Using ICT in Inquiry-Based Science Education

Book excerpt: This book analyzes the main Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) used in science education and the main theoretical approaches that support science education mediated by ICT in order to show how digital technologies can be employed in Inquiry-Based Science Education. It presents the results of a comprehensive review of studies focusing both on the use and effects of digital technologies in science education and on the different theoretical approaches that support the use of ICTs in science teaching.By doing so, the book provides a useful summary of the current research in the field and a strong analysis of its limitations. It concludes that there are few studies that report strategies and didactics for the practical use of ICT in science classes and that the use of ICT in science education can’t be seen as an isolated action without a theoretical basis to support it. Based on these conclusions, the volume identifies the main ICTs used in inquiry activities, the main steps in inquiry activities used in science education and their approaches to the use of ICT. It shows that the use of ICT in Inquiry-Based Science Education allows students to develop more active work styles, improved attitudes towards science, better conceptual and theoretical understanding, improved reasoning, better modelling capabilities, and improved teamwork, along with improvements in other abilities. Using ICT in Inquiry-Based Science Education will be a valuable resource for science teachers and science teacher educators looking for an introductory text that presents an overview of the scientific research analyzing the implementation of digital technologies in science teaching and that provides useful insights to all educators interested in using digital technologies to introduce their students in the world of scientific inquiry and research.