Scaffolding beim Forschenden Lernen: Eine empirische Untersuchung zur Wirkung von Lernunterstützungen

The present study examines if and how the use of scaffold-formats to support the procedural knowledge and methodological knowledge (procedural understanding) in inquiry learning can promote scientific thinking, methodological knowledge and content knowledge and also reduce cognitive load. For this purpose a 2 × 2 quasi-experimental intervention study with pre- and post-test in a 11th grade about enzymology (N = 220) was conducted. The scaffold-formats worked examples (Research Tipps) and discursive reflexive scenarios (Concept Cartoons) were chosen as independent variables. According to theory they are suitable to promote procedural and declarative knowledge respectively. As dependent variables scientific thinking, methodological knowledge and content knowledge as well as cognitive load were tested at each test time. It turns out that both scaffold-formats and combinations thereof are suitable to promote the acquisition of scientific thinking and reduce cognitive load. The effectiveness of the scaffolds in the areas of methodological knowledge and content knowledge could be confirmed only partly.