mainly used for students who have no learning experience
with inquiry. at the beginning given more guidance then this guidance will be gradually
reduced.
 in the teaching and learning process through a free inquiry approach students
do their own research like a scientist. in fact pure free inquiry is difficult to apply to
students, because students generally still need teacher guidance at any time.
in a learning situation with a modified approach to free inquiry, the teacher
sets up the problem for students. for example:
1. there are some liquids. determine the physical and chemical properties of
each of these substances.
2. there are several simple planes, determine the usefulness of each of these
simple aircraft.
3. In the school garden there are several plants, classify the plants according
to the ways you have learned.
note that in modified inquiry, students act as scientists, work and investigate
as scientists do, but the questions in that direction are given by the teacher. in other
words, the teacher sets up the problem for students.
E. the role and types of questions in the inquiry approach
in the teaching and learning process based on an inquiry approach, the
questions that arise have a very decisive role. the role of the student question and the
rediricting question have a very important role. of the questions asked by students can
be known how far the student thinks. of the questions posed by the teacher, students
are guided and directed to use their minds creatively and critically.
in learning situations that use the role inquiry approach this question should
really get attention. Full participation of students can only be achieved if the teacher
creates a learning atmosphere in that direction by asking good and quality questions.
the quality question is not only asked during the lecture method but also when
the teacher holds a demonstration in front of the class, as long as the student conducts
experiments in the laboratory, during the discussion, as long as the students are
invited to conduct a review in the field or during field trips and so on.
Questions tat may be posed to students in the application of inquiry approach
to teaching and learning process can be classified as follows:
a. questions that are divergent or convergent
b. questions based on Bloom's taxonomy
c. questions based on scientific processes
Divergent questions are open questions to provoke as many alternative
answers as possible from students. Divergent questions are often called open
questions. The function of divergent questions is for speculation and creative answers
from students. While the convergent questions are questions that guide students to
provide answers that are "to the point" to questions. The answers given by students is
up to the conclusion. Convergent questions that require a "yes" or "no" or a direct
answer to the questions given. Convergent questions are called closed questions.
As the instructional objectives hierarchy can be classified according to Bloom's
taxonomy, the questions posed to students can also be classified in the same way.
by using the inquiry approach many questions were asked about science
processes. some sample questions are given below.
sample questions type of question
what can we do with this tool? divergent, process
(while showing a measuring cup or
perhaps a thermometer)
What conclusions can you take converging, process, bloom
from your observations about the
changes that you have observed?
(students are expected to explain the
difference between chemical and
physical changes)
try to write down as many metal Bloom
properties as possible?

F. teaching strategy with inquiry approach

to develop a teaching strategy using the inquiry approach, the following three
things should be considered:
a. students should do some of the processes carried out by scientists
b. in accordance with learning theory, students must actively participate in the
teaching and learning process.
c. the teacher should know the level of student development

an example of a teaching strategy using a guided inquiry approach. it can be

seen how the teacher provides guidance and how students ask questions to obtain
data so that they can solve their problems.
 1. preliminary experience
for a few hours a class investigates and observes the frequency of the swing
associated with changes in the pendulum and the length of the rope in a simple swing.
they investigate how the frequency of swing changes if the pendulum mass is changed,
while the length of the rope does not change. then observed changes that occur if the
pendulum mass remains while the length of the rope is changed.
students were asked to describe on the paper the length of the rope to the
number of swings (frequency of swing). some students can predict the frequency of
swing for a certain length of rope, also given a frequency so that they can predict the
length of the pendulum rope.
2. The role of teachers in preparing the focus for inquiry
to stimulate teacher students to play a film about the pendulum. in the film,
five pendulums are released from a joint statif. each pendulum has the same volume,
but is made from non-similar materials, namely steel, lead, teak, softwood and plastic.
after seeing the film, one of the questions asked to start student inquiry is:
"who among you can explain why at the beginning all pendulum was swinging
at the same speed, but then some of them (from softwood and plastic) began to
diminish their swing even stopped when the others continued to swing?"
3. teacher strategy
the teacher's strategy is to expose students to problems (as stated above).
then the students will try to explain the events they have observed. they also have to
test the hypothesis they put forward by conducting experiments. the role of the
teacher is to prepare a film or other material / situation needed to motivate students'
critical and creative minds and as a basis they make a temporary guess (hypothesis).
The teacher will assist students in carrying out experiments that have been
designed by students.
G. inquiry invitation
teachers who will use the inquiry approach should prepare an inquiry
invitation. the steps in the invitation are as follows:
1. determine the goals to be achieved.
2. formulate a problem related to the goal.
3. formulate questions that direct students to develop experiments, formulate
hypotheses, analyze and synthesize, and record data.
science should be emphasized as a process of cognitive skills
 4. Write the invitation as a series of steps and insert it at each step. additional
information to help students explore the things learned.
5. try to make the inquiry invitation contain as many scientific processes as
possible.
inquiry invitations invite students in a discussion to participate. in this activity
they solve problems as in identical ways that scientists do in solving problems. the
main purpose of this invitation is to give understanding to students about the activities
carried out by scientists in solving problems.
Furthermore, in reporting the results of the experiment, students actually
report their observations, collected data, and conclusions based on their own
experiments. so through this activity, they will find that the process of science is the
same or sometimes more important than the results of science. often the nature and
meaning of science are more valuable when students view science as a "process"
rather than just as a product. actually this is the goal of science education. educate
students to become scientists, in the sense of thinking, acting and conducting activities
/ scientific experiments / research as scientists do.