The Theory Of Inquiry Learning Essay

According to Anthony & Walshaw, (2009) within a constructivist view, it is a teacher’s role to facilitate the learning of a child by providing a resource rich environment from which they guide a students learning. A student within a constructivist-learning environment must become engaged in the learning process by becoming a researcher, identifying a problem, collecting and analysing data and formulating a conclusion. This process of engagement provides a student with endless opportunity to develop his or her own understanding and knowledge. An educators ability to understand this learning theory as a process of construction and development provides a conceptual framework from which to build a teaching practice.

Constructivism is the learning theory that focuses on observation by acquiring data and thereafter reexamining, altering, and updating information to be useful in the present time. Humans process experiences, knowledge, and conception of life based on their impressions of their past. As individuals experience an unfamiliar event, they will attempt to integrate it with their knowledge and past, therefore replacing old outdated or incorrect data with new more pertinent information (Kerka, 1997). This learning theory states that learning is an ongoing process and not about merely comprehending available data without questioning, processing, and updating previously learned information (Allen, 2005).

Constructivist Learning Theory exists under the focus of cognitive learning and has substructures of the concepts of self- efficacy, self- regulation, and metacognition as it defines how adults learn (Billings & Halstead, 2012, p. 211). Billings & Halstead (2012) explains that learning is considered a transformation in a person from personal experience. It is a continued process that encompasses understanding, clarifying, and applying meanings of knowledge that is developed. The learning theory, constructivism embraces that learning is a development. A learner constructs new knowledge by building on existing information through a process

As parents, you may remember Geography; History; Business and Economics; and Civics and Citizenship as being about absorbing facts that schools thought important for you to learn. Or you might remember doing projects that seemed like time-fillers in the scheme of what was important at school (What is Inquiry Based Learning, 2004). You will also be aware of how fast the world is changing and the impact of technology on the growth of information that surrounds us. You may have experienced redundancy, elections or a global recession and understand that knowing facts is not very useful for navigating difficult times. Facts alone do not educate students in what is needed to think critically and creatively about a situation, to find opportunities in hardship or to learn and relearn in the new knowledge economy (Warlick, 2013). Inquiry learning is a way of addressing the teaching of skills and dispositions that will be essential for your children to thrive as active and informed citizens of the future (Reynolds, 2014; ACARA, 2016).

Constructivist teaching. Muijs and Reynolds (2005) interpreted that the principles of constructivist teaching consider all learners construct knowledge for themselves, rather than absorbing knowledge directly from the teacher. This means that every pupil will learn something slightly differently from a particular lesson given. The assumption that pupils are active knowledge constructers has several consequences. For examples, the learners need to be active in order to construct knowledge or to learn effectively, teaching is about helping children construct their own meaning rather than training them to get the right answer without the actual understanding of the concept, and pupils learn best when new lessons are clearly related to what they already know,

Theorists such as Dewey, Gardner, Piaget, Bruner, Vygotsky and many others based their work around the constructivist theory that knowledge is constructed from the child being an active participant in the development of their learning. Over time many types of inquiry learning models have been developed, all placing the child as centre of the learning, giving children the opportunities to explore, question and management of their learning. The author’s own personal philosophy of teaching and learning collaborates this when affirming that ‘by creating a collaborative learning environment, children are able to grow and learn through exploring, experimenting and expressing and control their own

The benefits of constructivism for teachers and learners, in an ideal setting include focusing on students allowing students the time and opportunity to investigate big ideas, and along the way helping them to understand concepts and skills, rather than just memorizing and regurgitating facts or ideas. Constructivism engages students’ natural curiosities to help them find answers to the questions inherent in their minds (Constructivism). Intrinsic motivation would be expected to be high when students are provided the freedom to choose their course of learning and given the time to investigate until questions are answered.

My perception of inquiry is similar to the author's view on what inquiry is. The author mentions two types of learning, formal and informal learning. Formal learning; one that prepares a person for tangible, reducible, measurable and definite outcomes which is the type of learning focussed on in schools. Informal learning; one that goes beyond the definite answer and focuses on unpredictable aspects of life. I believe inquiry is the kind of informal learning in which we ask questions for creative possibility and enriched knowledge. It begins when one sees that not all things in life have a definite answer. The author mentions that inquiry is most effective in a group setting, which is understandable because it allows

Integrated learning [IL] assists students to make connections across the curriculum. Inquiry Based Learning [IBL] and Problem Based Learning [PBL] are two effective approaches to IL. Whilst each approach has distinctive benefits and drawbacks, it is vital teachers select the approach depending on the learning intentions being sought. This will ensure learning progressions occur and so they can create a learning space that nurtures their student’s sense of curiosity and wonder. It is also imperative teachers select the approach that best fits with their personal philosophy for teaching.

Constructivism in the classroom usually means students are engaged in activities like experiments, or real-world problem solving to increase knowledge, followed by a reflection of how their understanding of the concept has changed (Brooks, Ed.D, n.d.). Cognitivism methods of instruction are commonly integrated with the levels found in Bloom’s Taxonomy: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation (Bloom, 1956). The instructor must understand the prerequisite knowledge possessed by the student, and the student is encouraged to use appropriate strategies to help make the learning meaningful.

Inquiry Method is a way in which students learn on their own. It is the result of Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner’s book entitled ‘Teaching as a Subversive Activity’ (1969). From the book we know that students do research, learn it, ask questions and find the answers by discussing with classmates and teachers. Inquiry Method emphasis on student activity as a central where they are more active to find and solve problems. Wells (1999) noted that asking question is how to examine a wide range of knowledge. So when students are asked about what they do not know and they get the right answer, they acquire a new knowledge at that time. The topic that given by teachers is about students’ social world. Because according to Myers (2001), students

In addition from Patricia (2013) in her study about “Inquiry Based Learning in Science Class” stated that there are three advantages of inquiry based learning. First, this strategy is a learning strategy that emphasizes the development of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor a balanced way, so that learning through this

The purpose of a constructivist education, therefore, is to facilitate the process for learners in constructing their understanding. Constructivist learning “fosters critical thinking and creates active and motivated learners,” according to McClurg (2009). The educational emphasis is not on delivering knowledge nor organizing that knowledge in a prescriptive system, but rather on teaching students how to build their own understanding within meaningful contexts for lasting effect (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2012).

Many of the new ways of teaching and learning offer processes by which students can gain experiences that enhance their self-knowledge. One of these is problem-based learning, an instructional model based on constructivism, the concept that learners construct their own understanding by relating concrete experience to existing knowledge; processes of collaboration and reflection are involved. In problem-based learning, students are presented with an ill-structured problem--one that has no obvious solution and for which problem-solvers cannot be certain they have the right answer. The problem must be content relevant and represent a real situation faced by an individual, group, company, or community. Solving the problem takes students through the following processes (Savoie and Hughes 1994):

Teachers who have a constructivist basis for their philosophy of teaching and learning are seldom satisfied to use textbooks alone. Constructivists know that students must have motivation to search for meaning and create their own understanding of the world of ideas. When students want to know more about an idea, a topic, or an entire discipline, they put more cognitive energy into classroom investigations and discussions and study more on their own.