The Impact of an Experiment Design Software Scaffold on Students' Conceptual Understanding and Inquiry Skills

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the use of a software scaffold, developed to guide students during experimental design procedure, on students' conceptual understanding and inquiry skills. Moreover, it was investigated if there was a positive effect on students' learning products, which were created in the computer-supported inquiry learning environment used for the purpose of this study. The study involved two experimental groups and one control group. In the control group participants did not use the scaffold for the design of their experiments, while in the two experimental groups the scaffold was configured in a way that contradicts the degree of structuring and problematizing needed for a student to complete the task at hand. In the first configuration the scaffold offered more structure by providing the variables at hand, while in the second configuration students received less guidance in terms of the variables at hand. The sample of the study comprised of 63 ninth graders and data were collected through the use of pre- and post-tests. The results showed that the students in the three groups improved equally their conceptual understanding, however, differences between groups emerged for inquiry skills and learning products, in favor of the second experimental group.