Inquiry-Based Science Education as a strategy to stimulate the development of solution design skills of pupils in early childhood education

Abstract

The aim of the research was to show the changes taking place in the solution design skills of pupils in the primary education (which was considered a dependent variable) under the influence of the introduction of a new method of working with children. Eleven teachers who enrolled their classes for the "Child as a researcher" project took part in dedicated workshops and acquired knowledge and skills to teach with the use of IBSE. Applying the method in everyday educational practice was considered an independent variable. The dependent variable was measured twice in their classes, i.e. 200 second-grade pupils from primary schools in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodship. Quantitative analysis revealed a statistically significant increase in the solution design skills of the surveyed pupils. The qualitative analysis of the collected empirical material showed that in the final measurement, the pupils more often tried to solve the problem according to their own ideas, proposed many different, original and creative ideas, indicating a research attitude, and additionally, they started using the notions related to Inquiry Based Science Education in their language.