What is Inquiry-Based Learning?

Based on John Dewey’s philosophy that education begins with the curiosity of the learner,
inquiry in the classroom places the responsibility for learning on the students and encourages
them to arrive at an understanding of concepts by themselves. Lee et al. (2004) defined inquiry-
based learning as an "array of classroom practices that promote student learning through
guided and, increasingly, independent investigation of complex questions and problems, often
for which there is no single answer” (p. 9). Students are supported in developing their abilities
to: ask good questions, determine what needs to be learned and what resources are required in
order to answer those questions, and share their learning with others.

Ai et al. (2008) highlight the following four elements central to inquiry-based learning:

Inquiry learning is an increasing independent endeavour of growth. Students develop skills

around each element of the inquiry process over time. One course may introduce some aspects
of the inquiry process with a great degree of guidance and facilitation from instructors.
Advanced courses may expand to include all four elements with students largely directing their
own learning.

Why Teach Inquiry?

Self-direction is a critical skill for success in both post-secondary education and the
workplace. Inquiry-based approaches to learning encourage students to build valuable
and transferable skills, including:

 Realistic goal-setting and goal-tracking

 Time- and priority-management
 Information gathering, filtering, and integration
 Critical thinking
 Communication of ideas and learning
 Self-assessment and reflection

References
Ai, R., Bhatt, M., Chevrier, S., Ciccarelli, R., Grady, R., Kumari, V., … Wong, H. (2008).
Choose your own inquiry. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.

Lee, V. S., Greene, D. B., Odom, J., Schechter, E., & Slatta, R. W. (2004). What is
inquiry guided learning. In V. S. Lee (Ed.), Teaching and learning through inquiry:
A guidebook for institutions and instructors (pp. 3-15). Sterling, VA: Stylus
Publishing.
 Inquiry-based Learning combines student curiosity and the scientific method to increase
engagement and critical thinking.

What is Inquiry-Based Learning?

As opposed to traditional classroom learning where a teacher presents facts and knowledge about
a subject, “inquiry-based learning is an educational strategy in which students follow methods
and practices similar to those of professional scientists in order to construct knowledge.”

What is it?
Inquiry-based learning is an education approach that focuses on investigation and
problem-solving. Inquiry-based learning is different from traditional approaches
because it reverses the order of learning. Instead of presenting information, or ‘the
answer’, up-front, teachers start with a range of scenarios, questions and problems for
students to navigate.

Inquiry-based learning prioritises problems that require critical and creative thinking
so students can develop their abilities to ask questions, design investigations, interpret
evidence, form explanations and arguments, and communicate findings.

How does it help?

Students learn key STEM and life skills through inquiry-based learning. Inquiry-based
learning also promotes:

 Social interaction. This helps attention span and develops reasoning skills.
Social interaction encourages students to generate their own ideas and critique
in group discussions. It develops agency, ownership and engagement with
student learning.
 Exploration. This allows students to investigate, design, imagine and explore,
therefore developing curiosity, resilience and optimism.
 Argumentation and reasoning. This creates a safe and supportive environment
for students to engage in discussion and debate. It promotes engagement in
scientific discussion and improves learning of scientific concepts. It encourages
students to generate questions, formulate positions and make decisions.
 Positive attitudes to failure. The iterative and evaluative nature of many STEM
problems means failure is an important part of the problem-solving process. A
healthy attitude to failure encourages reflection, resilience and continual
improvement.

How do you do it?

  UNESCO recommends a four-step process:
o set a challenge for students
o encourage active student investigations
o make generalisations
o reflect

An old adage states: "Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand."
The last part of this statement is the essence of inquiry-based learning, says our workshop author Joe
Exline 1. Inquiry implies involvement that leads to understanding. Furthermore, involvement in
learning implies possessing skills and attitudes that permit you to seek resolutions to questions and
issues while you construct new knowledge.

The Benefits of Inquiry-Based Learning

There are many benefits to inquiry-based learning, including:

 Students in an inquiry-based environment know that their voices matter and that their
curiosity is important to their teacher. Their questions go a long way toward guiding the
curriculum!

 Because inquiry-based learning starts with questions, students are often very
authentically motivated to learn. Since they are driving the learning, they are studying
the things they care and wonder about the most; they will also acquire many other skills
along the way.

 Inquiry-based learning is easy to differentiate because it is accessible to students at a

wide range of levels. All students have questions, and it is important to help students
find appropriate materials to answer their questions.

 An inquiry-based classroom environment is also very inclusive because everyone is able

to access learning through the questions they are asking.

Define the inquiry-based learning

• Describe the characteristics of inquiry-based learning

• Identify the benefits of inquiry-based learning strategies

• List the advantages of implementing the inquiry-based learning in a classroom

IBL- is the teaching methodology that encourages students to question information and ideas, seeking out
perspectives and solutions.

- A form of active learning, which means that it involves students in the process of
learning.
- Can take place through discussions, group work, demonstrations, presentations,
simulations (guided exercises that require participation), problem-solving activities and
other hands-on activities.

Characteristics

- Refers to a type of instruction in which students are encouraged to ask questions and
explore information for themselves.
- Students are typically actively engaged in exploring the material they are studying.
- Often used in classrooms where traditional lecturers are not effective or when more
interactive approaches are desired.

Key characteristics

1. Use of questioning as a tool for questioning and investigation.

2. encouragement for students to share their understanding and perspectives with their
peers.

3. A focus on problem-solving and critical thinking.

4. A focus on developing each and individual’s skills and knowledge.

5. Use of hands-on activities that allow students to apply what they have learned.

6. Emphasis on feedback and guidance to students as they explore new information.

7. Enhancing communication and collaboration skills.

8. Promoting creativity and innovation.

6 Ways to implement IBL in your classroom

1. Have students brainstorm ideas for questions to ask during class.

- in order to keep your classes interesting and engaging, it is important to ask questions that
challenge student’s thinking.

Ex. 1. What do you think our class should focus on this semester?

2. How can we make our class more engaging?

 3. What topics would you like us to cover?

2. Have them design their own experiments to explore the topic.

- have the students choose a topic they are interested in and brainstorm different ways to
investigate it.

 Structured Inquiry: whole class engages in inquiry together with the teacher in control
of the inquiry process. The learners all demonstrating their understanding in a similar
way. Beginning with this type of inquiry helps learners become familiar with the process
of inquiry.
 Controlled Inquiry: agency over learning begins to shift during this type of inquiry, as
they are given more choice over the essential question and resources they will explore.
 Guided Inquiry: learners are further empowered during this type of inquiry as they are
given choice over the resources they will use to research their answers and how they will
demonstrate their understanding.
 Free Inquiry : Teacher acts as a guide and facilitator as students choose their own
topics, resources and method of presenting understanding. In this type of inquiry all
students could be working on something completely different.

The Structured Inquiry Approach

In structured inquiry, students are provided with a specific question or problem to investigate.
They follow a predetermined procedure or set of steps to find the answer. This type of inquiry
provides a framework for students to explore a topic while still allowing them to make
decisions and draw conclusions based on their findings.

The Open-Ended Inquiry Approach

Open inquiry is the most student-driven type of inquiry-based learning. Students are given
the freedom to choose their own research questions, design their own experiments, and
explore a topic in-depth. They are responsible for planning and conducting their
investigations, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions. Open inquiry fosters creativity,
independence, and critical thinking skills.

Reference:

Vietnam Teaching Jobs (2023). What Is Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL)? Types, Benefits & How
to
Use. (https://vietnamteachingjobs.com/what-is-inquiry-based-learning/).
The Problem-Based Inquiry Approach
This approach presents students with real-world issues or challenges to solve. Students
collaborate, research, and apply their knowledge and skills to find solutions, honing their
critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in the process.

The Guided Inquiry Approach

Guided inquiry involves providing students with a general question or problem and guiding
them through the process of finding the answer. The teacher provides support, resources,
and guidance to help students develop their own research questions, design experiments,
and analyze data. This type of inquiry encourages students to take ownership of their
learning while still receiving guidance from the teacher.

Benefits of Inquiry-Based Learning

Encourages Critical Thinking

Inquiry-Based Learning fosters critical thinking skills as students actively explore and analyze
information to answer their questions. By evaluating evidence, drawing conclusions, and
considering different perspectives, students develop the ability to think critically and make
well-informed decisions.

Improves Problem-Solving Skills

Engaging in inquiry-based investigations requires students to tackle real-world problems and
challenges. As they seek solutions independently or collaboratively, students enhance their
problem-solving skills, becoming more adept at approaching and resolving complex issues.

Encourages Creativity
With the freedom to explore their interests and design investigations, students are inspired to
think creatively. Inquiry-Based Learning nurtures imagination and originality as students
generate unique solutions and perspectives.

Improves Communication Skills

Participating in IBL often involves discussions, presentations, and sharing findings with
peers. Through these activities, students sharpen their communication skills, expressing their
ideas effectively and articulately.

1. Limited/Confirmation Inquiry – Students confirm a principle through an activity

when the results are known in advance.
2. Structured Inquiry – Students investigate a teacher-presented question through
a prescribed procedure.
3. Guided Inquiry – Students investigate a teacher-presented question using
student designed/selected procedures.
4. Open Inquiry – Students investigate questions that are student formulated
through student designed/selected procedure
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