Inductive versus deductive instructional approaches: determining their effectiveness in the classroom

Abstract

This study consisted of using inductive and deductive models of approach in a high school chemistry classroom to compare the effectiveness of the two instructional approaches on students' learning. Eleven students in two different classrooms participated in the study. The first model (deductive) provided students with a PowerPoint presentation and homework, followed by a lab in the next class with a discussion to bring closure to each topic. The second model (inductive) provided students with a lab and a discussion, followed by a PowerPoint presentation and homework in the next class. A nonequivalent quasi-experimental design was imposed, administering a pre-test and post-test at the beginning and end of each unit. Semester exams were compared to determine if a model of approach is related to the students' comprehension of the material. The data was collected and the means, standard deviations, and standard errors were calculated. Each pre-test, post-test, and final exam score for the two groups were put through a t-test. The data shows that the two approaches are equivalent in terms of effectiveness. However, due to a small sample size, no definitive conclusions could be made based from the results.