What is Inquiry Based Learning?
Although we don’t ascribe to a specific pedagogy, the closest thing for us is Inquiry Based Learning.
We were both educated in Montessori style schools, which emphasizes kids taking responsibility for their own learning journeys and acquiring knowledge through exploration rather than absorbing it from their teachers. That’s how our workbooks operate as well. We want them to be a jumping off point for kids to investigate further. We want to teach them the beginnings of research skills and spark their curiosity to learn more.
Lots of parents, particularly those who are homeschooling this year, are considering other pedagogies and learning approaches, searching for a methodology which will suit their kids.
So, what exactly is Inquiry Based Learning?
Inquiry Based Learning avoids the traditional scenario of a teacher who teaches children everything they know. Instead, kids are encouraged to discover answers themselves, including determining the questions they will ask and the methods they use to research the answers. Teachers act as facilitators, making sure students don’t miss things or make assumptions in their work.
IBL involves lots of questions, exploration of material and sharing and discussing ideas with peers and teachers. As one observer put it, ‘instead of memorizing facts and material, students learn by doing’.
Studies have shown that we retain significantly more information when we actively do something with it, compared to when we hear or write it. That’s part of the reason why teachers ask older students to ‘make notes’ during class. Yet according to the above logic, the more passive and still a child is during class, the less they’re learning.
So what does IBL look like?
There are various levels of inquiry, aimed at different age groups. Of course, 5 year olds do not yet possess the skills to determine their own research goals, determine boundaries or self-reflect on their learning. But in the first stage of IBL students are guided towards an answer they already know by using questions and processes. This shows them a pattern of research, so they can mimic the process in a situation when they don’t know the answer (which is the next stage). Stages of IBL increase in complexity until students are eventually capable of undertaking inquiries without guidance.
What is IBL not?
While ‘research’ is often used in more mainstream teaching, it is often criticized for not teaching these skills explicitly enough, and leaving kids to ‘sink-or-swim’ with research tasks. Many parents will be familiar with a homework assignment involving instructions like ‘Do some research about the Tudors and tell us what you find’ (I’m always concerned that students will use Google to determine that Henry VIII was actually a good looking Irishman called Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). This approach to research moves too fast for kids, who need to be introduced to the idea of self-guided research in slow and measurable tasks.
What are some of the benefits of Inquiry Based Learning?
There are a number of benefits to the IBL approach, when implemented sensibly:
It’s more fun for kids
IBL teaches critical thinking skills from an early age, which is an asset later on in life and university
It fosters a curious attitude, where the answer to any question is within reach, given some research
There is some evidence that an IBL approach improves intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic motivation (intrinsically motivated children want to learn for their own satisfaction, extrinsically motivated children want to learn for adult approval or good marks).
Often leads to a deeper understanding of a topic
It can kick start a lifetime love of learning
We want to trigger a lifelong curiosity and interest for kids about different cultures and how travel can expand their horizons. For us ‘activating a student’s curiosity is, I would argue, a far more important and complex goal than mere information delivery’.
