Inquiry instruction has been widely incorporated into college science laboratories in recent
years and lauded for enhancing student learning. Our study supports these claims: inquiry
lab students demonstrated small but significant gains in science literacy and science process
skills compared to students enrolled in the traditional cookbook labs. Instructors following in
our footsteps should be aware of the challenges, however. Adopting an inquiry-based
laboratory curriculum requires a substantial investment not only in curriculum development
but also in new training for instructors to facilitate the shift in instructional practices. In
addition, inquiry instruction is often met with resistance from students as they are
challenged to approach scientific problems at a higher level. Administrators evaluating the
success of a course cannot simply use student evaluations as the sole indicator of the
quality of instruction. Our inquiry lab students rated their experience lower on course
evaluations but exhibited an interesting trend toward a more honest appraisal of their own
abilities and an increased appreciation of their accomplishments.