Direct instruction vs. discovery: The long view

TLDR

Klahr and Nigam (2004) argued that direct instruction better supports mastery of the control‑of‑variables strategy than discovery learning. This study investigates how fourth‑grade students acquire the control‑of‑variables strategy, directly comparing direct instruction and discovery learning. Three groups of 15 fourth‑grade students were assigned to (1) 12 sessions over 10 weeks of strategy‑based problem solving, (2) the same sessions preceded by a direct‑instruction lesson, or (3) only the initial direct‑instruction lesson without subsequent practice. Over the extended period, direct instruction alone neither guarantees nor is required for robust acquisition or long‑term maintenance, indicating that mastery develops gradually through extended practice. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Sci Ed 91: 384–397, 2007.

Abstract

Abstract D. Klahr and M. Nigam (2004) make a case for the superiority of direct instruction over discovery learning in students' mastery of the control‐of‐variables strategy central to the scientific method. In the present work, we examine acquisition of this strategy among students of the same age as those studied by Klahr and Nigam, as well as follow central features of their design in directly comparing the two methods. In contrast to their design, however, we follow progress over an extended time period and a range of equivalent tasks. Three groups of 15 fourth‐grade students, of diverse socioeconomic background, were compared. One group engaged in 12 sessions over 10 weeks working on problems that required the control‐of‐variables strategy for effective solution. Another group engaged in the same activity, preceded by a session involving direct instruction on the control‐of‐variables strategy. A third group received only the initial direct instruction, without subsequent engagement and practice. In this longer term framework, direct instruction appears to be neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for robust acquisition or for maintenance over time. The patterns of attainment observed here point instead to a gradual and extended process of acquisition and consolidation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 91: 384–397, 2007