Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) is a supplemental K-12 instructional model and program for science, mathematics, and engineering. It is designed to help students make sense of the world through hands-on investigations, meaningful conversations, and evidence-based thinking. The core of each investigation or design challenge in ADI programs is the opportunity for students to learn and use core ideas. In each investigation and design challenge, students use their knowledge of STEM disciplines to figure out how or why something happens or develop a solution to a problem.
The ADI instructional model is used to create all materials provided by the program. These materials give students authentic and meaningful context to develop disciplinary-based literacy skills. This includes skills such as reading to obtain and evaluate information, talking to communicate, critique, and refine ideas, and writing to share what they figured out. The program is structured to promote active learning and critical thinking.
Program Overview and Core Components
ADI is presented as a ready-to-use supplemental program that helps teachers bring three-dimensional learning to life without having to create everything from scratch. Each investigation is built to meet national and state standards. The program provides students with meaningful experiences with science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and core disciplinary ideas—all within a single lesson.
The program follows a consistent 7-stage process that promotes active learning. This structured approach ensures that each investigation is standards-aligned and ready to teach. The materials are fully aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and state standards such as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). No additional lesson creation is required by the teacher to meet these standards.
Materials and Resources Offered
ADI provides a range of flexible resources to fit the needs of different classrooms and districts. These resources are categorized into several types:
- Books: Science books for grades K-12 that feature inquiry-based science investigations organized around phenomena. These books include lesson plans aligned to state and national standards and built-in student argumentation tools.
- Digital App: The ADI Learning Hub is a browser-based platform used for delivering investigations, guiding student peer review and discourse, tracking progress, and supporting in-person, hybrid, or remote STEM instruction.
- STEM Library: This library contains 3D investigations and standards-aligned investigations and assessments in science, math, and engineering.
- Classroom Materials: These include ready-to-use scaffolding tools such as argument cards, posters, modeling resources, and progress-tracking forms. These tools are designed to streamline collaborative STEM inquiry in the classroom.
Reported Benefits and Effectiveness
According to the provided source data, schools choose ADI for several reported benefits. The program is designed to ensure that students feel seen, heard, and challenged. The tasks are intended to promote critical thinking and active learning.
Specific research findings cited in the source material include:
- Equity: Underrepresented students outperformed their peers in traditional classes (Walker et al., 2016).
- Achievement: Pre-service teachers scored higher in content and skills when using ADI (Demircioglu & Ucar, 2015).
- Skills: Argument writing improved in structure, content, and mechanics (Cetin & Eymur, 2017).
- Engagement: 100% of ADI students were reported to be more engaged in science with significantly reduced anxiety (Chen et al., 2016).
- Science Writing and Argumentation: There was a 71% improvement in science writing and argumentation over the course of one school year (Sampson et al., 2013).
- Performance: Students in ADI programs showed improved performance compared to traditional instruction (Hidayer & Aripin, 2018).
Implementation and Support
ADI is designed to be a flexible resource that can fit various educational needs. A teacher testimonial from Jaela Harris, a science teacher in Clayton County Public Schools (Georgia), states: "I love the kits and so do my students! It is so easy to set up and get started. They have everything you need."
The program is used by a number of districts, though the specific districts are not listed in the provided source material. For schools or districts interested in implementing ADI, the program offers to build a plan that works for their team.
Conclusion
Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) is a structured, supplemental program for K-12 education in STEM fields. It utilizes a 7-stage process to deliver investigations that are aligned with national and state standards. The program provides a comprehensive set of resources, including books, a digital learning hub, and physical classroom materials, to support teachers in implementing inquiry-based learning. The source material cites various research studies suggesting benefits in student achievement, equity, skill development, and engagement. The program is positioned as a ready-to-use solution for bringing three-dimensional learning to life in science, math, and engineering classrooms.