The Role of Investigations in Promoting Inquiry-Based Science Education in Ireland

This paper describes recent developments in Ireland to promote a greater interest in science among students in the 12-15 age group by means of practical work involving Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE). The tasks, know as Investigations, are a component of the assessment of the subject Science which is studied as part of the Junior Certificate examination for 15 year-old students. The introduction of Investigations has been one of a number of responses to the 2002 report of a government Task Force on the Physical Sciences, set up to consider the problems facing the teaching of the physical sciences in second-level schools in Ireland. This report has resulted in rapid reform of the science curriculum at both junior and senior secondary school level. Whilst practical work has a long and varied history in science education in Ireland, it was only in 2003 that practical work became compulsory with the introduction of a new Junior Certificate science syllabus for students in the 12-15 year old age group. The paper describes the two types of practical work introduced in the syllabus and discusses the results of a survey carried out by the Irish Science Teachers' Association to ascertain the response of teachers to this practical work and the role of Investigations in promoting IBSE in Ireland.