Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry based learning is a pedagogical approach which provides opportunities for students to experience learning through inquiry and problem solving, characterized by exploration and risk taking, by curiosity and motivation, by engagement in critical and creative thinking, and by connections.

Definition & Characteristics

As defined by National Science Education Standards

Inquiry based learning is a set of interrelated processes by which scientists and students pose questions about the natural world and investigate phenomena. Students acquire knowledge and develop a rich understanding of concepts, principles, models, and theories through hands-on investigations to pre-defined problems and students will learn science in a way that reflects how science actually works.

Characteristics

Learners are engaged by scientifically oriented questions.
Learners give priority to evidence, which allows them to develop and evaluate explanations that address scientifically oriented questions.
Learners formulate explanations from evidence to address scientifically oriented questions.
Learners evaluate their explanations in light of alternative explanations, particularly those reflecting scientific understanding.
Learners communicate and justify their proposed explanations.

Adapted from National Science Education Standards (1996, p.214 and 2000, p.25)

As defined by Bybee

Inquiry-based learning is (a) description of methods and processes that scientists use, (b) set of cognitive abilities that students might develop, (c) constellation of teaching strategies that can facilitate learning about scientific inquiry, and (d) means of developing the abilities of inquiry and understanding scientific concepts and principles.

Characteristics

With reference to the 5E instructional model, a teacher is expected to design tasks that encourage

engagement; Activities should elicit prior knowledge so that learners may make connections between past and present learning experiences, expose prior conceptions and scaffold students’ thinking towards learning outcomes of the current activities.
exploration; Activities should allow students to use prior knowledge to generate new ideas, explore questions, and design and conduct further investigations.
explanation; This is used to guide students towards deeper understanding as their attention is focused on a particular aspect of the engagement or exploration experiences.
elaboration; Teachers challenge and extend students’ conceptual understanding and skills. Students then apply their understanding of the concept and associated skills by conducting additional activities.
evaluation; Students should be able to assess their understanding and abilities, while teachers should be able to monitor student progress.

Adapted from Bybee, 2000

As defined by Spronken-Smith

Spronken-Smith et al (2007) drew on the commonality of opinion about what constitutes Inquiry-based learning and defined it as a “pedagogy which best enables students to experience the processes of knowledge creation”. Inquiry-based learning may be categorized as a type of ‘inductive’ approach to teaching and learning. In general, inductive approaches to teaching and learning begin with an intriguing problem, question or observation. As students explore the problem, question or observation, they consequently search for information, procedures and guiding principles (Prince and Felder, 2006 as cited in Spronken-Smith, 2010).

Characteristics

learning stimulated by inquiry, i.e. driven by questions or problems
learning based on a process of seeking knowledge and new understanding
a learning-centred approach to teaching in which the role of the teacher is to act as a facilitator
a move to self-directed learning with students taking increasing responsibility for their learning and the development of skills in self-reflection
an active approach to learning

Theoretical Framework

As contrasted with more traditional forms of teaching and learning, inquiry-based practices places key emphasis on the process of learning, with the aim of nurturing deep understanding in students in addition to the intended acquisition of content knowledge and skills. Inquiry-based learning draws upon a constructivist learning theories, the notion that understanding is built through the active development of conceptual mental frameworks by the learner.

Implementation Process

Types of Inquiry

Inquiry Continuum - Levels of Inquiry in an effervescent antacid tablet activity

Confirmation Inquiry : students confirm a principle through an activity when the results are known in advance.

"In this investigation you will confirm that the rate of a chemical reaction increases as the temperature of the reacting materials increases. You will use effervescent antacid tablets to verify this principle. Using the following procedure, record the results as indicated, and answer the questions at the end of the activity."

Structured Inquiry : students investigate a teacher-presented question through a prescribed procedure.

"In this investigation you will determine the relationship between temperature and the reaction rate of effervescent antacid tablets and water. You will use effervescent antacid tablets and water of varying temperatures. Using the following procedure, record the results as indicated, and answer the questions at the end of the activity."

Guided Inquiry : students investigate a teacher-presented question using student designed / selected procedures.

"Design an investigation to answer the question: What effect will water temperature have on the rate at which an effervescent antacid tablet will react? Develop each component of the investigation including a hypothesis, procedures, data analysis, and conclusions. Implement your procedure only when it has been approved by your teacher.”

Open Inquiry : students investigate questions that are student formulated through student designed / selected procedures.

"Design an investigation to explore and research a chemistry topic related to the concepts we have been studying during the current unit on chemical reactions. Implement your procedure only when it has been approved by your teacher.”

(Rezba, Auldrige, and Rhea, 1999, as cited in Bell, Smetana and Binns, 2005)

5 Steps of Inquiry-based Learning (with reference to 5E model):

Engage

The teacher

Piques students’ curiosity and generates interest
Determines students’ current understanding (prior knowledge) of a concept or idea
Invites students to express what they think
Invites students to raise their own questions

The student

Becomes interested in and curious about the concept or topic
Expresses current understanding of a concept or idea
Raises questions such as what do I already know about this? What do I want to know about this? How could I find out?

2. Explore

The teacher

Encourages student-to-student interaction
Observes and listens to the students as they interact
Asks probing questions to help students make sense of their experiences
Provides time for students to puzzle through problems

The student

“Messes around” with materials and ideas
Conducts investigations in which they observe, describe, and record data
Tries different ways to solve a problem or answer a question
Acquires a common set of experiences so they can compare results and ideas
Compares their ideas with those of others

3. Explain

The teacher

Encourages students to use their common experiences and data from the Engage and Explore lessons to develop explanations
Asks questions that help students express understanding and explanations
Requests justification (evidence) for students’ explanations
Provides time for students to compare their ideas with those of others and perhaps to revise their thinking
Introduces terminology and alternative explanations after students express their ideas

The student

Explains concepts and ideas in their own words
Bases explanations on evidence acquired during previous investigations
Records ideas and current understanding
Reflects on and perhaps revise their ideas
Expresses ideas using appropriate language
Compares ideas with established theories, laws and/or principles

4. Elaborate

The teacher

Focuses students’ attention on conceptual connections between new and former experiences
Encourages students to use what they have learned to explain a new event or idea
Reinforces students’ use of scientific terms and descriptions previously introduced
Asks questions that help students draw reasonable conclusions from evidence and data

The student

Makes conceptual connections between new and former experiences
Uses what he/she has learnt to explain a new object, event, organism, or idea
Uses appropriate jargon
Draws reasonable conclusions from evidence and data
Communicates understanding to others

5. Evaluate

The teacher

Observes and records as students demonstrate their understanding of the concepts and performance of skills
Provides time for students to compare their ideas with those of others and perhaps to revise their thinking
Interviews students as a means of assessing their developing understanding
Encourages students to assess their own progress

The student

Demonstrates what he/she understands about the concept(s) and how well they can implement a skill
Compares current thinking with that of others and perhaps revise his/her ideas
Assesses own progress by comparing his/her current understanding with his/her prior knowledge
Asks new questions that take himself/herself deeper into a concept or topic area

(abstracted from Doing Science The Process of Scientific Inquiry)

Questioning – This is the concept development phase. It connects students with what they already know and motivates them to bring their own questions to the phenomenon. For example, a teacher asks “Did you ever wonder why gum gets smaller when you chew it?” The purpose of the prompt is to stimulate student interest in the topic for exploration. To allow the students to have concrete knowledge, the teacher in this example gives each student gum and they experience that phenomenon. In this classroom activity, the students conduct an initial, teacher-led experiment to test the hypothesis. The teacher models the questioning: “I have noticed that the size of a wad of gum decreases considerably in the first 10 or 15 minutes of chewing.” The teacher tells them that this change in volume is due to the loss of sugar. After analyzing the results of the initial experiment, students are then in a position to generate their own questions about gum, many of which can be answered with similar experiments. It is when students ask their own questions that they become empowered learners.
Planning and Predicting – After students explore ideas through hands-on experiences, they formulate a question and create a plan for investigating their question. They also predict what they think their results will be. It takes time and practice before students learn how to formulate questions. It is important that teachers model this process, asking questions that can be investigated, and eliminating or rewording those that can’t be investigated easily. In this example, the student questions that evolved include: “How will the weight losses compare in sugared gum versus sugarless gum?” and “Does the amount of mass lost depend on how long you chew the gum?” Working in cooperative learning groups, the students make a plan of action to investigate their questions and predict the outcome.
Investigating – Students become involved in their inquiries. It is vital to give them ample time to complete their investigations. As students in this scenario begin their investigations, they weigh an un-chewed piece of gum. They then chew the gum for 15 minutes, let it dry for 48 hours, and weigh it again.
Recording and Reporting – Students record and communicate their findings in this stage of inquiry learning. They can report their findings in a variety of ways. Whatever means they use, they restate the question and predictions, describe the investigation, and interpret the results. The cooperative groups report their findings. One group documents the results on spreadsheet graphs. Another group chooses presentation software to describe their investigation and to report their results. A third group scans the original gum wrapper (which lists the ingredients and nutritional information) and artistically displays their calculations on their original designed wrapper. They compare the percentages of the sugar content before and after the gum was chewed.
Reflecting – In the reflecting phase, students revisit the phenomenon and plan further investigations. New questions may occur as a result of the inquiry and the process is repeated. As the students share and reflect on their findings of the chewing gum investigation, new questions occur: “Do different flavors of the same brand of gum contain different amounts of sugar?” and “Would gum chewed in saliva lose more mass than gum chewed in water?” For these students, the inquiry process begins once again with these new questions as the basis of their next investigation.

Additional Information

Youtube

References:Bell, R. L., Smetana, L., & Binns, I. (2005). Simplifying Inquiry Instruction: Assessing the Inquiry Level of Classroom Activities.Science Teacher, 72(7), 30.Bybee, R. W. (2014). The BSCE 5E Instructional Model : Personal reflections and contemporary implications. Science and Children.National Institute of Health. (2013). Doing Science The Process of Scientific Inquiry. Retrieved from National Institute of Health: https://science.education.nih.gov/customers/MSInquiry.htmlNational Research Council (Ed.). (1996). National Science Education Standards. Retrieved from National Academies Press: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/4962/national-science-education-standardsNational Research Council. (2000). Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards : A Guide for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from The National Academies Press: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9596/inquiry-and-the-national-science-education-standards-a-guide-forSpronken-Smith, R. (2007). Experiencing the process of knowledge creation: The nature and use of inquiry-based learning in higher education. J. GEOGR. HIGHER ED., 2, 183.Spronken-Smith, R., Angelo, T., Matthews, H., O'Steen, B., & Robertson, J. (2007). How Effective is Inquiry-Based Learning in Linking Teaching and Research? An International Colloquium on International Policies and Practices for Academic Enquiry.

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