Current Situation Of Inquiry Teaching In Biology Experimental Curriculum In Junior Middle School

With the nationwide implementation of Curriculum Reform of Elementary Education, the learning theory of ?exploration, cooperation, independence? is being advocated in middle school biology teaching. Inquiry learning makes the students explore actively, think positively, and enable the learners be positive instead of passive knowledge receivers. It not only pays close attention to imparting knowledge, but also keeps a watchful eye on learners? ability building and moral education, which lays important foundation to the students for the cultivation of? comprehensive ability and elevation of quality.In this study, investigation on status of inquiry teaching in biology experimental curriculum was conducted taking the NO.2 Middle School in Guyang County as an example. The cases analysis intuitively reflected the situation of inquiry teaching in the class, and the interview helped the researcher understand the teachers? and students? views and suggestions. The questionnaire enabled the researcher to realize the particular cases and existing problems. All of them came to the conclusions as follows:The inquiry teaching in biology experimental curriculum in NO.2 Middle school of Guyang County gained remarkable achievements. First of all, the majority of teachers and students paid enough attention and showed great enthusiasm to the inquiry teaching, which laid important foundation to its further development. Secondly, the leaders of the school were very supportive and provided laboratories and equipment for it.Thirdly, teaching effectiveness got enhanced, and the atmosphere in class was very good, which played a positive role in biology teaching at middle school, as well as motivated the students? initiative in learning biology, improved their practical ability, cooperative awareness and comprehensive qualities. All in all, the prospective of inquiry teaching will be very optimistic.However, there were still some problems. First of all, a few teachers did not gain thorough understanding to inquiry teaching, and some teachers held out-date concepts. Secondly, the students sometimes could not play their dominant role enough, which restrained their interests in learning. Thirdly, the heavy school work and test pressure made the proportion of the theory and the experiment contents unreasonable, which put off the implementation of the inquiry teaching. Moreover, the traditional education system and out-date ideas and teaching models put a further drag on the carrying out of it.Some proposals were finally made as follows: firstly, to reinforce the inquiry teaching in biology experimental curriculum at middle school, and to pay more attention and support to it.Mean while, the education authorities should coordinate the schools in communicating. Secondly, varieties of teaching methods to improve the class efficiency could be used. Thirdly, the scientific and effective evaluating system should be established, and the evaluation to inquiry teaching should be comprehensive and specific, not only conferring to various measurements and the test score, but also paying more attention to the exploration process and the students? overall development.