INTRODUCTION:

Inquiry-guided learning (IGL) refers to an array of classroom practices that

promotes student learning through guided and, increasingly, independent

investigation of questions and problems for which there are no single answer.

Rather than teaching the results of others’ investigations, which students learn

passively, instructors assist students in mastering and learning through the

process of active investigation itself. This process involves the ability to formulate

good questions, identify and collect appropriate evidence, present results

systematically, analyze and interpret results, formulate conclusions, and evaluate

the worth and importance of those conclusions. It may also involve the ability to

identify problems, examine problems, generate possible solutions, and select the

best solution with appropriate justification. This process will differ somewhat

among different academic disciplines. Learning in this way promotes other

important outcomes as well. It nurtures curiosity, initiative, and risk taking. It

promotes critical thinking. It develops students’ responsibility for their own

learning and habits of life-long learning. And it fosters intellectual development

and maturity: the recognition that ambiguity and uncertainty are inevitable, and in

response, we must learn to make reasoned judgments and act in ways

consistent with these judgments. In fact the only method that is not consistent

with IGL is the exclusive use of straight lecturing and the posing of questions for

which there are only one correct answer. In addition, because of the nature of the

outcomes it promotes and the necessity for active engagement, Inquiry-guided

learning must also involve writing and speaking both in classroom instruction and
in the methods used to evaluate students. While Inquiry-guided learning is

appropriate in all classes, it is most effective in small classes.

It is particularly appropriate for first year students who are forming habits

of learning that they will exercise throughout their undergraduate years and

beyond. Finally, the rest of the undergraduate curriculum should reinforce these

early learning experiences. An old adage states: "Tell me and I forget, show me

and I remember, involve me and I understand." The last part of this statement is

the essence of inquiry-based learning. Inquiry implies involvement that leads to

understanding. Furthermore, involvement in learning implies possessing skills

and attitudes that permit you to seek resolutions to questions and issues while

you construct new knowledge. "Inquiry" is defined as "a seeking for truth,

information, or knowledge -- seeking information by questioning." Individuals

carry on the process of inquiry from the time they are born until they die. This is

true even though they might not reflect upon the process. Infants begin to make

sense of the world by inquiring. From birth, babies observe faces that come near,

they grasp objects, they put things in their mouths, and they turn toward voices.

The process of inquiring begins with gathering information and data through

applying the human senses -- seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling.

Unfortunately, our traditional educational system has worked in a way that

discourages the natural process of inquiry. Students become less prone to ask

questions as they move through the grade levels. In traditional schools, students

learn not to ask too many questions, instead to listen and repeat the expected

answers. Some of the discouragement of our natural inquiry process may come
from a lack of understanding about the deeper nature of inquiry-based learning.

There is even a tendency to view it as "fluff" learning. Effective inquiry is more

than just asking questions. A complex process is involved when individuals

attempt to convert information and data into useful knowledge. Useful application

of inquiry learning involves several factors: a context for questions, a framework

for questions, a focus for questions, and different levels of questions. Well-

designed inquiry learning produces knowledge formation that can be widely

applied. Memorizing facts and information is not the most important skill in

today's world. Facts change, and information is readily available -- what's needed

is an understanding of how to get and make sense of the mass of data.

Educators must understand that schools need to go beyond data and information

accumulation and move toward the generation of useful and applicable

knowledge, a process supported by inquiry learning. In the past, our country's

success depended on our supply of natural resources. Today, it depends upon a

workforce that "works smarter." Through the process of inquiry, individuals

construct much of their understanding of the natural and human-designed worlds.

Inquiry implies a "need or want to know" premise. Inquiry is not so much seeking

the right answer -- because often there is none -- but rather seeking appropriate

resolutions to questions and issues. For educators, inquiry implies emphasis on

the development of inquiry skills and the nurturing of inquiring attitudes or habits

of mind that will enable individuals to continue the quest for knowledge

throughout life. Content of disciplines is very important, but as a means to an

end, not as an end in itself. The knowledge base for disciplines is constantly
expanding and changing. No one can ever learn everything, but everyone can

better develop their skills and nurture the inquiring attitudes necessary to

continue the generation and examination of knowledge throughout their lives. For

modern education, the skills and the ability to continue learning should be the

most important outcomes.

Joseph Schwab was one of the key founders of the Inquiry-based

Learning Model. The Inquiry-based Learning Model emerged in the 1960s, during

the “discovery learning” movement and relies upon the idea that individuals are

able to learn by investigating scenarios and problems, and through social

experiences. Rather than having to memorize information from printed materials,

instructors encouraged their students to conduct investigations that would satisfy

their curiosity, help them broaden their knowledge base and develop their skills

and mental frames.

What are the benefits of Inquiry-Guided Learning?

1. Students exposed to inquiry-based learning are given the opportunity to

nurture their talents and passions. They take control of their learning during

the unit of work being taught. Your preschooler is given the freedom to be

driven by their own curiosity for learning.

2. Inquiry-based learning encourages your preschooler to use their voice

when problem solving. They feel as if their mind is respected and their

choices are valid. When students become active in the learning process,
they are also more likely to seek solutions and keep an open mind when

learning about processes involved in discovery. They feel empowered.

3. Inquiry-based learning promotes the act of questioning concepts and

materials, so your child begins to understand the importance of having an

inquisitive mind. As a result, she gains confidence when encouraged to ask

about concepts related to educational materials, social skills, cultural

differences and behavioral expectations. This openness to learn helps to

guide them through life with an open mind.

4. While many classroom curriculum programs focus on memorization and

facts, inquiry-based learning teaches your child to seek a deeper

understanding of the process and materials presented to them.

5. Even as preschoolers, it’s important for students to take ownership of their

learning. Inquiry-based learning approaches promote this practice. Students

are involved in setting educational goals and are guided through the process

of reaching these goals and then assessing how they did and what they

learned at the end of it all.

6. This learning style impacts your little one long into their adult life because

inquiry-based learning shows your child how to investigate and research

independently, without assistance. With enhanced research skills, your child

will have the skillset to evaluate credible sources and online content later in

life.

7. As we learn and grow, life presents many challenges and questions.

When exposed to inquiry-based learning techniques, your child learns how

 to take control of her learning through perseverance. With a clear focus on

the growth of each student’s mind through self-regulation, this learning

approach aids in developing your child’s sense of responsibility, not only as

a student, but also a citizen.

8. Most importantly, inquiry-based learning is designed to foster a love of

learning for children of all ages. Your child is encouraged to seek out the

knowledge he or she is passionate about on a daily basis. Students also

learn how to make each learning opportunity a journey of discovery, with a

little fun along the way.

It’s important to remember that inquiry-based learning is not a technique or

practice, but a process that has the potential to increase the intellectual

engagement and deep understanding of learners, urging them to:

 Develop their questioning, research and communication skills

 Collaborate outside the classroom

 Solve problems, create solutions, and tackle real-life questions and issues

 Participate in the creation and amelioration of ideas and knowledge

What are the 4 forms of inquiry?

There are four forms of inquiry that are commonly used in inquiry-based

instruction:

 Conformation inquiry

Learners are given a question, as well as a method, to which the end result is

already known. The goal is to confirm the results. This enables learners to

reinforce already established ideas, and to practice their investigative skills.

 Structured inquiry

Learners are given the question and the method of achieving the result, but

the goal is to provide an explanation that is already supported by the

evidence gathered during and through the investigative process.

 Guided inquiry

Learners are only given a question. The main goal is to design the method of

investigation and then test the question itself. This type of inquiry is not

typically as structured as the previously mentioned forms.

 Open inquiry

Learners must form their own questions, design investigative methods,

and then carry out the inquiry itself. They must present their results at the

end of the process.

PRINCIPLES, THEORIES AND LAW:

In an instructional setting, inquiry-based learning can give instructors the

opportunity to allow students to fully explore problems and scenarios, so that

they can learn from not only the results, but also the process itself. They are
encouraged to ask questions, explore their environments, and obtain evidence

that support claims and results, and design a convincing argument regarding the

way they reached to the end result. According to Republic Act 10533, Section 5,

The DepED shall adhere to the following standards and principles in developing

the enhanced basic education curriculum, one of it is; (e) The curriculum shall

use pedagogical approaches that are constructivist, inquiry-based, reflective,

collaborative and integrative. This just means that the use of this approach has

legal basis and it is embodied in the law of the Philippines.

This is the theory of Inquiry-Guided Learning, Inquiry has always been a part

of education. It predates Socrates and his method of leading students to self-

knowledge through aggressive questioning. John Dewey’s  reform of the

educational system led to the first inquiry-based learning methods in the United

States. Dewey advocated child-centered learning based on real-world

experiences. For a deeper look at the history of inquiry-based education, this is

deeply intertwined with the history of Constructivism. Constructivism is basically

a theory -- based on observation and scientific study -- about how people learn. It

says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world,

through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. When we

encounter something new, we have to reconcile it with our previous ideas and

experience, maybe changing what we believe, or maybe discarding the new

information as irrelevant. In any case, we are active creators of our own

knowledge. To do this, we must ask questions, explore, and assess what we

know. 
 There are principles in inquiry guided learning that guides both teachers

and students to practice effective teaching and learning.

Principle 1:

All learning activities should focus on using information-processing skills (from

observations to synthesis) and applying the discipline "ground rules" as a means

to learn content set in a broad conceptual context.

Principle 2:

Inquiry learning puts the learner at the center of an active learning process, and

the systemic elements (the teacher, instructional resources, technology, and so

forth) are prepared or aligned to support the learner.

Principle 3:

The role of the teacher becomes one of facilitating learning process. The

teacher also becomes a learner by finding out more about the learner

and the process of inquiry learning.

Principle 4:

What is assessed is what is valued. Therefore, more emphasis needs to be

placed on assessing the development of information-processing skills, nurtured

habits of mind, or "ground rules" of the discipline, and conceptual understandings

-- rather than just the content of the field.

IMPORTANCE:
 It is important to study the definition, importance, principles, benefits etc.

of the Inquiry-Guided Learning because it will give us the students and future

educators to become aware of this approach in teaching that we can use in the

near future, that can also help us to become productive and effective in teaching

in a classroom. Being a teacher is not easy; it requires both intellectual and

expertise to the skills. Knowing all this, we will be guided on how to aid the

efficient learning of the students. Studying this approach is important for dealing

with the complexity of every lectures and topics, through this, students can get

not only the answers in their questions but most importantly they can have the

opportunity to speak up in the class and impart their thoughts to other people,

hence, wider dissemination of knowledge and enhancement in the academic

arena can prevail. Remember that inquiry is not only to gather data and facts but

also it enhances one’s socializing skills. It is undeniably true that studying this

one is indeed important for each and every one.

PROCEDURES:

Inquiry-based learning encourages students to engage in the process of

gathering data and to seek answers to their questions. Rather than being handed

information, students are taught to ask questions, gather information, interpret

data, and produce practical solutions. It teaches students to take action. Students

are also taught to develop insightful questions and understand context. Here are

some ways to use the inquiry-guided learning for teachers;

Study Your Lesson Plans

The next thing that you can do is take a look at your daily curriculum. Try and

figure out where you can incorporate inquiry throughout your lessons. Science is

the easiest subject to choose because students are going to naturally have

questions about it. Children like science, but factual information is not very

engaging. Inquiry taps into a child’s natural curiosity and helps them understand

the information better. If your classroom is learning about the life cycles of an

animal, then you can use this concept to develop questions.

Think of an Essential Question

When introducing inquiry, you can guide students toward an essential question.

Once students understand how it works, they can do this step on their own. But

since this is probably your student’s first experience with inquiry-based learning,

it’s OK to lead them toward a question. For this example we are talking about the

life cycle of an animal. Your essential, open- ended question can be, “How do

living things change and grow?” or it can be “How do living things survive in their

habitat?” Either one of these questions will help spark curiosity and get things

moving so students will want to ask more questions. A good, open-ended

question will lead to more questions, and that is the goal with inquiry-

based learning. You want students to use higher-order thinking, which will require

them to produce more information.

Plan for Learning Skills

For this example our plan is to teach students about the life cycle of an animal.

But that is not the only thing that we want them to learn. We want them to learn

“how to learn” by using essential questions. So your next step is to plan out what

learning skills you want to know by the end of this. You may want to use inquiry

to introduce students to write detailed paragraphs about life cycles, or be able to

read non-fiction text. You may want them to make a presentation or collaborate

with their peers on a project. Whatever you choose now is the time to plan for

these activities. More often than not, the students will lead you to the skills they

need to learn through their questions. This is when you have to be prepared for

anything.

Gather All of Your Resources

To prepare for your inquiry-based learning lesson, you will need a variety of

resources. You can choose fiction and non-fiction texts, computer programs,

age-appropriate apps, videos, Internet sites, and whatever else will help students

find the answers that they are looking for.

Set Expectations

Like any lesson or project that you have students working on, you will want to set

some expectations. Collaboration and cooperative learning are a huge part

of inquiry-based learning, so students need some guidelines on how to engage

and work with others. The traditional rules, like kindly share all materials with

others, and be respectful, will work just fine.

So what does inquiry learning really look like? Students start by expressing their

own curiosity, then they explore, ask questions, and investigate for answers.

While building their knowledge, they continue to ask questions and search for

answers, until they are able to share their knowledge with others.

Inquiry-based learning is a process, and students will shift through the stages of

it as they learn. Once you try it in your classroom, you will see for yourself how

free-flowing and creative your classroom can really be.

Related literature:

This is based on a research study entitled, Inquiry-Based Learning: A

Review of the Research Literature conducted by Dr. Sharon Friesen Galileo

(2013), Educational Network, University of Calgary David Scott University of

Calgary

John Dewey, in the modern era, these historical threads of inquiry found a

home in the work of John Dewey in the early part of the 20th century. As one of

the key leaders of the progressive movement in education, Dewey, who had

worked as a science teacher, encouraged K–12 teachers to use inquiry as the

primary teaching strategy in their science classrooms. Modeled on the scientific

method, the particular process of inquiry Dewey (1910) advocated involved

“sensing perplexing situations, INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING LITERATURE

REVIEW 7 clarifying the problem, formulating a tentative hypothesis, testing the

hypothesis, revising with rigorous tests, and acting on the solution” (Barrow,

2006, p. 266). Dewey was critical of transmission-based pedagogies that

emphasized acquiring facts at the expense of fostering modes of thinking and

attitudes of the mind related to the ways scientific knowledge is created. As

Dewey’s thinking on education evolved, he broadened the scope of topics and

subjects in which to engage students with inquiry. Dewey (1938) encouraged

students to formulate problems related to their own experiences and augment

their emerging understandings with their personal knowledge. Dewey believed

that the teacher should not simply stand in front of the class and transmit

information to be passively absorbed by students. Instead, students must be

actively involved in the learning process and given a degree of control over what

they are learning. The teacher's role should be that of facilitator and guide. It is

important to emphasize that this process did not involve anything-goes, free-for-
all exploration; it was to be guided by empirical approaches to knowledge

creation. From a curricular perspective, Dewey, like Socrates, believed that

active inquiry should be used not only to gain knowledge and particular

dispositions, but also to learn how to live. Dewey (1944) felt that the purpose of

education was to help students realize their full potential, to strengthen

democracy, and to promote the common good. Inspiring Education contains

similar language of ethical citizenship; learning not only prepares the young to

make their way as individuals in the world, but it also helps them to become

advocates for positive social change. Much of the higher purpose and democratic

spirit of Dewey’s vision for education animates Alberta Education’s vision for

education towards 2030.