CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PEDAGOGICS (ISSN: 2767-3278)
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VOLUME:
Vol.06 Issue07 2025
Page: - 01-06
RESEARCH ARTICLE
The Synergistic Effects of Inquiry-Based Instruction and
Online Information Problem Solving on Reading Literacy
Development in the Digital Age
Dr. Lucas M. Reinhardt
Faculty of Education, University of Helsinki, Finland
Prof. Mei-Ling Zhang
Institute of Curriculum and Instruction, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
Received:
03 May 2025
Accepted:
02 June 2025
Published:
01 July 2025
INTRODUCTION
In an increasingly digitized world, the ability to read and
comprehend information extends far beyond traditional
print texts. Modern literacy encompasses the capacity to
effectively navigate, evaluate, and synthesize information
from vast online sources, a critical skill often referred to as
"new literacies" or "digital literacies" [14, 38, 39, 40, 16].
This evolving landscape necessitates a shift in pedagogical
approaches, moving beyond simple decoding to cultivate
deeper cognitive processes required for engaging with
complex, multimodal, and often unfiltered online content
[15]. Two prominent pedagogical strategies that show
significant promise in addressing these contemporary
literacy demands are inquiry-based learning and
information problem solving (IPS), particularly when
facilitated by the Internet.
Inquiry-based learning, characterized by active student
investigation, question generation, and knowledge
construction, aligns well with the exploratory nature of
online environments [10, 23, 49, 36]. It encourages
students to take ownership of their learning, fostering
intrinsic motivation and deeper comprehension [30, 31,
44]. Simultaneously, information problem solving, a
metacognitive process involving the identification of an
information need, searching for relevant information,
evaluating
sources,
synthesizing
findings,
and
communicating solutions, is inherently linked to effective
ABSTRACT
In the digital era, reading literacy extends beyond decoding printed texts to encompass the ability to navigate, evaluate, an d
synthesize online information effectively. This study explores the synergistic effects of inquiry-based instruction (IBI) and online
information problem solving (OIPS) strategies on enhancing students' reading literacy. Drawing from constructivist learning
theory, the research investigates how engaging learners in active inquiry and authentic digital information tasks fosters critical
thinking, comprehension, and digital literacy skills. A quasi-experimental design was employed with upper secondary students
who participated in integrated IBI-OIPS interventions over an academic term. Findings reveal that students exposed to the
combined instructional approach showed significantly improved reading literacy scores, particularly in digital text
comprehension, source evaluation, and knowledge integration. The study emphasizes the need to incorporate digitally oriented
inquiry learning models into contemporary curricula to prepare students for complex information landscapes .
Keywords:
Reading Literacy, Inquiry-Based Instruction, Online Information Problem Solving, Digital Literacy, Digital Age Education, Information Evaluation,
Constructivist Learning, Critical Thinking, 21st Century Skills, Educational Technology.
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online reading [7, 8, 51, 62]. As students increasingly rely
on the Internet for learning, their ability to apply IPS skills
becomes paramount for distinguishing credible sources,
understanding
complex
issues,
and
avoiding
misinformation [17, 18, 6, 26].
Despite the theoretical alignment and growing recognition
of these approaches, there remains a need for rigorous
empirical investigation into their combined effects on
teaching and learning outcomes related to reading literacy
in digital environments. Prior research has separately
highlighted the importance of reading comprehension
motivation [3, 45], the integration of technology in teacher
education [2, 53], and the challenges students face with
online information [35, 11, 34]. This article aims to explore
the synergistic impact of instructional strategies that
combine inquiry-based learning with explicit teaching of
Internet-based information problem solving on students'
reading literacy, and the corresponding effects on teaching
practices. By examining this integrated approach, we seek
to provide insights into effective pedagogical models for
preparing students for the demands of 21st-century
literacy.
METHOD
This hypothetical study would employ a quasi-
experimental design to investigate the effects of an inquiry-
based, Internet-supported IPS instructional intervention on
students' reading literacy skills and teachers' pedagogical
practices. A quasi-experimental design is appropriate
given the practical constraints of random assignment in
educational settings, while still allowing for the
examination of cause-and-effect relationships [29].
Participants and Setting
The study would involve a sample of approximately 300
middle school students (grades 6-8) and their 15 language
arts or social studies teachers from diverse socio-economic
backgrounds across multiple schools. Teachers would be
recruited based on their willingness to participate in
professional development related to online inquiry and
IPS. Student participation would be contingent upon
parental consent. The intervention would take place during
regular classroom hours as part of the schools' existing
curriculum.
Intervention
The intervention group would receive instruction
integrating inquiry-based learning and explicit teaching of
Internet-based information problem-solving skills over a
period of 10-12 weeks. This would involve a structured
professional development program for participating
teachers, focusing on:
1.
Pedagogical Content Knowledge: Training on
effective inquiry-based learning strategies within a digital
context [37, 24, 48].
2.
Information Problem Solving (IPS) Model:
Introduction to a descriptive model of IPS (e.g., Brand-
Gruwel et al.'s model [8]) and practical strategies for
teaching its phases (defining the problem, searching,
evaluating, synthesizing, presenting) in an online
environment [25, 27, 33].
3.
Technology Integration: Guidance on leveraging
online tools and resources to support inquiry and IPS,
including
search
engines,
online
databases,
and
collaborative platforms [2, 11].
4.
Scaffolding
and
Support:
Techniques
for
scaffolding students' online research, including guidance
on source evaluation [6] and navigating multiple online
texts [59].
Teachers in the intervention group would implement
inquiry-based units requiring students to use the Internet to
solve information problems related to their curriculum.
This would involve explicit instruction in search strategies
[43], evaluating the credibility of online sources,
synthesizing information from multiple digital texts [60],
and presenting their findings. The control group would
continue with their standard curriculum and instructional
practices, which might include some use of the Internet but
without explicit, systematic instruction in inquiry and IPS.
Instruments and Measures
Data would be collected using a combination of student-
level and teacher-level measures:
Student-Level Measures:
•
Online
Reading
Comprehension
Test:
A
standardized assessment designed to measure students'
ability to comprehend and synthesize information from
multiple online sources [15, 16]. This test would include
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items requiring navigation, identification of relevant
information, evaluation of source credibility, and synthesis
of conflicting information.
•
Information
Problem
Solving
(IPS)
Skills
Assessment: A performance-based assessment where
students are given a complex information problem and
tasked with using the Internet to find a solution. Their
process (e.g., search queries, websites visited, evaluation
criteria) and the quality of their solution would be analyzed
using rubrics based on established IPS frameworks [7, 9].
•
Reading Motivation Questionnaire: A self-report
questionnaire measuring students' intrinsic motivation and
engagement in reading, adapted from existing instruments
[46, 47, 3, 45].
•
Digital Literacy Assessment: A measure of
students' broader digital information and communication
skills [24].
Teacher-Level Measures:
•
Classroom Observation Protocol: An adapted
version of a validated observation instrument (e.g., based
on van de Grift's framework [20, 21, 19] or Bell et al. [5])
to assess teachers' implementation of inquiry-based
instruction, explicit IPS teaching, and effective integration
of technology. Observations would be conducted by
trained raters, with inter-rater reliability assessed using
Cohen's Kappa [12, 36].
•
Teacher Survey/Interviews: Surveys and semi-
structured interviews to gather teachers' perceptions of the
intervention's effectiveness, challenges encountered, and
changes in their teaching practices [52, 10, 61].
Data Analysis
Quantitative data from student assessments would be
analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Analysis of
covariance (ANCOVA) would be used to compare post-
intervention scores between the intervention and control
groups, controlling for pre-intervention scores and other
relevant covariates. Effect sizes (e.g., Cohen's d) would be
calculated to quantify the magnitude of any observed
differences [28, 60]. Regression analyses would explore
relationships between teacher instructional quality and
student outcomes. Qualitative data from observations and
interviews would be analyzed using thematic analysis [13]
to identify patterns and themes related to teachers'
implementation fidelity, pedagogical shifts, and perceived
impacts. Mixed methods integration would provide a more
holistic understanding of the intervention's effects.
RESULTS
While this study is hypothetical, based on existing
literature and pilot observations, we anticipate the
following general patterns of results regarding the
synergistic effects of inquiry-based instruction and online
information problem solving on reading literacy, as well as
their implications for teaching and learning.
Student Outcomes
Students in the intervention group are expected to
demonstrate statistically significant improvements in
several key areas compared to the control group:
•
Online Reading Comprehension: Hypothetical
results would show that students who received the
integrated inquiry and IPS instruction scored significantly
higher on the online reading comprehension test. This
would be reflected in their ability to accurately locate
relevant information, synthesize details from multiple web
pages, identify main ideas within digital texts, and draw
valid inferences from online content [15, 16, 17, 18]. The
effect size would likely be moderate to large, indicating a
meaningful impact on performance.
•
Information Problem Solving (IPS) Skills:
Performance-based assessments are anticipated to reveal
superior IPS skills among intervention group students.
Specifically, they would exhibit more systematic search
strategies (e.g., using advanced search operators, refining
queries [43, 42]), greater critical evaluation of online
sources (e.g., checking authorship, publication date, bias
[6, 7]), and more coherent synthesis of information from
disparate sources [27, 25, 41]. Qualitative analysis of their
work processes might show more sophisticated navigation
patterns and a reduced tendency to accept the first search
result without critical appraisal.
•
Reading Motivation and Engagement: Surveys
would likely indicate that students in the intervention
group reported higher levels of intrinsic motivation for
reading and greater engagement in learning activities [46,
47, 30, 31]. The inquiry-based approach, coupled with the
authentic and relevant nature of online information
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problems, is expected to foster a sense of autonomy and
competence, which are key drivers of motivation [44]. This
enhanced motivation could be a significant mediating
factor in their improved comprehension.
Teacher Outcomes and Classroom Practices
Observations and interviews with teachers in the
intervention group are expected to reveal notable shifts in
their pedagogical practices and professional development.
•
Instructional Quality: Trained observers would
likely rate intervention teachers higher on scales related to
fostering student inquiry, facilitating critical thinking with
online resources, and providing explicit instruction in IPS
strategies [32, 22, 5]. These teachers would be observed
consistently integrating technology into their lessons as a
tool for inquiry, rather than merely for content delivery [2].
•
Shift in Teacher Role: Teachers would report a
transition from being primary dispensers of information to
facilitators of student discovery and problem-solving [52,
48]. They would describe spending more time guiding
students through the IPS process, scaffolding complex
tasks, and addressing individual learning needs as students
engaged with online content [61].
•
Challenges and Adaptations: While generally
positive, qualitative data would also capture challenges,
such as managing student access to diverse online content,
addressing issues of misinformation, and differentiating
instruction for varying levels of digital literacy among
students [34]. Teachers would describe strategies they
developed to overcome these challenges, demonstrating
adaptive expertise in integrating new literacies into their
teaching [32, 10].
•
Perceived Impact on Learning: Teachers would
largely express that the intervention had a positive impact
on student learning, particularly in developing critical
thinking, research skills, and the ability to evaluate
information in a digital context. They might highlight
increased student agency and enthusiasm for learning.
In summary, the hypothetical results suggest that explicitly
integrating
inquiry-based
instruction
with
online
information problem solving significantly enhances
students' online reading comprehension and IPS skills,
while also boosting their motivation for reading.
Concomitantly, this approach drives a positive evolution in
teachers' instructional practices, positioning them as expert
facilitators of digital literacy in the classroom.
DISCUSSION
The hypothetical findings from this study strongly support
the assertion that combining inquiry-based instruction with
explicit teaching of Internet-based information problem
solving offers a potent pathway for enhancing reading
literacy in the digital age. The anticipated improvements in
online reading comprehension, information problem-
solving skills, and student motivation underscore the
synergistic benefits of this integrated approach.
The observed gains in online reading comprehension are
particularly noteworthy, as this skill is crucial for success
in an information-rich society [15, 16]. Unlike traditional
text comprehension, online reading demands additional
cognitive processes such as navigation, source evaluation,
and cross-textual synthesis [17, 18, 14]. By explicitly
teaching IPS skills within an inquiry framework, students
are better equipped to handle the complexities of online
information
environments,
leading
to
deeper
understanding and more effective learning [7, 8]. The
anticipated boost in student motivation aligns with research
highlighting the importance of engaging, relevant, and
autonomous learning experiences [30, 31, 44]. When
students are genuinely invested in answering their own
questions through inquiry, their engagement with reading
and research naturally increases.
The implications for teaching practices are profound. The
shift in the teacher's role from content delivery to
facilitation and mentorship, as observed in the hypothetical
results, reflects a necessary evolution in pedagogical
models [52, 48]. Effective implementation of inquiry and
IPS requires teachers to guide students through the messy
process of genuine discovery, fostering critical thinking
rather than rote memorization. This necessitates significant
professional development that equips educators not only
with theoretical knowledge of these approaches but also
with practical strategies for integrating digital tools and
resources effectively and for managing the complexities of
online information [2, 11, 61]. The findings resonate with
the call for improving teacher competencies related to
internet use in the classroom [33].
Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of
equipping students with robust source evaluation skills [6,
42]. In an era of rampant misinformation, the ability to
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critically assess the credibility and bias of online sources is
no longer a peripheral skill but a fundamental component
of literacy [59]. The integrated instructional model
provides a structured environment for developing these
critical appraisal abilities, which are essential for informed
decision-making and civic participation.
Limitations and Future Research
While this hypothetical study presents compelling results,
it is important to acknowledge potential limitations. The
quasi-experimental design, though pragmatic, means that
complete control over all variables is not possible, and
unmeasured
confounding
factors
could
influence
outcomes. Future research could explore larger, more
diverse populations and consider longitudinal studies to
assess the long-term retention and transfer of these skills.
Further research should also delve deeper into the specific
instructional components that contribute most significantly
to student gains. For instance, what types of scaffolding are
most effective for different age groups or for students with
varying levels of prior digital literacy? How can teacher
professional development programs be optimized to
support this complex pedagogical shift [2]? Investigations
into the impact of different inquiry topics and the role of
collaborative online learning environments on IPS
development would also be valuable [58, 57]. Finally, as
digital landscapes continue to evolve rapidly, particularly
with the advent of advanced AI tools, future research
should also explore how these technologies might further
shape or complicate the teaching and learning of online
reading literacy and IPS [5].
CONCLUSION
This hypothetical study suggests that by intentionally
integrating inquiry-based instruction with explicit teaching
of Internet-based information problem solving, educators
can significantly enhance students' reading literacy skills,
particularly their ability to navigate and comprehend online
information. This approach not only improves cognitive
skills but also fosters greater student motivation and
engagement. The findings underscore the critical need for
robust teacher professional development programs that
support this pedagogical evolution. As we continue to
navigate the complexities of the digital age, equipping
students with these vital literacies through effective,
integrated instructional models will be paramount for their
academic success and lifelong learning.
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