A COMPARISON OF INQUIRY AND DIDACTIC TEACHING METHODS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE EARTH SCIENCE COURSE

The purpose of this project was to further understand the relationship between student achievement and instruction by examining didactic and inquiry teaching methods in earth science at a small community college with a diverse student population. Three groups of students, over a span of two years, were taught the same content via didactic or inquiry instruction via pilot and formal studies Gathering and analyzing quantitative data included and F-test analysis on data from pre- and post-testing. In addition, a demographic and learning style survey were administered to gather qualitative data. Results indicate that there is a statistically significant difference between groups favoring inquiry instruction. In addition, qualitative data supports the statistical results and provides valuable perspectives on student learning style. Finally, both sets of data are useful in further determining the educational and practical significance of the study. In turn, delimitations in the study suggest further research on this group of students to better understand the instructional needs of community college students, especially in earth science.