THE INQUIRY APPROACH TO LEARNING (how teachers can start the process)




Inquiry-based learning is an approach to teaching and learning that places children's questions, ideas, and observations at the centre of the learning experience. 

Educators play an active role throughout the process by establishing a culture where ideas are respectfully challenged, tested, redefined and viewed as improvable, moving children from a position of wondering to a position of enacted understanding and further questioning (Scardamalia, 2002). 

The philosophy of the inquiry approach is that educators and children share responsibility for learning.


Educators can start the inquiry process by asking the children …..
  • ·        What would happen if …  
  • ·        What would help you to …
  • ·        How does this help figure out how to…
  • ·        How will you …
  • ·        Who do we find out …
  • ·        What makes you think that …
  • ·        How else can you use … to …
  • ·        tell me how …
  • ·        How did you make it …
  • ·        What do you notice about …
  • ·        What made you think about that …
  • ·        Is there another way to…
  • ·        What do you use it for …
  • ·        What happened when …
  • ·        How can we all work on this together …
  • ·        Why does ...
  • ·        I wonder why you did that …
  • ·        What do you think will happen…
  • ·        What did you find out …
  • ·       Why is it …
  • ·        How did you figure that you ...
  • ·        Why don't you show me …
  • ·        Can you change it to …
  • ·        What do you know about ..what do you think …
  • ·        How else could you …
  • ·        Why do you think …
  • ·        I wonder why …
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 Information adapted from: Scardamalia, 2002, http://ikit.org/fulltext/inpressCollectiveCog.pdf
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Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada

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