Source: Focus on Inquiry – A Teacher’s Guide to Implementing Inquiry-based Learning
Highlights – Chapter 1: Building a Culture of Inquiry:
“In the inquiry process, metacognition means becoming aware of one’s own thinking processes (thinking about thinking) and acknowledging and understanding the feelings associated with each of the phases. “ Inquiry involves understand a framework that involves searching for and using information. Inquiry is in the form of real life problems that students can relate to and are interested in. Inquiry-based learning prompts students take ownership of their learning.
Highlights – Chapter 2: A Model for Inquiry
Inquiry Model: Planning, Retrieving, Processing, Creating, Sharing, Evaluating
Shifting from a “focus on research“ to a “focus on inquiry. “ Using instructional models such as the inquiry model makes understating the concepts of inquiry much easier. Various feelings are a normal part of the inquiry process. Having the model in place allows teachers and students to share a common language and have the words to talk about the parts of the process. Reflection is necessary as it contains both the affective and cognitive domains associated with metacognition. Adjusting and modifying inquiries is common and an effective strategy to combat feelings of frustration related to the retrieval phase. Once students are able to refocus the processing phase can begin. The creation of a presentation phase usually creates feelings of confidence. Prior to the sharing phase students should be taught audience appreciation skills. During the evaluation phase students are typically relieved and are able to reflect on the overall inquiry process.
Highlights – Chapter 3: Curriculum Connections
Successful inquiry projects typically emerge though themes that are of personal interest. “ Inquiry-based learning projects that are integrated with the curriculum and that are cross-disciplinary benefit students by reducing the time required for achieving these outcomes.“
Highlights – Chapter 4: Designing Inquiry Activities
Teachers who develop effective inquiry-based lesson plans and activities take the time to plan out the process. “In designing an inquiry activity, teachers also follow their own inquiry process.”
All three assessment strategies must be used: Diagnostic, formative, and summative.
Highlights – Chapter 5: How do I teach reflecting on the process?
Developing students’ metacognitive skills and getting them involved in their own learning is the key purpose of reflecting on the inquiry process. This is best accomplished by providing students with opportunities to write/talk/share how they learn best, and how they are thinking and feeling during the process.
Highlights – Chapter 13: Professional Growth
“Constructivist learning theory supports a view of inquiry-based learning as an opportunity for students to experience learning through inquiry and problem solving, characterized by exploration and risk taking, by curiosity and motivation, by engagement in critical and creative thinking, and by connections with real-life situations and real audiences” (AASL, 1999; Bush,1998; Harada, 1998; Schroeder & Zarinnia, 2001). Students’ growth and motivation to learn are enhanced when they are better able to think about their thinking. Teachers should have an understanding of how students are feeling during an inquiry process so they can provide instructional guidance and support. All should recognize that the process of the search is just as important as the search itself.