Research
Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL)
The origins of inquiry-based learning reach back as far as Socrates. IBL has its basis in Constructivism, leading from the research of John Dewey, Jerome Bruner and Lev Vygotsky and is grounded in the work of Piaget. In the 1960s, J. Richard Suchman at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana did extensive research around inquiry-based learning and is often referred to as the grandfather of the inquiry-based approach. Inquiry-based learning is a constructivist pedagogy in which students take an active role in their own learning. Inquiry revolves around student questioning, research and conclusion formation. In IBL, students build knowledge by engaging in methods similar to those used by experts to solve real-world problems. Research has demonstrated that IBL is an effective instructional approach. IBL has been shown to increase student achievement, foster skill development, and increase motivation and engagement. The many models of IBL share several essential features that inform the IBL process. Models of Inquiry like the 5Es or Design Through Inquiry are not intended to be used as strict recipes for lessons. Instead, they offer a general structure that informs the inquiry process for both teachers and students instead of dictating it (Bybee, 2009). In a review of IBL literature and frameworks, Pedaste et al. (2015) found five general phases that run consistently through IBL models. They define each phase as follows (p. 54):
The teacher has a critical role in the success of IBL. It may be tempting to think that teachers’ actions are less important in IBL, as self-direction and student-centered activities take precedence over traditional direct instructional strategies. In IBL, however, the teacher is critical in scaffolding student success. In a review of strategies used by teachers in IBL, Dobber et al. (2017) identified several key ways teachers foster the metacognitive, social and conceptual regulation students need in order to be successful with IBL. Specific strategies include: developing a culture of inquiry, fostering thinking skills, providing information when necessary, managing collaboration and cooperation between students of varying ability levels, and supporting discussion centered around inquiry. References:
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