AIM To explore the application and effect of inquiry-based cooperative learning in the teaching of aerospace physiology.

METHODS 4 eight-year undergraduate students of grade 2018 majoring in aerospace medicine were selected as the control group, and 4 eight-year undergraduate students of grade 2019 majoring in aerospace medicine were selected as the experimental group. Taking “Adverse effects of temperature load on cardiovascular system and its protection” as an example, the control group adopted the traditional teaching mode while the experimental group adopted the inquiry-based cooperative learning mode. The teaching effect was evaluated by the test score and questionnaires.

RESULTS The scores of “adverse effects of temperature load on cardiovascular system and its protection” in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.01), and the formative assessment scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The questionnaire results showed that the teaching effect of inquiry-based cooperative learning was significantly better than that of traditional teaching model.

CONCLUSIONS Inquiry-based cooperative learning can improve students’ learning interest and learning effect, improve students’ comprehensive quality, and provide ideas for the teaching of other related theoretical courses.