How differently designed guidance influences simulation-based inquiry learning in science education: A systematic review

Background: Guidance has showed positive effects on promoting inquiry-based learning in science education. While an increasing number of studies focus on the design of guidance in simulation-based inquiry learning due to recent technology developments, how different designs of a same type of guidance affect learning remains a question. Objectives: This study reviews the (quasi-)experimental research on the learning effects of differently designed guidance in simulation-based inquiry learning in the past decade (2011–2020). The investigation is guided by two questions: how differently designed guidance affects inquiry-based learning in simulated environments in terms of learning process and learning outcomes, and what role technology plays in the design of guidance. In particular, we report on studies that compares the effects of a same type (process constraints/prompts/heuristics/scaffolds/metacognitive supports/direct presentation of information) of guidance with different instructional designs, and select a total of 28 peer-reviewed journal articles. The results indicate no equivocal tendency of effectiveness towards a specific design. Instead, each type of guidance has related factors that may influence its effectiveness. Three major factors that related to optimization of inquiry learning guidance in simulation-based environments are identified: the learner factor, the pedagogical factor, and the technological factor.