Educational researchers investigated how two instructional approaches—direct instruction and inquiry-based learning—affect student engagement in middl...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Educational researchers investigated how two instructional approaches—direct instruction and inquiry-based learning—affect student engagement in middle school science classes. Using the Student Engagement Index (SEI), where higher scores indicate greater engagement, they surveyed students across multiple schools in the district. The study revealed that direct instruction shows a stronger negative association with student engagement levels compared to inquiry-based learning approaches.
Which result would best support the researchers' conclusion?
Students at Lincoln Middle, a school utilizing primarily direct instruction methods, demonstrated lower average SEI scores than students at Roosevelt Middle, a school emphasizing inquiry-based learning approaches.
The difference in average SEI scores between students at two schools with higher usage of direct instruction than inquiry-based methods was not statistically significant.
Students at Jefferson Middle, a school with extensive use of both direct instruction and inquiry-based methods, showed lower average SEI scores than students at Washington Middle, a school with minimal use of either approach.
Students at Adams Middle, a school with equal implementation of direct instruction and inquiry-based methods, had higher average SEI scores than students at Madison Middle, a school with varying levels of the two approaches.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Educational researchers investigated how two instructional approaches—direct instruction and inquiry-based learning—affect student engagement in middle school science classes." |
|
| "Using the Student Engagement Index (SEI), where higher scores indicate greater engagement, they surveyed students across multiple schools in the district." |
|
| "The study revealed that direct instruction shows a stronger negative association with student engagement levels compared to inquiry-based learning approaches." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Research found that direct instruction has a stronger negative association with student engagement than inquiry-based learning approaches.
Argument Flow: The passage sets up a comparative study of two teaching methods, explains how engagement was measured across multiple schools, and presents the key finding that direct instruction correlates more negatively with engagement than inquiry-based learning.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- To support this conclusion, we need evidence showing schools using primarily direct instruction have lower SEI scores than schools using inquiry-based learning
- The right answer should show a direct comparison where the school emphasizing direct instruction demonstrates lower engagement scores than a school emphasizing inquiry-based learning approaches
Students at Lincoln Middle, a school utilizing primarily direct instruction methods, demonstrated lower average SEI scores than students at Roosevelt Middle, a school emphasizing inquiry-based learning approaches.
✓ Correct
- Shows Lincoln Middle (primarily direct instruction) with lower SEI scores than Roosevelt Middle (emphasizing inquiry-based learning)
- This directly demonstrates the pattern the researchers concluded and provides the exact type of comparative evidence needed
The difference in average SEI scores between students at two schools with higher usage of direct instruction than inquiry-based methods was not statistically significant.
✗ Incorrect
- States that two schools with higher direct instruction usage showed no statistically significant difference in SEI scores
- This contradicts the researchers' conclusion by showing no clear pattern rather than the expected negative association
Students at Jefferson Middle, a school with extensive use of both direct instruction and inquiry-based methods, showed lower average SEI scores than students at Washington Middle, a school with minimal use of either approach.
✗ Incorrect
- Compares Jefferson Middle (uses both methods extensively) to Washington Middle (minimal use of either approach)
- Doesn't isolate the comparison between direct instruction versus inquiry-based learning specifically
Students at Adams Middle, a school with equal implementation of direct instruction and inquiry-based methods, had higher average SEI scores than students at Madison Middle, a school with varying levels of the two approaches.
✗ Incorrect
- Compares Adams Middle (equal implementation of both methods) to Madison Middle (varying levels)
- Doesn't provide a clear comparison between schools emphasizing one method over the other