Inquiry Based Science

Inquiry-based science is an method of teaching science where students learn science by using similar methods, attitudes and skills as scientists do when they are conducting scientific research. Students get to act like 'mini researches.' Students have the opportunity to find their own problems and questions, formulate hypotheses, think up a method for testing their hypothesis, and then using the data they have collected to decide the hypothesis was correct and thus try to answer their original question.

Inquiry-based science is based on the constructivist theory of learning. It can be contrasted with traditional education and direct instruction which emphasizes learning facts and information from books and teachers.