Inquiry Investigation: A New Approach to Laboratory Reports

Hand, B.; Keys, C. W. Inquiry Investigation: A New Approach to Laboratory Reports. Sci. Teach. 1999, 66, 27-29.

Summary:
The authors have developed a science writing heuristic the follows a path of inquiry to be used for student investigations.

The Science Writing Heuristic, part I
A template for teacher-designed activities to promote laboratory understanding.

1. Exploration of pre-instruction understanding through individual or group concept mapping. 
2. Pre-laboratory activiitesm including informal writing, makeing observations, brainstorming, and posing questions.
3. Participation in laboratory activity (can be student generated procedure).
4. Negotiation phase I - writing personal meanings for laboratory activity (lab journals?).
5. Negotiation phase II - sharing and comparing data interpretations in small groups (for example making group charts).
6. Negotiation phase III - comparing science ideas to textbooks or other printed resources (for example writing group notes in response to focus questions).
7. Negotiation phase IV - individual reflection and writing (for example, creating a presentation such as a poster or report or a larger audience).
8. Exploration of post-instruction understanding through concept mapping

The writing heuristic, part II

A template for student thinking.

1. Beginning ideas - what are my questions?
2. Tests - what did I do?
3. Observations - what did I see?
4. Claims - what can I claim?
5. Evidence - How do I know? Why am I making these claims?
6. Reading - How do my ideas compare with other ideas?
7. Reflection - How have my ideas changed?

Quotes:
"The SWH give students multiple opportunities to develop conceptual understanding by integrating practical laboratory work with peer group discussion, writing, and reading." p. 28

"Next students engage in pre-investigation activities, which might include making initial observations or explorations, writing questions and brainstorming ideas."

"Prompts 4 & 5 direct students to construct a deeper understanding of their laboratory findings by stating the knowledge, claims, or understandings gained from the lab and providing a coherent set of reasons for those claims. Prompt 6 guides students to check their explanations with an authority figure such as a text book or teacher."

-Note: while I love the idea of students being the final authority on their findings, I do think the final step of researching the phenomena explored and comparing their results to previously established results is a necessary step at this stage.