Inductive Discovery Method

INDUCTIVE DISCOVERY METHOD

From its name "inductive", it refers to of reasoning - proceeding from particular facts to general principles. The inductive discovery method is a process, providing the students with the result and having them figure out what happened leads to a different sort of learning than doing it the other way around. The inductive method is referred as the scientific method, a process of using observations to develop general principles about a specific subject.

Instead of starting with general principles and eventually getting to applications, the teacher begins with specifics - a set of observations or experimental data to interpret, a case study to analyze, or a complex real-world problem to solve. As the students attempt to analyze the data and solve the problem, they generate a need for facts, rules, procedures, and guiding principles, at which point they are either presented with the needed information or helped to discover it for themselves. That is why this method is called inductive discovery method.

This method of teaching is a learner-centered (also known as student-centered. It imposes more responsibility on students for their own learning than the traditional lecture-based deductive approach. It is supported by research findings that students learn by fitting new information into existing cognitive structures and are unlikely to learn if the information has few apparent connections to what they already know and believe. It can be also characterized as constructivist methods, that students construct their own versions of reality rather than simply absorbing versions presented by their teachers. The method involves students discussing questions and solving problems in class (active learning), with much of the work in and out of class being done by students working in groups (collaborative or cooperative learning).

Steps of the method

Using the inductive discovery method, the teacher presents the students with a specific challenge or problem, such as an experiment that needs to be interpreted, or a real-world problem that needs to be solved. The students must then use their base-knowledge to investigate, test, analyze and come to their own conclusion or solution. The inductive method, commonly interpreted as the scientific method is widely used as a guide for observation and inquiry based learning. The following steps are used by the students as guidelines:

The Inductive Discovery Method/Scientific Method

* State the Question: What information do you wish to obtain?

* Make Observations: Gather information that will help answer your questions by researching, making, and recording direct observations of the subject

* Form a Hypothesis: After gathering an adequate amount of information, apply what you have observed to form an educated guess or prediction of what the answer to your question is

* Test: Test your hypothesis by performing an experiment that includes a variable

* Analyze: Examine the results of your experiment to understand what they imply

* Draw a Conclusion: Based on the interpretation of your results, develop a general principle as an answer to your question.

Method as an Effective tool

The inductive method is an extremely effective process for obtaining general, observation-based information about the world. In fact, the inductive method--whether guided in classrooms or occurring in non-academic settings--is one of the most common and natural forms of making logical assumptions about what we observe. Inductive reasoning allows us to gather ideas about an infinite number of events or phenomena in real life. Use of the inductive method as a teaching tool to guide students through critical thinking, awareness, evaluation of what they observe, and the drawing of logical conclusions and explanations is almost universally accepted in science education.

Every inductive experience should help students learn to work inductively collecting and organizing information, forming categories and hypotheses, developing skills, and using the knowledge and skills appropriately. Through these experiences, they learn how to construct and use information while consciously improving their skills in doing so. Thus, the model gives students a powerful tool for learning, one they can use from the time they enter school and which will serve them throughout their lives.

Inductive method is highly effective and appropriate for some types of learning goals. Most research points to the idea that the inductive method is an effective way to:

* Understand how logical conclusions are drawn

* Apply small, concrete ideas to larger, abstract concepts

* Transfer conclusions and governing principles to newly encountered information

* Develop problem-solving skills

In teaching, there are various ways or methods that can be used in order to transfer knowledge to the students. On the other hand, students also have different intellectual capabilities and learning styles in accumulating knowledge. Ergo, teachers or instructors are interested in finding ways, effective ways; in order the students acquire better understanding and learning. Teachers and instructors want to bring about a better understanding of the material they want to communicate. Effective ways of teaching are very important most especially to the students. If college students do not have a good