Supporting Fledgling Scientists: The Importance of Autonomy in a Guided-Inquiry Laboratory Course

In order to evaluate students' development of scientific competence at the intermediate level, a guided-inquiry course was developed to increase student independence, including opportunities for project ownership and significant collaborative learning expectations. A survey was developed to assess students' experiences learning the scientific process. Students reported increased scientific competence and described autonomy as particularly important to their learning the scientific process. Students also indicated a preference for inquiry-based laboratory learning compared to more prescriptive laboratory environments.