Abstract
This study tried to examine the perception of students’ free inquiry between science teachers’ open inquiry and guided inquiry, and to suggest effective teaching and learning strategies for effective free inquiry guidance. In this study, a qualitative analysis was conducted based on the teaching experiences of science teachers with free inquiry, open inquiry, and R&E teaching experience. To this end, a total of 5 teachers participated in the study, focusing on the perception of inquiry, experiences of free inquiry, difficulties experienced while conducting free inquiry, and teaching-learning strategies to improve them. Interviews were conducted once or twice for a minute, and the results of the interviews were all recorded and transcribed to be used as analysis data for the study. As a result of the study, the teachers participating in this study received a guided experience in which students become accustomed to research rather than open inquiry when conducting free inquiry activities, and then expanded step by step according to the progress or speed of the research. It was recognized that appropriate intervention by teachers to develop skills and solve problems creatively was necessary. In addition, in order to grow as a scientific expert, it is necessary to establish a specific infrastructure for research where students can actually conduct the desired inquiry and try various methods, and experts who can provide professional scientific knowledge and skills in such a research environment emphasized the importance of collaboration in free exploration. In addition, as an effective instructional strategy for free inquiry, students are given autonomy when choosing a research topic that awakens the meaning and value of research, guiding them to systematically learn the research process through variable control and repeated experiments, and forming a team. and introduced a peer evaluation system, and suggested the need to provide an exchange where research results are shared and feedback is possible. To this end, it is necessary to introduce a systematic system for free inquiry guidance and develop and provide specific implementation manuals through consultation with each school, domestic and foreign professional institutions, teachers, and science education and science experts.
