Abstract

VAN RENS, Lisette. Pre-University Chemistry Inquiry Learning. Educ. quím [online]. 2012, vol.23, n.4, pp.422-432. ISSN 0187-893X.

This research focuses on student inquiry learning in a simulated scholarly research. The design was based on a framework of six principles. One of the student activities, the peer review, was founded on activity theory. 428 groups of pre-university chemistry students from various countries participated. All students conducted, in small groups, an inquiry on fermentation at their schools. They wrote an inquiry report, did a peer review on another article and wrote a final article. Four groups of two students were randomly selected. Their peer review comments and articles were analyzed on the level of the student understanding of inquiry quality concerning five categories. The data were completed with in-depth group's interviews. It was concluded that student understanding was positively influenced with an exception for their understanding of reliability. Simulated scholarly activities can be founded on activity theory. The implications of this foundation regarding simulated scientific activities are discussed.

Keywords : Design research; activity theory; pre-university chemistry inquiry learning.