Instruction minimizes or eliminates lecture and textbook methods. These traditional methods of instruction view students as empty vessels into which the teacher can pour information that the students will immediately understand, remember, and be able to apply to novel situations. We now know that this passive model of student learning simply does not work for the vast majority of students. Early adolescents are full of energy, both physically and intellectually, and they are eager to apply that energy to understanding the world around them. When students are provided with appropriate experiences, they can use these skills and habits of mind to construct their own knowledge bases.
Instructional methods take into consideration the different developmental stages of students.
Not only is there great variation between students, but there can also be variation within individual students. One student may, for example, be able to solve multi-step algebraic equations, indicating a high level of abstract thinking in mathematics, but may have trouble understanding the abstract scientific concept of density. Meanwhile, other students in the same class may be struggling with one-step algebraic equations, having barely begun the move from concrete to abstract reasoning. Therefore, all science instruction needs to be flexible enough to accommodate the cognitive differences among students. Inquiry-based methods are inherently flexible.