Inquiry-Based Approaches to Learning Few things excite teachers more than when their students take over the role of grand inquisitor. When students begin formulating questions, risking answers, probing for relationships, we know they've entered the zone where learning occurs. Not surprisingly, few things excite students more than when they are actively engaged in learning so much so that they forget the clock. These experiences are the goal of inquiry-based learning, an active, student-centered, educational method whose roots go back to the educational philosopher John Dewey. The basis of the inquiry-based approach is to facilitate student-generated questions as the core part of the learning process. Learning has relevance because students drive the inquiry process. After students learn effective questioning techniques, they begin researching to pursue answers and will, consequently, make their own discoveries. Students become actively involved as researchers, writers, and participants in the classroom. What are the steps of inquiry-based learning? An inquiry-based approach to learning incorporates the following basic steps or components: Ask questions. Explore by observing and investigating. Analyze and describe findings. Communicate and share by writing and discussing. Reflect on what has been learned. What is the role of the teacher? The role of the teacher in an inquiry-based approach is to be a facilitator, guide, and partner. Initially, the teacher poses open-ended questions; students follow this lead and form their own. This type of activity motivates students because their own questions ultimately become the focus of research and learning. As students begin to research and explore, their learning becomes more web-like in structure, and the teacher assumes a different role. At this point, the teacher remains attentive to help students remain focused. The teacher must be willing to allow time for discoveries, to encourage dialogue among class members, and to allow mistakes to be made. Errors lead students to re-analyze their data and to readjust their thinking. What makes inquiry-based education different? An inquiry-based approach is different from more traditional educational methods. Traditional Inquiry-based Teacher-centered Student-directed Teacher as giver of knowledge Teacher as facilitator of learning Content mastery Content mastery and beyond Learning follows a vertical and linear path Learning is more web-like, concept development ranges from linear to spiral Assessment is teacher-created Assessment requires student input Although students are more involved in the direction of learning with the inquiry-based approach, this does not mean, by contrast, that it is unstructured. Even as the teacher assumes a non-traditional role, an inquiry-based approach requires extensive planning, preparation, and direct involvement. What are the advantages to inquiry-based learning? There are several advantages to an inquiry-based approach to learning. An inquiry-based approach is: Versatile. It is applicable across the content areas, flexible, and suitable for the shared learning of team projects or for individual exploration. Flexible for students. It encourages students to be more creative by giving them more freedom, time, and fewer constraints for discovery. Highly motivating. As students become engaged in the question forming process, they take ownership of their learning. Connected to the real world. It works to prepare students for real-life situations. It reinforces multiple skills and allows students to build the confidence to know where and how to get wanted information. What should I expect? Students and other faculty may be resistant to inquiry-based approaches for a variety of reasons. Students are accustomed to more traditional teaching methods consisting of hearing teacher-presented information, memorizing it, and re-presenting the information for evaluation. Inquiry-based approaches require more classroom participation. It may take time for students to feel comfortable. At first, students will rely heavily on their teacher as their guide. This is to be expected. As teachers and schools begin to employ more strategies of inquiry-based learning, students will begin to thrive and appreciate a different approach for their learning. Ideally, such inquiry-based approaches produce students who are ready to be life-long learners. What kinds of questions work best? When helping students to pose open-ended questions for inquiry, teachers should lead student thinking to questions that are: Interesting to the student Answerable, but neither a simple fact answer nor a value judgment Not personal in nature Objective What does an inquiry-based education offer? While not new, an inquiry-based approach to learning offers teachers another option for engaging students in the classroom while also preparing them to be learners throughout their lives. An inquiry-based approach is not a strategy to employ as a "fluff" lesson. It is a student-driven method that promotes higher levels of thinking and problem-solving skills. Read More About It Teaching Science through Inquiry ERIC Digest Article A Description of Inquiry Inquiry-based Unit Planning This article was contributed by Mollie Crie, an educator with 22 years of experience. She currently teaches for Bedford County Schools in Forest, Virginia.