During
one of my classroom placements I developed an interest in a particular style of
teaching. I was placed in a Kindergarten class that featured inquiry-based
learning. The students were allowed to choose a workstation in the classroom
that enabled them to play interactive games and learn through activities. As
well, the walls of the classroom featured pictures of the children exploring a
topic of their choice, for example collecting outdoor, nature materials to
create letters and numbers. This inspired me to become more informed about
inquiry-based learning. The Ontario Ministry of Education states that inquiry-based
learning emphasizes the importance of students’ questions, ideas, and
observations (2013). Inquiry-based learning is a shift from teacher directed
learning, to student centered learning (Wu, Tseng, & Hwang, 2015).
Inquiry-based learning fosters students’ active engagement in their learning.
They are no longer passive recipients of knowledge but are active explorers (Wu,
Tseng, & Hwang, 2015). The Ontario Ministry of Education suggests that one
way to stay true to an inquiry-based learning topic is to keep track of
questions that the students are asking (2013). These questions can be written in the
classroom for the students to refer to about their investigations. The Ontario Ministry of Education’s
document on inquiry-based learning can be found here:
Situated within constructivist theory, inquiry-based
learning has been described as students actively integrating what they are
learning into prior knowledge (Wu, Tseng, & Hwang, 2015). As well,
inquiry-based learning emphasizes students as decision makers. Drake, Reid and
Kolohon (2014) state that the goal of inquiry-based learning it to develop
creative problem solving strategies. The diagram below retrieved Worksheet Library outlines the key
components of inquiry-based learning.
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| Photo Retrieved from Worksheet library |
While
attempting to become more informed about inquiry-based learning I came across
one particular example in the Casey Middle School science classroom with teacher
Ian Schwartz (Edutopia, 2015). In this classroom the students wanted to learn
about whether a local creek was safe for swimming. The students went on day
trips to the creek, collected data, and engaged in discussions. This was a good
example of inquiry-based learning because it empowered the students to create
their own research question and collect the necessary data. Dostál, (2015) suggests that it is important that
inquiry-based learning relates to real life situations in order to further
develop problem solving skills. The students at Casey Middle School developed a
research question that had practical, real life implications for their
community. As well, the students were active learners, as opposed to being a
passive recipient of information provided by a teacher lecturing or reading from
a textbook. The video is included below:
However,
there are some challenges regarding inquiry-based learning. For example,
Gutierez (2015) discussed one challenge teachers face regarding inquiry-based learning
is that there is a lack of support and appropriate materials. There also appears
to be a widespread opinion that inquiry-based learning is difficult and time
consuming (Gutierez, 2015). The Ontario Ministry of Education also describes a
misconception regarding inquiry-based learning. Some teachers have interpreted
inquiry-based learning as “letting go of the class” (2013). The Ministry recommends
that teachers still set parameters on the experiences. Teachers still play an
active role in learning and must assume the responsibility of ensuring that the
students observe small details that may have gone unnoticed without the teacher’s
assistance. Overall, there is evidence that inquiry-based learning can be an
effective learning strategy if teachers and students in expert roles work
collaboratively towards a research question (Gutierez, 2015). I believe
inquiry-based learning has its challenges, but when properly executed can have
positive outcomes for students. Inquiry-based learning is a teaching strategy I hope to one day use in my classroom to inspire students to learn, to develop a sense of agency, and to foster critical thinking skills.
References
Dostál, J. (2015). The definition of the term
“Inquiry-based instruction”. International
Journal of Instruction, 8(2), 69–82.
Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., Kolohon, W. (2014).
Interweaving curriculum and classroom
assessment: Engaging the 21st century learner. Don Mills,
Ontario: Oxford University Press.
Gutierez, S. B. (2015). Collaborative
professional learning through lesson study: Identifying the challenges of
inquiry-based teaching. Issues in
Educational Research, 25(2), 118-134.
Ontario Ministry of Education (2013). Capacity building series: Inquiry-based learning. Retrieved from https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/CBS_InquiryBased.pdf
Wu, J. W., Tseng, J. C. R., Hwang, G. J.
(2015). Development of inquiry-based learning based on an intelligent knowledge
exploration. Journal of Educational
Technology & Society, 18 (3),
282–300.
Video:
Edutopia (Producer). (2015, Aug 18). Casey
Middle School. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbqPaKTsDIU
Photo:
Inquiry-based Learning Visual Concept Diagram (Photo) (n.d.)
Retrieved from http://www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachingtips/inquiry.html
