Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Walter WoolbaughPike, Clinton2019-01-252019-01-252018https://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/14800Through establishing a learning environment that encourages curiosity and enables student discovery through the learning process, students developed their own research and lab investigations. Observational data, student interviews, surveys, and a teacher reflective journal were used to collect data, which was processed using qualitative analysis strategies. The results strongly indicate that allowing students to develop their own learning pathway leads to greater student engagement and increased learning, ultimately improving the learning atmosphere in the classroom.enScience--ExperimentsFifth grade (Education)Education, ElementaryInquiry-based learningProject method in teachingProfessional PaperCopyright 2018 by Clinton Pike