This study investigated the effects of presenting domain information (basic information about the domain) either together with or instead of offering exploratory practice (an exploratory opportunity in a simulation-based representation of the learning domain) prior to inquiry learning for facilitating students' hypothesis generation and subsequent inquiry processes and their knowledge acquisition. Secondary school students (n = 118) completed a simulation-based inquiry task on force and motion. They were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: the D + E condition (n = 29), in which domain information and exploratory practice were available; the D condition (n = 30), in which only domain information was available; the E condition (n = 32), in which only exploratory practice was available; or the C condition (n = 27), with no support at all. Students' knowledge was measured with a pre- and posttest and a test on knowledge of variables. Inquiry processes were inferred from information students entered in a Hypothesis Scratchpad and an Observation tool, and from a final summary that they had to write. Results indicated that providing students with domain information alone helps to foster their knowledge of variables before generating hypotheses and leads to knowledge acquisition. The results also showed that the opportunity to explore before experimenting does not affect students' inquiry behavior or learning performance, even when combined with providing students with domain information.

中文翻译：

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呈现领域信息或自我探索，以促进基于模拟的探究学习中假设的生成

本研究调查了在探究性学习之前提供领域信息（有关领域的基本信息）的效果，以及提供探索性实践（基于模拟的学习领域表示的探索性机会）或代替探索性实践的效果，以促进学生的假设生成以及随后的探究过程及其知识获取。中学生（n  = 118）完成了一项关于力和运动的模拟探究任务。他们被随机分配到四种条件之一：D + E 条件（n  = 29），其中可以获得领域信息和探索性实践；D 条件（n  = 30），其中仅域信息可用；E 条件（n  = 32），其中只能进行探索性实践；或 C 条件 ( n  = 27)，根本没有支持。通过事前测试、事后测试以及变量知识测试来衡量学生的知识水平。探究过程是根据学生在假设便签本和观察工具中输入的信息以及他们必须编写的最终摘要来推断的。结果表明，仅向学生提供领域信息就有助于在生成假设之前培养他们对变量的了解，并导致知识获取。结果还表明，即使与向学生提供领域信息相结合，实验前的探索机会也不会影响学生的探究行为或学习表现。