Inquiry‐based science instruction—what is it and does it matter? Results from a research synthesis years 1984 to 2002

Abstract The goal of the Inquiry Synthesis Project was to synthesize findings from research conducted between 1984 and 2002 to address the research question, What is the impact of inquiry science instruction on K–12 student outcomes ? The timeframe of 1984 to 2002 was selected to continue a line of synthesis work last completed in 1983 by Bredderman [Bredderman [1983] Review of Educational Research 53: 499–518] and Shymansky, Kyle, and Alport [Shymansky et al. [1983] Journal of Research in Science Teaching 20: 387–404], and to accommodate a practicable cut‐off date given the research project timeline, which ran from 2001 to 2006. The research question for the project was addressed by developing a conceptual…