As the #psuaged18 cohort is well headed into the week after an AMAZING time at the 90th National FFA Convention (blog coming soon) in Indianapolis, Indiana. But for us Penn Staters, learning is continual as we #CantStopWontStop learning new teaching techniques to use during our student-teaching internships and beyond.
For the next two weeks, we are focused on the topic of Inquiry-Based Teaching Instruction. Essentially, inquiry-based learning is combining student curiosity with the "vehicle" of scientific method to discover new information and even help students problem-solve. Furthermore, it is very student-centered and driven as students are asked what they want to learn and then discover how to do that.
Inquiry-Based Learning
This type of learning is a process that can include all of the following elements:
I - Investigate your surrounding
N - Narrow Your Focus
Q - Ask Comparative Questions
U - Uncover Your Prediction
I - Initiate An Action Plan
R - Research and Data Collection
E - Examine Results and Communicate Findings
The Process
In order for inquiry-based instruction to be successful, the correct questions need to be posed so that the students are headed in the right direction. Thus, the teacher will act as a "guide on the side" and not the "sage on the stage." With this mentality, students are able to self-discover only with the prompting of the teacher, instead of being spoon-fed. After all, the teacher will not be with the student forever. They must learn to think on their own.
Student-Centered vs. Teacher-Centered
What is really neat about inquiry-based instruction is that not everything has to be all on the students or all on the teacher, it can be a mix of both. The image below perfectly portrays this notion. First, structured inquiry is where the teacher is still the main facilitator and lecturer of a class as the students follow along and engage in the material together. Next, controlled inquiry is where the teacher is choosing the topic/subject and where the students will look for information, but the student will have to self-reflect to answer questions. Guided inquiry is where we really see the teacher stepping back from the class and letting the students swim on their own. By doing this, the students are in charge of taking a challenge or essential question and designing their own experiment to solve the problem. Lastly, free inquiry, which is the most student-centered possible, the students are able to use their own personal interests and curiosities to choose what they want to discover and learn, design an experiment or lab as to how to figure it out, and interpret the results. Each time, the teacher is prompting the students to be more self-sufficient, to need the teacher less.
The Results
When you use inquiry-based instruction, it is clear to see the benefits within the students:
-higher student engagement and interest
-less behavioral issues
-higher test scores
-better retention
-skill development
-critical thinking skills
Take a look and listen as you watch this video about using inquiry-based instruction to enhance learning!