Taking it to the next level: Students using Inductive Reasoning

By: Jaclyn Murawska and Alan Zollman

This article started off with the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is when student understand some thing possible because they have seen it through multiple examples. Where deductive reasoning is using reasoning assuming it it true to arrive at a conclusion. The article then goes on to spend most of its time explain math inquiry, the different levels and each level's significance in importance. For example the 4 levels of inquiry from lower to higher are: 1. Confirmation, 2. Structured, 3. Guided and 4. Open. The article went on to give examples of each level of inquiry; it was dealing with a geoboard and line segments on the board to then develop their reasoning in of pythagorean theorm. They stated that in order for a teacher to be good at using inquiry in her classroom she needs to be really good at asking and developing questions. They talked about how this was a science approach to learning that is now being adapted and developed in the math words for teaching as well.

I am a huge advocate for inquiry math usage in the classroom, so I found this article to be really interesting and explanatory. It was cool to learn about the different levels of inquiry. I never really knew their was different levels, I just thought that inquiry was inquiry. I enjoyed that they provided and explaining of each level and also showed some student work throughout the article. The only part that I did find a little confusing was how they expected the students to make the connection to the rule of right triangles. Even after reading the article I tried to think about it more and I feel like I am still unsure as to how that would happen. Overall I found this article to be interesting and informative. I am excited to share what I learned with my group and also to use all the different levels of inquiry throughout my time teaching in the future.