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Discovery Learning in the Classroom

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Discovery Learning in the Classroom

Emily Sandford Brown

March 2006

Tell me and I will forget

Show me and I may remember
Involve me and I will
understand.
Confucius, 450 B.C.
What is discovery learning?

Why has Discovery Learning come to the fore (what impediments

to learning might have brought this on)?

How is discovery learning linked to other educational theories?

Is Discovery learning a stand alone method of instruction and if

not, what other teaching methods work best in conjunction with
discovery learning?

What does discovery learning look like in the classroom?

Are any special skills or knowledge needed for a teacher to use the
discovery learning method in the classroom?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of discovery learning

as a pedagogical style, especially in the elementary science
classroom, according to current research?

Does discovery learning affect a deeper learning experience than

other more traditional teaching methods?

How does discovery learning accommodate students with learning

exceptionalities and the different learning styles of boys and girls?

Could discovery learning which is seen as more collaborative

rather than competitive help reduce bullying?
What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing. - Aristotle

Introduction

From the time a child is born until he reaches school, the way he learns about

his world is through discovery. If discovering a child’s environment provides him

with such a vast amount of knowledge prior to going to school, why do we not

continue to use discovery methods at school, especially in science instruction?

“Children are naturally curious and inquisitive, and love to explore their
environment. It is normal to want to know how things work and why the world is
the way it is. At its most basic level, this is what science is all about. The most
important question in education, then, is this: what tools are children given to
understand the world.”1

In the times of Socrates (known for his Socratic method of inquiry in the

building of knowledge and understanding) and Aristotle (who set the stage for

what would centuries later be described as the scientific method), students were

encouraged to ask questions, experience and discover in order to learn and gain

deeper meaning. It was only in more recent times, with the establishment of an

institutionalized schooling system that a different, more industrial form of

educational pedagogy was developed. This pedagogy called the transmission

theory viewed students as clean slates or empty vessels which the teachers

would simply fill with prescribed knowledge. But as the pendulum swings back

and forth, different methods of teaching gain support. A pedagogy which

1
www.skeptic.com, Science and Skepticism.
resonates with the philosophies of the past has emerged and has gained

credibility. It is called ‘Discovery Learning’.

What is Discovery Learning?

Discovery Learning is an active, hands-on style of learning where the student

participates actively in the learning process rather than passively receiving

knowledge as if he were an empty vessel to be filled by the instructor. It is an

approach to instruction through which students interact with their environment by

exploring and manipulating objects, wrestling with questions and controversies,

or performing experiments and is supported by the theories of learning and

understanding from cognitive psychology and constructivist ideologies. Students

are encouraged to think, ask questions, hypothesize, speculate, cooperate and

collaborate with others and develop confidence in problem solving and in using

what is in their own minds.

Why would Discovery Learning come to the attention of educators in schools

and teacher preparation programs now, especially for consideration in the
science classroom? What are the main impediments to learning that teachers
face in schools that Discovery Learning might address?

The most insipid problem facing schools today is the apathy or lack of

motivation in students. At some point in a student’s education the fire that is their

natural curiosity is doused by a curriculum or mode of teaching that is not

keeping their interest. A student certainly in the upper grades can often be heard

saying, ‘just tell me what you want me to know for the test and I will learn it’ with

no interest in the subject or what is really out there to learn. John Dewey wrote

extensively about the connection between interest and effort in education back in

the early 1900’s and what he said still rings true today. He said that things taught
at school should not be ‘made interesting’, but rather they should already be ‘of

interest’ to the students, thereby keeping apathy at bay and he noted that there is

a clear connection between interest, activity and satisfaction in learning. David

Suzuki reiterated Dewey’s concerns specifically about science instruction more

recently by saying,

“That natural capacity to be excited when discovering things in the world around
us is so precious and so easily extinguished that I think political posturing about
getting Canada into world-class science is a waste of time unless we devise
ways to keep our most talented youngsters interested.” 2

This apathy can be attributed in part to a lack of connectedness to the real

world of either today’s curriculum or in how that curriculum is addressed. If

science in particular is presented as some long ago list of facts or something that

does not affect the lives of students, then apathy is sure to bring a pall over the

classroom. Concern for effective science instruction however is not new, as

again, we read statements made by John Dewey in Science magazine in 1910

where he notes that,

"Science teaching has suffered because science has been so frequently

presented just as so much ready-made knowledge, so much subject-matter of
fact and law, rather than as the effective method of inquiry into any subject-
matter."

Fast forward one hundred years and a modern, ‘knowledge age’ society exists

which is more in need of people who have a keen interest in science and the

ability to inquire and problem solve as issues such as climate change, feeding an

ever growing population and preventing pandemics, as disease after disease

2 Suzuki, David. Inventing the Future. (1990)

Allen & Unwin , NSW, Australia pg 193
threatens the globe need to be tackled. In Alberta, the shortage of people trained

in science and technology has reached crisis levels.

“The most important issues that the next generation will have to contend with will
result from the application of science and technology. An interest in these fields
needs to be encouraged. Unfortunately, for many youngsters today, the way
science is taught in school turns them off, and too many have stopped taking any
science course midway through high school. It doesn’t have to be that way.”3

David Suzuki argues that the way science is being taught in our schools is a

major attributor to students opting out of the science classroom and ultimately out

of our industries, and research laboratories.

“Right now, science is being taught on a totally unrealistic model and

unfortunately, for the majority of our students, it’s a turnoff very early. Indeed, the
word science is pretty much of a pejorative by the time they reach high school-it’s
a subject for the “math brains.” And certainly for most teenagers, science is an
activity so esoteric that it really isn’t relevant to their daily lives.”4

Science instruction often takes on this rote, transmission style in the

classroom because of the lack of trained, qualified, interested, motivated

teachers, whose fear of or disinterest in science has them quoting what needs to

be learned in the science curriculum from outdated textbooks. In the elementary

grades in Alberta schools for example, a teacher need only have to have a prior

degree for admission into a teaching faculty and it is common not to have a

background specifically in science or math. It is only in secondary school science

instruction where those teaching science need a prerequisite science degree. We

do not have more science trained teachers because those individuals who take

on science and math in post secondary institutions are often drawn to

professions other than teaching.

3 Suzuki, David. Inventing the Future. (1990). Allen & Unwin , NSW, Australia pg 190
4 Suzuki, David. Inventing the Future. (1990). Allen & Unwin , NSW, Australia pg 193
“The vast majority of teachers who teach the pitiful amount of science in primary
schools is very poorly grounded in science, having had perhaps a few hours of
lectures in the education faculty a decade or more previously. It’s certainly not
the teachers’ fault, but these days when we hear so much about the information
explosion and the need to get in on the action in high technology it’s tragic that
so many children are uninterested in science by the time they reach more highly
qualified teacher in high school” 5

In science classrooms therefore the battle is on to conquer apathy, lack of

connectedness to the real world and poorly prepared teachers. Discovery

Learning is credited by some with bringing science instruction to new heights, or

should I say depths, of inquiry, exploration, problem solving, and higher level

critical thinking skills, but how does Discovery Learning manifest itself?

What does Discovery Learning look like in the classroom?

Perhaps this question is best approached by first looking at what it does not look

like in the classroom. According to scientist/geneticist David Suzuki,

“When I was a high school student, we went into the lab and were told what the
experiment would be, received a set of instructions and then were expected to
use the equipment to obtain data. Because the emphasis was on the mechanics
of doing experiments, we frequently lost sight of the reason for doing them.
Without an appreciation of the body of knowledge, insights and theories that
make an experiment definitive, a student can go through a lab exercise like a
cook following a recipe. In high school, the part of the lab exercise most prized by
teachers seemed to be the ‘write-up’. We were drilled in the proper steps: define
the purpose, describe the materials and experiential methodology, document the
results, discuss the implications and finally draw conclusions. Not only did we
have to conform to this protocol, but our reports were often graded on whether
we obtained the ‘right answer’. Having been a scientist now for more than twenty-
five years, I can tell you that this is not how science is done, and we lose a great
deal by teaching it this way.”6

5 Suzuki, David. Inventing the Future. (1990). Allen & Unwin , NSW, Australia pg 193
6 Suzuki, David. Inventing the Future. (1990). Allen & Unwin , NSW, Australia pg 191
This type of ‘pre-packaged’ science work has even percolated down to the

elementary grades. If ‘pre-packaged’ science is wrong in high school, it is

certainly wrong in the elementary classroom where a child’s natural curiosity and

desire to explore is the greatest gift to learning. But in a classroom focusing on

Discovery Learning, that curiosity and desire to explore is harnessed.

In today’s classrooms, Discovery learning and the new technologies go hand

in hand. Where real life exploration is not possible modern technology can

provide ‘virtual environments’ for students to explore, for example ancient sites

such as Stonehenge or the Pyramids of Egypt, or the palace of Versailles during

the French Revolution. The many live webcams can allow students to experience

a forest fire, volcanic action, or the hatching of bald eagle chicks in a nest

anywhere in the world. Simulation programs can be used for frog dissections in

the biology class (Operation Frog) or for studying the development of

communities (Sim City). With these simulations students can still be challenged,

change parameters, study the results of those changes, evaluate, assess,

process, and make other changes on their path to building knowledge and

gaining understanding. As technology is used more often in hands-on

classrooms, it has fueled a demand for good educational software. Lego

Mindstorms ™ is an example of a system consisting of computerized robotics

developed originally for educational purposes to provide hands-on learning

opportunities in math, science and computer and design technology.

“Many teachers find simulations offer effective supplements to real labs, either to
prepare students for making good use of actual labs, or as a follow-up with
variations on the original experiment.”7
7
Conway, Judith. Educational Technology’s Effect on Models of Instruction (1997)
 Project work done in small collaborative groups but with a large group focus is

often a part of the Discovery Learning classroom and is conducted for the most

part using class time. Group work allows for the skills and knowledge gained in

the small group work to be reinforced and each student’s discovery will lead to

another’s discovery but all reinforce the learning of the other. By contrast,

individual project work in a Discovery Learning environment is less desirable as

much of the learning by the individual is for the individual only.

“A well planned relevant class project has extremely high motivation and is a
dynamic tool for discovery. A class project, creatively presented, can help
students conceptualize many aspects of what they have studied in class. Their
discovery is well worth your time. “8

In a Discovery learning classroom, there is a lot of discussion, either in small

working groups or together as part of a whole class dialogue. Although noise

levels may be higher, it is evident that the level of engagement is higher too and

off task behaviours and the need for active ‘classroom management’ is

minimized. This discussion or dialogue revolves around the ideas of the students,

not just factual material but viewpoints, hypotheses, and clarification of concepts.

Because Discovery Learning often sees students work in groups, the respect that

develops is evident in these discussions where others’ comments are heard with

an open mind and without criticism.

If students are to engage in discovery and inquiry in the classroom, they will

need access to information and equipment in order to investigate and test their

http://copland.udel.edu/~jconway/EDST666.htm
8
Mamchak, P. Susan and Mamchak, Steven R. Handbook of Discovery Techniques in
Elementary School Teaching. (1977) pg 158
ideas. A Discovery Learning classroom needs to be full of resources, and more

of them, including access to books, videos, magazines, computers, even experts

in the field. It was evident that real Discovery Learning was being taken up at the

special Science school where students had ongoing communication with the

Canadian Space agency, the Zoo and other ‘expert’ resources.

Is Discovery Learning a stand alone method of instruction and if not, what other
teaching methods work best in conjunction with Discovery Learning?

As discussed earlier in this paper, Discovery Learning in the classroom has so

many advantages for a very diverse group of students, but if left on its own,

Discovery Learning has had a tendency to diminish into just a series of activities,

giving students little opportunity to construct knowledge, ask questions and go on

to further discoveries. It is important then to incorporate other methodologies into

the classroom to increase the effectiveness of Discovery Learning. In the article

entitled The Science Storm which discusses the controversy between direct

transmission instruction and Discovery Learning, a balance in methodologies

was encouraged and in fact it was noted that the two ‘camps’ are not so far apart

on the spectrum as one might think.

David Klahr who has done extensive research on metacognition in students,

and particularly with regards to science knowledge with his ‘control variable

experiments’ has found that the best science instruction can be described as a

‘spectrum of methods that stretch from nothing but lecture and instruction on one
end to nothing but hands-on at the other. The best instruction happens
somewhere on that spectrum, not necessarily at one end or the other ‘what is
needed is what is effective’. A good science teacher behaves like a good
scientist, by using what works in a particular situation, not by relying on a single
method for every situation.”9

It is important to note that Klahr, when conducting his research, considered only

the two extremes of science pedagogy, ‘stand and deliver’ instruction on the one

hand and completely unguided, unsupported discovery on the other, in order to

make his point. His most recent studies were conducted in June of 2005 and he

is planning further research in this area.

Is Discovery Learning supported by any particular psychological theories?

Discovery Learning is firmly supported by psychologists linked to cognitive

learning and constructivist theories where knowledge, according to educational

psychologists such as Kant, Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner and educational

philosopher Dewey, is something that you have to do; learning is a matter of

‘knowing’ and ‘doing’. They found behavioural theories unacceptable with

regards to the teaching of children and proposed that children actively construct

knowledge and this construction of knowledge takes place in a social context. A

learner’s prior knowledge affects his subsequent learning. Piaget, for example,

viewed children as little philosophers and scientists building their own individual

theories of knowledge.

"Piaget's research clearly mandates that the learning environment should be

rich in physical experiences. Involvement, he states, is the key to intellectual
development, and for the elementary school child this includes direct physical
manipulation of objects" 10

9
Crane, Elizabeth. The Science Storm. www.districtadministration.com
10
Haury, David L. and Rillero, P. Perspectives of Hands-On Science Teaching (1994). North
Central Regional Educational Laboratory
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/eric/eric-2.htm
 There is an emphasis on students’ ability to solve real-life practical problems.

Bruner stressed learning by doing.

"The school boy learning physics is a physicist, and it is easier for him to
learn physics behaving like a physicist than doing something else" (Bruner,
1960). Bruner states, "Of only one thing I am convinced. I have never seen
anybody improve in the art and technique of inquiry by any means other than
engaging in inquiry" Bruner points out the quick rate of change in our world
and says, "the principal emphasis in education should be placed on skills -
skills in handling, in seeing, and imaging, and in symbolic operations" (Bruner,
1983) “11

Discovery learning and inquiry based learning have been linked and often the

terms are used interchangeably. In the past a distinction has been made

between inquiry and discovery with the former assigning a more active role to

teachers as organizers and shapers of students’ learning, and the latter giving

more power to students to take the process of discovery wherever it leads 12

although I see this distinction graying in my experience.

What are the necessary teacher skills required for Discovery Learning to be

successful?

Hands-on Discovery Learning, although it yields greater benefits in the

classroom, requires a great deal of preparation time, flexibility and organization.

It is not an easy task. A teacher must ensure that what is discovered is

educationally valuable and that further investigations are supported and

encouraged.

11
Haury, David L. and Rillero, P. Perspectives of Hands-On Science Teaching (1994). North
Central Regional Educational Laboratory
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/eric/eric-2.htm
12
Osborne, Ken. Teaching for Democratic Citizenship (1991). Our Schools/Our Selves Education
Foundation, Toronto, Canada. pg 28
 Very young children arrive at school with a very natural interest in their world

and the need to find clarity, correctness and adequacy in what they already

know, and in some cases to challenge what they know. Teachers play a crucial

role here in the Discovery Learning classroom by finding ways to encourage this

drive for knowledge. The teacher must help the children again and again to ask

the kinds of questions about their understanding and beliefs in all areas of life in

order to provide these young students experiences to discover and test these

understandings.

Teachers need to be ready to see and accept their changing role, one which

moves the teacher from one who knows everything and passes that on to the

students to one who facilitates learning.

“The job of the teacher in constructivist models (such as in a Discovery Learning

environment) is to arrange for required resources and act as a guide to students
while they set their own goals and ‘teach themselves’.”13

This does not mean that a teacher needs to know less or be of less influence,

rather it means quite the opposite. Teachers allowing students to discover in

class need to be more well rounded, and knowledgeable information gatherers in

order to be able to guide a student from an idea or question he may have to a

deep and meaningful learning path. Teachers therefore must be much more

willing to take on a greater responsibility for Professional Development. One

teacher’s experience at a school where deep and engaging Discovery Learning

was taking place found that Professional Development became more meaningful

13
Conway, Judith. Educational Technology’s Effect on Models of Instruction (1997).
http://copland.udel.edu/~jconway/EDST666.htm
“as we grew to trust ourselves as learners and to see challenges as opportunities
to make a difference, we become role models for what we expect from our
students” 14

Early on in this paper the point was made that many science teachers

especially in the elementary grades do no have much background in science and

that this can be a serious impediment to students’ learning. For science

instruction, even at the elementary level, a teacher needs to have a solid

grounding in science, either by being well-schooled, well read or by being

otherwise engaged in their own personal development. Collaboration with

colleagues who have a strength or interest in science is a great way to engage in

inquiry.

If we consider a classroom where Discovery Learning techniques are being

used a constructivist classroom, then the following information about requisite

teacher knowledge is very relevant.

“Research within the last several years has indicated the importance of deep and
strong subject matter knowledge in a constructivist classroom, be it K-12, teacher
education, or professional development. This requires knowledge of the structure
of a discipline as well as its epistemological framework. Such knowledge helps
teachers in the interpretation of how students are understanding the material, in
developing activities that support students in exploring concepts, hypotheses and
beliefs, in guiding a discussion toward a shared understanding, providing
guidance on sources for additional formal knowledge, and, at times, correcting
misconceptions.
The depth of subject matter knowledge necessary to provide these
experiences for students may be found in secondary teachers who major in a
particular content, are teaching that content, and, by and large, see themselves
as teachers of that content. However, we have to question what the expectations
concerning subject matter knowledge suggests for teachers at the elementary
school level. Since the constructivist research is being carried on within individual
subject matter--mathematics, science, history, or language arts--there seems to

14
Green, Anne. Let Them Show Us the Way. (1995) Fostering Independent Learning in the
Elementary Classroom. Peguis Publishers. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
be little or no acknowledgment that other subject matters are also being taught.
We are quite clear that constructivist teaching requires a deep understanding of
the disciplines, of the ways in which students learn the content, and of the
teaching practices specific to that discipline on the part of the teacher. However,
is it a reasonable expectation, and if so, how will it be possible to insure that
elementary teachers have the requisite level of knowledge in all the disciplines
they are expected to teach?”15

One curriculum supervisor in a major American school district writes,

“School districts need to spend more time getting science teachers connected to
current research. Professional development needs to be taken seriously. The
same way that a pilot needs to learn about a new plane that he is going to fly,
science teachers need to know about the latest methods.”16

and the same applies to science teachers in Canada.

The executive director of the National Science Teachers Association entered

the debate about whether direct instruction or discovery learning provides the

best learning and with regards to teachers he said that science teaching methods

lie on a spectrum,

“from completely explanatory [direct transmission] to completely exploratory

[unguided discovery]. A good teacher has a bag of tricks and can pull out the
appropriate trick based on the topic and the age of the student. A combination of
interaction and explanation are needed for the student to be able to grasp the
concept being taught, and the teacher learns where on the spectrum a particular
age group falls. A good teacher knows when to give instruction, knows when to
walk away.”17

In the book Handbook of Discovery Techniques, there was a story recounted

about a teacher who brought an anatomical human model which came apart into

her grade three classroom. One day the class arrived in the morning to find the

model entirely taken apart with instructions from the teacher to work together as

a group and put the model back together. Without any help from the teacher, the

15
Richardson, Virginia. Constructivist Pedagogy. (Dec 2003). Teachers College Record 105 no9 1623-40
16 Crane, Elizabeth. The Science Storm. www.districtadministration.com
17
Crane, Elizabeth. The Science Storm. www.districtadministration.com
students got to work and made some great discoveries, such as the heart is

behind the lungs and the kidneys are at the back. They put the model together

the first time without knowing all the names of the parts but the exercise was very

rich nonetheless. By the end of this unit, the students were putting the model

together using the correct names of all the parts. What was noted in the book is

that,

“the apparatus involved is not that important. What does matter is the teacher’s
approach to the subject. It might have been constructing a phylum tree, making
an airplane, or modeling a volcano. The teacher allowed her students to
discover, and then she led them, step by step, to a natural conclusion based on
their own discoveries. “18

Teachers using Discovery Learning techniques realize that often the best

learning will take place outside of the classroom and often, to keep the real world

connections that are so valuable, outside in the community with other keen and

knowledgeable adults. A good collaborative spirit and a willingness to partner

with other knowledgeable adults is important for teachers in a Discovery Learning

environment. One article I read was about Calgary schools taking their classes to

learning sites in and around Calgary such as City Hall School and comments on

the value of these field trips to constructing knowledge and understanding

through discovery.

“Teaching that combines the skills of teachers and the specialized knowledge of
adults outside school leads to deep understanding as students connect to the
rich resources their community has to offer.”19

18
Mamchak, P. Susan and Mamchak, Steven R. Handbook of Discovery Techniques in
Elementary School Teaching. (1977) pg 127
19
Cochrane, Cathy. Landscapes for Learning. (S 2004) Educational Leadership 62 no 1 78-81
 A question arises about how a teacher will assess what a student has learned

in a classroom where Discovery Learning is taking place and does a teacher

need any particular skills in assessing. Often testing is a way that teachers

assess learning and knowledge but is the ‘end’ in this learning process really the

important part and not the ‘means’. It is suggested in such a classroom that a

good teacher will know at any given moment where a student is in his learning.

They see what the child is doing, get feedback by asking good questions of the

student, read the students’ faces and can react immediately to a student’s work

or progress to set them right on the path to solving his own problems. It is not

necessary or desirable to wait to the end and determine what a student has not

learned by making them take a test.

This method of assessment is more in line with formative assessment as it takes

into account that there are many paths to the same end and what is of most

importance is that the path is right for that individual student and it is working for

them. Although this is important for all students, this individual path and formative

assessment technique finds the greatest value for children with learning

exceptionalities.

In summary,

“Teachers become a poser of questions, a provider of hints, a provider of

materials, a laboratory participant, a class chairman and secretary. He/ she
gathers the class together and solicits data gathered and their meaning. Most
importantly, the teacher is not a teller. He/ she is a facilitator and director of
learning. If materials are well chosen, good questions are posed, timely ideas are
suggested, and students are prompted to think through questions, alternatives,
answers, and data, then much can be done to encourage the acquisition of more
adaptive mental structures.”20

Advantages of Discovery Learning

 Students who have difficulty in learning for reasons of ESL barriers, auditory

deficiencies, or behavioral interference can be found to be on task more

often because they are part of the learning process and not just spectators.

“As classrooms become more inclusive, prospective and practicing teachers

need to apply strategies that assure the full participation of students with
disabilities. As elementary classrooms are becoming more diverse ethnically and
developmentally, "Science for All" must become a reality in classrooms
throughout the country.” 21

Science is one subject where it is believed that equal learning opportunities can

be provided regardless of whether the student has ESL concerns, has learning or

behavioural detriments or performs poorly academically.

“General education teachers identified science as the subject area most

amenable for mainstreaming students of all disability categories; and special
education teachers identified science as a subject that is particularly useful for
many students with disabilities. Science is preferred when it uses constructivist
approaches such as the Learning Cycle, which combines exploration, convergent
instruction, and divergent reasoning into a guided discovery strategy. Such an
approach offers many opportunities for differentiating instruction and
accommodating learner needs. Activities-based, guided discovery approaches
promote thinking, and foster problem solving abilities. These approaches also
offer multi-sensory learning experiences, which are supported by research on the
brain and cognition.” 22

20
Lawson, Anton E. Neurological Basis of Learning, Development and Discovery: Implications for
Science and Mathematics Instruction.Secaucus, NJ, USA: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003.
p.24.
21 Sounds and Sense-Abilities: Science For All. College Student Journal 38 no4 653-60 D 2004
22 Sounds and Sense-Abilities: Science For All. College Student Journal 38 no4 653-60 D 2004
Learning Cycle

As we consider how Discovery Learning addresses the impediments to

learning discussed earlier in this paper, it was noted in the article about teaching

students with disabilities, especially in inclusive classrooms that,

“The elementary and middle school years are cited as the time when budding
scientists are "won" or "lost." The challenges of engagement and retention are at
least doubled when students are impaired in some way. 23

As teachers we have a limited time to grab students and interest them in science

and the challenge seems even greater with students with learning disabilities.

23 Sounds and Sense-Abilities: Science For All. College Student Journal 38 no4 653-60 D 2004
 Discovery Learning allows for each child despite their individual strengths
and challenges to have an experience, of their own making which will
deepen their knowledge and understanding of any topic, but especially in
math and science.

 Students will remember the material better and feel a sense of

accomplishment when the task is completed.

 Students who have learned through Discovery Learning will be able to

transfer that experience easier to other learning situations. When more than

one method of learning is accessed as in hands-on learning, the information

has a better chance of being stored in the memory for useful retrieval.

 The benefits of Discovery Learning are noteworthy in those children who are

either not as academically "talented" or have not shown "interest" in school.

This method tends to stimulate these types of students into participating and

eventually absorbing information that they might not get from "normal"

show-me - tell-me, transmission methods.

 Discovery Learning makes teaching fun, and if the kids are learning and

having fun doing it, then teachers are also enjoying their work more.

 Without discovery learning, students must rely on memory and abstract

thought, two methods which restrict learning in most students. John Dewey

writes that ‘abstractness is the worst evil that infests education’. By actually

doing and experiencing science, students develop their critical thinking skills

as well as discover scientific concepts. This self discovery stays with

students throughout their lifetimes while memory fades.

The widely controversial book A Nation at Risk published in 1983 called attention

to the serious problems of schooling in America and some changes were

recommended to help set education on the right course.

“In order to succeed in the twenty first century schools must graduate students
who are prepared to be lifelong learners. This challenge necessitates a
pedagogical shift from transmitting a body of expected knowledge that is largely
memorized to one that is largely process oriented.” 24

 Discovery Learning encourages student creativity in problem solving, and

promotes student independence or the ‘heuristics of discovery’, finding out

things independently.

 Discovery learning can be more motivating, incorporating the pleasures of

solving puzzles and controlling an environment.

 Hands-on Discovery Learning in science has been shown to help in the

development of language and reading.

Researchers have concluded from their study that science activities can

make a positive contribution to the acquisition of reading skills and oral

communication skills of all students but specifically of first grade students. These

activities can provide the concrete experiences from which many reading skills

are derived. In my third semester practicum experience I observed this

phenomenon first hand. For many of my grade one students, writing in their

journals was a struggle. Concerned with proper spelling and grammar, they were

reluctant to just write. It was only when I was able to have my students engaged

24
Conway, Judith. Educational Technology’s Effect on Models of Instruction (1997)
http://copland.udel.edu/~jconway/EDST666.htm
in some wonderful magical hands-on discovery science related to colour and

rainbows did their writing blossom. Being real scientists in the class and writing

about what they used, what they did, and what they saw gave them purpose to

their writing and their discussions with me and with their classmates.

“Rather than responding to teacher-assigned topics, they [students] become

keen to share stories related to their personal experiences…Students cannot
write from thin air; meaningful experiences are crucial for expressive writing to
emerge. Especially in today’s world of passive television viewing and look-alike
shopping malls, children need interesting hands-on experiences to think and
write about.”25

 Discovery learning facilitated by a knowledgeable regular classroom

teacher who learns along with the students, helps to reinforce the idea that

science is for everyone and not just for scientists. Also learning, when it

involves other knowledgeable people in the community, for example the

previously mentioned City Hall School, allows students to see science in

many different environments which may spark an interest in a career that

might otherwise not be explored.

 Discovery Learning, because it is so engaging, is more effective in

creating students who are life-long learners, something that is seen as

very important in the twenty first century.

“Educators have realized that for students to be successful in the twenty first
century they need to be lifelong learners. Helping them to develop the skills
necessary to become lifelong learners requires a different approach to teaching
and learning. The direct instruction method that was used almost exclusively in
the earlier part of this century, though still effective for some skills, is giving way
to a more cooperative approach. One that involves the students working together
toward common goals, teachers serving as ‘experts’, and coaches, and

25
Cochrane, Cathy. Landscapes for Learning. (S 2004) Educational Leadership 62 no 1 78-81
facilitators, and sometimes just plain getting out of the way and letting students
discover things for themselves.”26

 Discovery learning is based on the assumption that education is a

process, not a set of facts and as is suggested by Scardamalia and

Bereiter, students engaged in this kind of learning are better prepared to

engage in ‘knowledge building’

 Discovery Learning improves students' attitudes toward science and there

is even some evidence from exemplary programs that even poorly taught

hands-on Discovery science is more interesting to students than the

typical textbook based program

 Discovery Learning, because of its knowledge building environment,

minimizes what is referred to as the ‘Matthew effect’, which notes that the

rich get richer and the more you know the more you can learn. The

‘Matthew effect’ suggests that there is a widening gap between haves and

have-nots even in education which we already see in the widening income

gap, but that Discovery Learning which allows students to build authentic

knowledge, which is connected to their world, their community and their

lives, may ensure that ‘continual advancement remain open for all.’ 27

This is not to say that absolute equity in education is possible but

Discovery Learning is certainly a step in the right direction for many

disadvantaged students.

26
Conway, Judith. Educational Technology’s Effect on Models of Instruction (1997)
http://copland.udel.edu/~jconway/EDST666.htm
27
Scardamalia M and Bereiter, C. Knowledge Building. (2002) Encyclopedia of Education, 2nd
Edition. New York: Macmillan Reference, USA
  Active learning puts the responsibility on the student. When a student is

placed in the position of having to figure out a problem, he is much more

likely to take charge of his own learning. This leads to students moving

from extrinsic to intrinsic rewards for success in learning.

 Students, being actively involved in their own learning, forces them to

construct a response and this results in the deeper processing of

information than can be attained with mere memorization; students learn

how to learn.

 Discovery Learning provides students with an opportunity to get early

feedback on their understanding: gaps in their understanding cannot be

ignored. For students there is an ‘eventual’ attainment of concepts but the

gradual approach means that the concepts are frequently reinforced and re-

discovered. Indirect lessons (not unplanned as might be the criticism) are

often self-directed and self-managed using the ideas that children have with

the teacher asking many questions. Reaction to student’s answers lead to

further questions which help to clarify information and leads to higher

achievement of students.

 Discovery Learning activities result in "episodic memory," a deeper kind of

memory specific to an event so that if a student cannot at first remember the

idea or technique he can reconstruct it from the event.

 Discovery Learning better enables a student to deal with misconceptions

and construct new knowledge based on this new experience.

“when dealing with misconceptions, direct learning sometimes has little or no

effect in overcoming the misconception. When you directly tell the learner
 something that contradicts their misconception it has no impact. If you try to
do a straight explanation when talking density to a fifth grader, odds are they
won’t get the concept. If you don’t let them explore, they don’t get it. But if you
don’t explain the concept and the formula then all their exploring may or may
not lead to comprehension, especially when dealing with students below sixth
grade.”28

Discovery Learning as a teaching method seems undeniably beneficial and

even more so the younger it begins. In this paper’s introduction, it was observed

that a child’s first method of learning about their world is through discovery. As

time goes on, if a child is denied that very natural, beneficial way of learning, a

dependency on teachers or prescribed materials can develop.

“The importance of the early use of hands-on learning has been long recognized.
The study of both plants and animals should begin in the lowest grades, or even
in kindergarten. One object of such work is to train the children to get knowledge
first hand. Experience shows that if these studies begin later in the course, after
the habit of depending on authority - teachers and books - has been formed, the
results are much less satisfactory”29

This phenomenon was observable in my grade 4 practicum class at the

Calgary Science school where the intake began after students had been at other

schools for the first four years of their formal education and where discovery,

inquiry and problem-based learning may not have been prevalent. Students often

struggled with being more responsible for their learning, with organizing their

information, asking informed questions, and forming hypotheses and

conclusions.

28
Crane, Elizabeth. The Science Storm. www.districtadministration.com
29
Hoary, David L. and Rillero, P. Perspectives of Hands-On Science Teaching (1994). North
Central Regional Educational Laboratory
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/eric/eric-2.htm
 In the earliest years, discovery can take place with an oral account of what

has been learned, moving onto written accounts once those skills have emerged

with the process of discovery and inquiry being the focus. Discovery Learning

and hands-on activities are critical for elementary school science learning,

particularly because elementary students are at the concrete stage of their

cognitive development.

Disadvantages of Discovery Learning

 The greatest pitfall of Discovery Learning is that if it is done poorly and

without purpose and meaningful discussion, these methods used in the

classroom can deteriorate to children simply being busy with ‘activities’.

‘Hands-on’ does not equate with ‘minds-on’.

Scardamalia and Bereiter, Canadian educational researchers draw a distinction

between merely hands-on and real discovery with their use of the terms shallow

and deep constructivism, with shallow constructivism denoting the ‘busy work’

“the shallowest forms engage students in tasks and activities in which ideas have
no over presence but are entirely implicit. Students describe the activities they
are engaged in (eg planting seeds, measuring shadows) and show little
awareness of the underlying principles that these tasks are to convey.”

This type of activity driven busy work may have been what was underlying the

investigation at the local charter school visited by our class where it became

evident that the students were following directions to the letter and had failed to

ask discovery questions which would allow them to better grasp the deeper

scientific concepts.
 After considering all the advantages and possible disadvantage of Discovery

Learning, it is important to determine if there are any long term empirical studies

to support Discovery Learning as a better way to instruct students in the

classroom. Research data collected in more than fifty studies, conducted on

13,000 students in the United States in classrooms over a fifteen year period was

gathered and the evidence in support of Discovery Learning was indisputable.

“Educational research has shown many advantages of using hands- on science

programs. Bredderman (1982) reports the results of a meta-analysis of 15 years
of research on activity-based science programs. This synthesis of research was
based on approximately 57 studies involving 13, 000 students in 1, 000
classrooms. All of the studies involved comparing activity-based programs (the
Elementary Science Study, Science-A Process Approach, or the Science
Curriculum Improvement Study) with comparable classrooms using a traditional
or textbook approach to science teaching. A variety of student performance
measures were analyzed. The most dramatic differences were found in science
process skills where the students in activity-based programs performed 20
percentile units higher than the comparison groups. The students in these
programs scored higher than the control groups in the following measures
(ranked from largest to smallest differences): creativity, attitude, perception, logic
development, language development, science content, and mathematics.
Students who were disadvantaged economically or academically gained the most
from the activity- based programs.”30

Does Discovery Learning affect a cognitively deeper learning experience than

more traditional teaching methods?

Discovery Learning by its very nature should demand a higher level of

cognitive skills development as a student is asked to manipulate,

hypothesize, question and experiment in his world. Although it takes longer

for children to form a generalization on their own than it does for them to learn

30
Hoary, David L. and Rillero, P. Perspectives of Hands-On Science Teaching (1994). North
Central Regional Educational Laboratory
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/eric/eric-2.htm
one that is presented to them prescriptively, it is crucial for school children,

especially in the elementary grades to learn by discovery where important

attitudinal and higher level cognitive skills are attained. Higher level cognitive

skills are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and

evaluation. These all form an integral part of learning by discovery in the

classroom.

David Klahr on his own and with colleagues Junlei Li and Milena Nigram

has conducted many extensive studies into neurological learning paths, the

psychology of scientific thinking and cognitive research into how students

learn in science labs and classrooms. In a recent study they questioned

whether the way a child was taught a certain skill, concept or procedure once

mastered would impact the transferability of that skill or whether that

knowledge was somehow embedded more or less deeply into the child’s

brain. This brought into question the claim that discovery learning causes a

deeper understanding. Klahr and his colleagues predicted that the way that a

student reached mastery had no bearing on whether that knowledge was

more transferable or available. Once learned, whether by direct instruction or

discovery methods, the knowledge was the same. This is only a prediction

and ongoing studies are taking place.

Conclusions

Over the past two years in the MT program, I have learned a great deal

about teaching and learning. It seemed to me early on and is even more evident

now that children learn best when given the opportunity to be active participants

in their learning, to ask questions, form hypotheses, experiment, explore and

discover. The guided Discovery Learning method provides the best opportunity

for learners supported by other more traditional methods. With this information, it

it is encouraging to see that its advantages are being noted and used to develop

the new Alberta science curriculum.

“The new curriculum emphasizes hands-on learning. Students learn best when
they become personally involved in their learning - when they are doing more
than following a set of steps or just reading and hearing about things learned by
others.
Students develop their skills of inquiry and problem solving. Students as
scientists explore and investigate, look for patterns, and find out what is related
to what. They learn by observing and handling things, communicating what they
observe, and keeping records.
As problem solvers, students learn to apply scientific knowledge to practical
uses. For example, in grade 4, students use wheels and axles to make simple
machines that will move a load from one place to another.”31

In closing, a short quote from a recent study on the neurological basis of

learning seems to encapsulate the benefits of Discovery Learning as

“a teaching approach that allows students to explore nature, to discover what

they do not know, and to eventually make connections with what they do know
(often using analogies), which makes learning more motivating, easier, better
understood, longer lasting and more transferable.” 32

31
Alberta Government Education
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/news/1996nr/august96/nr-science.asp
32
Lawson, Anton E. Neurological Basis of Learning, Development and Discovery: Implications for
Science and Mathematics Instruction. Secaucus, NJ, USA: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003.
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ucalgary/Doc?id=10067229&ppg=41
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