What is inquiry-based learning?

Children are born with curiosity. They have a tendency to ask questions to parents or elders for something that they did not know and understand. They always seek for evidence.
The process of inquiring started with collecting of information and data by using all the five senses (Inquiry based learning, 2004). Then, by applying the existing knowledge that children had they will gain new knowledge. Inquiry is important in the generation and transmission of knowledge.

It is an active method of learning which is student-centred (Whowell, 2006). It is more interesting teaching strategy than the traditional method, chalk and talk. Enquiry skills are useful in the teaching of certain subject such as Science. Examples of enquiry skills are predicting, experimenting, observing, recording, inferring, measuring, communicating, analyzing and etc.

This method can be use in problem solving, field trips, dissertations, projects and research. Sometimes this method does not look for right or wrong answer but solutions to certain problems or questions. It is suitable to do inquiry-based learning in a small group which later will promote social interaction between the members of the group.

Some of the characteristics of the inquiry-based learning are as follow,

·Involvement with a complex problem, that is open-ended to allow a variety of responses or solutions.

·Students lead the enquiry and the methods use.

·Tasks stimulate curiosity in the students, encouraging them to actively explore and look for new evidence.

·Responsibility depends to the student for analysing and presenting that evidence in appropriate ways and in support of their own response to the problem.

What are the roles of the teacher?

Roles of the teacher are to:

1. Prepare the students before learning takes place by telling the benefits and expectations they can get from this method, the changing role of the students if compare to the traditional method, they would be able to work in groups.

2. Create the stimulus by carefully setting up the scenarios or problems.

3. Prepare the resources, determine the assessment methods and also the deadlines of the task.

4. Facilitate the students and the learning. By giving guide lines such as asking open-ended questions to the students and also support any difficulties that groups or individuals encounter.

5. Explain clearly to the students the assessment procedure and criteria.

6. Share the experience with the students.


7. Give feedback to the students as well as receive feedback from the students.

What are the roles of the students?

Roles of the students:

-Accept responsibility for their learning.
-Establish roles of the group.
-Investigate the stimulus.
-Identify the learning goals of the lesson.
-Determine a plan of activity and agree on individual tasks as well as responsibilities.
-Report individual findings and gather research.
-Completing the task.
-Tolerate with the assessment tasks.
-Give and receive feedback from other members of the group and teacher.

The advantages of using inquiry-based in teaching Science

Benefits to the students:

1. The students will remember more if they learn through this learning because they have to talk about it. It is also easier to apply to the real situation.

2. It promotes responsibility to the students.

3. Develops lifelong learning skills.

4. Nurture inquiring attitudes throughout life.

5. Accommodates different learning styles.

6. The students will become a more confident investigator, sensible, and often look at different aspects of the problem and are less frightened by the word research.

7. It helps the students to have the confidence to work with others, speak out and share ideas but also improve the students’ personality as they not only have hands-on skills and academic knowledge.

8. It reflects the multitude of skills such as intellectual and professional skills.

9. The students will be used to sharing info and deciding which one to use.

10. Involve everyone in the group work, so every student has a chance to participate.

11. Opportunities for reflection and review.

12. The students will enjoy learning.


Benefits to the teacher,

-Can inform the teacher’s own research.
-Livens up lessons.
-Encourages participation in the learning.
-Widens teaching experience.
-Enjoy teaching the students.

References

1. Boo, M. D. (1999). Enquiring children, challenging teaching. Suffolk: Open University press.
Inquiry based-learning: What is inquiry-based learning? (2004). Retrieved September 14, 2008 from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/

2. Kahn, P. & O’Rourke, K. (2005). Understanding enquiry-based learning. In T. Barrett, I. M. Labhrainn & H. Fallon (Eds.), Handbook and enquiry and problem-based learning : Irish case studies and International perspectives (pp. 1-12). Galway: CELT

3. Moore, I. (n.d.). Enquiry based learning. Retrieved September 15, 2008 from extra.shu.ac.uk/cetl/cpla%20resources/What%20is%20EBL.ppt
Whowell, M. (2006). A student guide to enquiry-based learning. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/ceebl/resources/general/studentguide_july06.pdf

(These text were taken my PS 1236’s report, September 2008)