Question Based Learning: A Pedagogical Approach for Improving Hypothesis Generation in Active Learning

Science education faces a distinct challenge in the transition to active learning: how can teachers ensure students reach accurate understandings during the exploration and self-discovery phase of a lesson? Research in hypothesis generation demonstrates human's vulnerabilities to specific biases based on prior knowledge, selective memory retrieval, and failure to consider alternative explanations. This is further complicated in science education, where content standards are abstract. As such, it is imperative to implement a proactive intervention to curb misconceptions from forming during active learning in science lessons. In this work, a new a model of instruction, Question-Based Learning (QBL) is designed and tested against current learning paradigms. The study aims to investigate whether providing constraint-seeking questions is an effective intervention leading to improved mastery of learning targets during active learning. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions to learn a scientific concept: a blended learning condition, a guided-inquiry condition, or a QBL condition. Mastery was measured at the end of the task using a 12-question assessment. The same measure was also administered one week after subjects completed the study to see whether delayed recall significantly differs between condition groups. Results indicate the QBL model is at least as effective two existing forms of pedagogy at teaching a scientific principle, increasing depth of knowledge regarding that scientific principle, and sustaining knowledge over time.