Using WebQuests In The Social Sciences Classroom

Abstract

This article investigates if WebQuests have been an effective instructional tool for teaching Social Sciences subjects. In order to obtain an answer to this question, a review of scholarly literature from 1995 to the present has been undertaken and action research in 8th grade U.S. history course was conducted. The literature investigation has shown that WebQuests gained a prominent place as a valuable internet-based and inquiry-oriented teaching/learning tool that develops students’ higher-order thinking skills and shifts the classroom toward being more student-centered. However, there has not been sufficient research to establish the effectiveness of this tool. The results of action research conducted in one of the middle schools in Northern California are a small contribution to this discussion.