Inquiry based learningIt’s implementation within the classroom

Cherine Spirou – LMC NSWDEC

Tell me and I forget,

show me and I remember, involve

me and I understand.

Wherever there is a child there is curiosity and where there is

curiosity there is science.

"Questions and inquiry make way for innovation.  When you already have the answer there is no longer a

reason to innovate."Twitter: @ktenkely

Inquiry Based Learning – what is it?Inquiry Based Learning is a student – centred instructional

method that is based on substantially increased student

involvement in the learning process.

INQUIRY

Understanding

Involvement Skills & Attitude

New knowledge

Definition of Inquiry“A seeking for truth, information or knowledge –

seeking information by questioning”

“Involving the learner and leading him/her to understand”

Students become less prone to ask questions as they move through the higher years of education.

For example: kindergarten children will ask hundreds of questions; while students in Year 9 may ask one or two questions depending on the reason behind it.

“To inquire into specific scientific

phenomena, students need to

draw upon a foundation of experience”

What is Science Inquiry? 1) What does Science inquiry mean to you?

2) What is the difference between a traditional classroom and an Inquiry Based classroom?

Traditional ClassroomWhat would the teacher be

doing?

What would the student be doing?

   

 

Inquiry Based ClassroomWhat would the teacher be

doing?

What would the student be doing?

   

So what’s the difference between IBL & traditional classroom practice?

Inquiry Based Traditional

Principle Learning Theory

Constructivism Behaviourism

Student Participation Active Passive

Student involvement in outcomes

Increased responsibility Decreased responsibility

Student role Problem solver Direction follower

Curriculum goals Process oriented Product oriented

Teachers role Guide/facilitator Director/transmitter

Effective Inquiry Effective inquiry is more than just asking questions.

It involves:

A Context of questions

A framework of questions

A focus on questions

Different levels of questions

Essential Elements of Inquiry Based Learning1. Meanings should not be deceptive to beginners

(easy to understand)

2. Useful knowledge should be structured

(easy to map out)

3. Structured knowledge should be applicable,

transferable and accessible to a broad range of

applications & students.

(easy to use and be shared easily)

4. Structured knowledge should be easily retrieved so

that new knowledge can be gained without too much

effort.(can relate to others and to further new

knowledge)

“Students open exploration leads to a range of interests and

questions that lead into deeper investigation and

understanding”

“Exploring ways that inquirers collect and record first hand data, and observe and raise questions, make

predictions, test hypotheses and develop understanding

allows us to formulate student patterns and

relationships”

Inquiry Learning – Is it happening in your classroom?

1. Make a list of what you think regularly happens in your science class by reflecting on a lesson you did recently.

2. What were you doing? What were your students doing? Was it inquiry based or traditional learning?

3. Use the following table to assist you in reflecting on your answers:

Question Answer Traditional or IBL

Are students exploring?

   

 

What questions were asked?

   

 

Did students ask questions?

   

 

What type of questions did students ask?

   

 

Are students working with

materials?

   

 

What did you do to facilitate student

thinking?

   

 

The 5 E’s Learning Cycle

ENGAGE!Students need to:

First encounter and identify the task

Make connections between past and present

learning connections

Need to be asked a question or to define a

problem to be engaged and focussed.

EXPLOREStudents:

Have the opportunity to get directly

involved

Develop a knowledge and get experience

in task

Build a base of common experience

Learn to share and communicate with

other team members

Allow the inquiry process to drive the

instruction

Have the teacher as the facilitator – to

provide materials and guide their focus.

EXPLAINStudents:

Begin to learn to put the experience into a

communicable form.

Have the teacher there to help with the

language needed to communicate and “explain”

the task.

Students:

Expand on the concepts they have learned

Make connections to other related concepts

Apply their understanding to the world

around them

ELABORATE

EVALUATEStudents:

Allow the teacher to determine if they have

reached understanding of concepts and

knowledge.

Give the teachers a chance to revisit any

misconceptions that student may have received

from the inquiry process.

Starting the Inquiry Process in the classroom.

1. How do you motivate your students when starting a topic?

2. How do you engage your students?

3. How do you assess your students’ level of understanding of a new topic?

4. How do you know what your students want? (Using the method KWL (What do we Know, what do we Want to know and what have we Learnt) method for the beginning of a topic is always an easy way)

Focus the InquiryWhat do we Know

(K)What do we want

to learn (W)What have we

learnt (L)          

Once you have designed a KWL chart, you can use that to design your investigation or start the topic.

1. Select one or two of the questions from the KWL chart that you could use a launching activity for your class.

2. Discuss the two questions on how you would use these questions to build upon your topic/lesson.