Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry-based learning is a stance. It is a way of learning where students drive the curriculum through exploration, investigation, wonder and discovery.

“Inquiry-based learning is a dynamic and emergent process that build on students’ natural curiosity about the world in which they live…inquiry places students’ questions and ideas, rather than solely those of the teacher, at the centre of the learning experience. Students’ questions drive the learning process forward.” (Natural Curiosity, p. 7).

Children have a natural curiosity towards the world that surrounds them. As a teacher in an inquiry-based classroom, it is our job to allow student wonder to drive our teaching, and to allow to curriculum to connect to these student wonderings. Inquiry-based learning increases student engagement (because they are learning about things of interest), fosters a sense of community, develops stronger, contextual connections, and develops life-long skills and strategies (like problem-solving, self-regulation, collaboration).

If you would like to read more on Inquiry-Based Learning, here are a few articles to check out!

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/CBS_InquiryBased.pdf