The
adage ‘tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I
understand’ seems to be well established amongst the inquiry learning
community. Spronken-Smith (p1) puts forward that “there is strong educational
theoretical support for the use of inquiry approaches and IBL (inquiry based
learning) is being adopted across the full spectrum of disciplines…” and
“evidence is gradually accumulating that shows IBL can enhance student
engagement, academic achievement and higher order learning outcomes.” However,
there does appear to be some contention surrounding the nature of inquiry
learning and the term. The educational literature may use terms such as
‘inquiry’, ‘enquiry’, ‘inquiry-based learning’, ‘guided inquiry’,
‘problem-based learning’, ‘project-based learning’, ‘discovery learning’ and
‘object-based learning’ to encompass inquiry learning. Wilson & Wing Jan (2009) state that "inquiry is
essentially a student-centred learning approach in which the learner is actively involved in the learning process." During the process students will identify and research issues and
questions to develop their knowledge or solutions. The teacher is often described as a facilitator in inquiry learning. They are active in supporting, scaffolding and intervening in timely ways to guide students.
Although
the benefits of inquiry learning as a pedagogy have long been noted, the transition
from more traditional approaches of “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side”
has been difficult for many educators. Kiem (2012) commented on the need for
balance of pedagogical approaches, when implementing the curriculum, to cater
for active and passive learners, if we are to be effective educators. This is acknowledged
by Spronkin-Smith (p8) who identifies that inquiry learning may not be the
preferred learning style for many students and that appropriate support will
need to be offered.
As
many teachers are grappling with how to effectively implement and develop
inquiry skills within the Australian Curriculum, educationalists are producing
resources to assist teachers with this aspect. Ditchburn & Hattensen
(2012), Murdoch & Wilson (2004) and Wilson & Wing Jan (2009) have
produced resources that provide sound theoretical information about inquiry and
student-centred learning as well as practical examples. They are also aware
that teachers require scaffolding to implement ‘new’ pedagogies and ideas, just
as much as students require guidance towards becoming independent learners. Some
educational organisations are taking the initiative to support teachers in the
implementation of inquiry learning by arranging professional development
opportunities for teachers. One such project was reported by Herbert (2012) who
shared the results of an intensive professional development in enabling
teachers to develop quality learning experiences for their students resulting
from quality teaching.
Within
the culture of inquiry learning and collaboration, many educators are willing
to share their knowledge and experiences.Jacobsen, Lock & Friesen (2013) described three inquiry projects,
providing tips and further examples of inquiry learning across a range
of subjects and year levels, for teachers implementing inquiry
learning Galileo Educational
Network also provides examples of inquiry learning for teachers to gain ideas
and understanding for implementation. Within Australia, educators are beginning
to develop similar sites for teachers, for example, the Australian History Teachers Association.
Inquiry learning is not a new concept. Socrates,
Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky were some of the
earlier advocates of inquiry learning. However, our education system has for a
long time relied on teacher directed learning. The transition to a student
directed approach will require our educators to rethink their current approach to
teaching. Educators need to take time to unpack the curriculum and develop a deep
understanding of the inquiry process, inquiry skills and content, so that students are engaged in their learning and becoming lifelong learners.
.
REFERENCES
Ditchburn, G & Hattensen, S 2012, Connecting
with History: strategies for an inquiry classroom, Educational Services
Australia Limited, Carlton South.
Herbert,
Beth. When English meets history: exploring the faction genre through action
learning. [online]. Literacy Learning: the Middle Years; v.20 n.3
p.85-95; October 2012. Availability:
<http://search.informit.com.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/fullText;dn=194333;res=AEIPT>
ISSN: 1320-5692. [cited 24 Aug 13].
Jacobsen.
M., Lock. J., & Friesen, S. (2013). Strategies for
Engagement: Knowledge building and intellectual engagement in
participatory learning environments. Education Canada. Available
online http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/strategies-engagement
Kiem,
Paul. Have we lost the plot? : narrative, inquiry, good and evil in history
pedagogy. [online]. Teaching History; v.46 n.3 p.66-69; September 2012.
Availability: <http://search.informit.com.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/fullText;dn=195830;res=AEIPT>
ISSN: 0040-0602. [cited 24 Aug 13].
Murdoch, K & Wilson, J 2004, Learning
Links: Strategic teaching for the learner-centred classroom, Curriculum
Corporation, Carlton South.
Spronken-Smith,
R 'Experiencing the Process of Knowledge Creation: The Nature and Use of
Inquiry-Based Learning in Higher Education', Accessed 10th September 2013,
Source: from
http://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/sites/default/files/u14/IBL%20-%20Report%20-%20Appendix%20A%20-%20Review.pdf
Wilson, J & Wing Jan, L 2009, Focus
on Inquiry: a practical approach to curriculum planning, 2nd ed.,
Curriculum Corporation, Carlton South.
'What is Inquiry?', Galileo
Educational Network, Accessed: 23rd August 2013, Source: from: http://galileo.org/teachers/designing-learning/articles/what-is-inquiry/
Thank you for listing all the similar terms to inquiry based learning. I smiled when I read your list as it easily confused me initially. I still wish there were common terminologies for all educators but that’s just my self-centered interest but I digress. The first paragraph makes some good points, but is lacking some references to support them, particularly in the final 3 sentences. However, the rest of the paragraphs are much stronger in this regard.
ReplyDeleteSome minor grammatical observations included matching ‘benefits’ with ‘has’ instead of ‘have’ in the first sentence of paragraph 2, and I would suggest rewording parts of sentence 2 in the second last paragraph, as there is no verb after the first ‘and’. A suggested rearrangement is: Jacobsen, Lock & Friesen (2013) described three inquiry projects, providing tips and further examples of inquiry learning across a range of subjects and year levels, for teachers implementing inquiry learning. I like the way you have referred to your articles to structure this section of your writing.
Overall, I enjoyed your synthesis and conclusions. I also agree that the process of implementing inquiry learning will need a lot of re-thinking and unpacking for many educators. I hope to see this more and more, always in thoughtful and balanced ways, as you have attributed by Kiem (2012).
Thank you Catherine for your valuable feedback. It is always worthwhile having a second pair of eyes viewing you work.
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