from The TeachThought staff
Inquiry-based learning is a student-led approach to learning through questioning, inquiry, and/or curiosity.
Inquiry-based learning strategy is simply a way to facilitate inquiry during the learning process. It might be helpful to think of ways to suppress inquiry to highlight the strategies that can be used to promote it.
Years ago in (tongue very much in cheek) 12 ways to kill a student’s curiosityI said that limiting choices, thinking in black and white, and focusing on answers instead of questions are just a few ways to stifle inquiry and curiosity.
In Strategies for Creating an Inquiry-Driven Classroomprofessional development facilitator Irena Nyfeld said that “children want to understand the world around them and naturally reveal their interests by asking questions – sometimes even too many! As educators, we may feel pressured to continue with the planned lesson plan or to get to the ‘point’.”
Let’s take a look at how to promote inquiry-based learning in your classroom.
14 Ways to Promote Inquiry-Based Learning in the Classroom
1. Instructional design
One of the most powerful ways to promote inquiry learning in your classroom is to design activities, lessons, and units that benefit from, encourage, or require inquiry. Without a “room” or “role” for inquiry in your classroom, it will be difficult to “cause” sustainably.
Good basic questions may be useful here as well.
2. Question-based learning
Question-based learning is TeachThought’s framework for learning by forming and revising questions over a period of time. You can read more about Question-based learning. This can also be combined with a student-led or self-directed learning where students ask their own questions, which, if done in an authentic (for the student) way, should also lead to more sustainable inquiry.
Also see questions to guide inquiry-based learning.
3. Inquiry-based rubrics and scoring guides
By defining and listing individual aspects of inquiry and outlining what it looks like at different proficiency levels, students can be clearer about exactly what you hope to see them be able to and “do” as a result of the activity or the lesson.
4. Request form
This can be done in many ways, including dialogic conversation, Socratic workshops, and think-alouds, among others.
5. Use question and statement stems
Sometimes students are unfamiliar with the mechanisms or patterns of inquiry, and questions and statements can act as training wheels to help students move toward sustained, authentic inquiry. You can see some examples of a higher-level discussion sentence followsfor example.
6. Intentional feedback loops
Reward “cognitive endurance” by encouraging students to “think about” a topic or expand their inquiry even when they hit a dead end, the assignment is “over,” or they are not sure where to “go” next. Consider some kind of “inquiry-driven assessment” where you adjust your assessment processes to accommodate this unique approach to learning.
The brain works through feedback loops. Roughly speaking, students do something and something happens in response. The tighter and more deliberate the feedback loops for implementing an inquiry, the more likely it is to “stick.”
See also What is feedback in learning?
7. Gamification
Reward points for great questions. Even consider assigning a “point value” to great questions – perhaps even a higher “point value” than the answers themselves.
You can also provide “levels” for students to progress through (e.g. based on points). Reward curiosity with immediate positive feedback. (See #6 above.)
8. Reword the content
Math, science, social studies, language arts, and other traditional content areas are overflowing with fascinating concepts, themes, stories, legacies, people, and more. “Position” the content in a new way that is fresh, provocative or even controversial (see below). Inquiry comes more naturally when the ideas are interesting.
9. Argument sells
“Banned books” or other (mild to moderate) controversy can go a long way in keeping students engaged—which sets the stage for investigation.
10. Clarify the role of thinking in inquiry
This can be done in part by clarifying the value of error and uncertainty in the learning process.
11. Use “smart” learning spaces
Design physical learning spaces to encourage interaction, access to digital and physical media, and spontaneous collaboration. Artfully design spaces with color, light and furniture and more.
12. Use interdisciplinary learning
Work with teachers across content areas and grade levels to increase the interdependence and “weight” of student work
13. The Power of “Place”
Connect students with experts and local organizations to embed work in places native to that student. This is obviously more complex than can be explained as a line item in one post, but just imagine the role of “setting” – how much more relaxed and natural and connected students are in places that are native to them – communities, homes , neighborhoods or streets or cities that they care about and have a history that is inseparable from the student.
14. Emphasize humility
You can read more about this idea in a separate post I wrote on learning through humility.
