Tips for teachers!
To encourage students to delve deep into learning through the inquiry process, try using some of the following:
- Effective questioning to generate discussion and debate about the topic, therefore engaging in higher order thinking skills and encouraging students to pose their own questions.
- Technology such as computers, laptops, Ipads, cameras and Interactive Whiteboards to encourage student engagement and technological curiosity.
- Integrated learning of curriculums.
- Topics that interest the students by conducting questionnaires before deciding on inquiry question.
- Designing a few inquiry questions/investigations that students can choose from, therefore giving them responsibility and decisions about their learning.
- Effective and thoughtful grouping which extends students thinking
- Co-operative learning tasks that students effectively engage in to explore further concepts about their topic.
- Negotiate assessment criteria which enables students to have a say in what will be assessed
- Use self assessment and peer assessment tools to help students gain a new insight into their own learning.
- Teach students the skills of inquiry before conducting an Inquiry Based Investigation
- Remember that it is the teacher's job to provide guidance and structure to organise inquiry learning. If the students are heading in the wrong direction, pull them in by going back to basics and redirect the learning.
- Effective questioning to generate discussion and debate about the topic, therefore engaging in higher order thinking skills and encouraging students to pose their own questions.
- Technology such as computers, laptops, Ipads, cameras and Interactive Whiteboards to encourage student engagement and technological curiosity.
- Integrated learning of curriculums.
- Topics that interest the students by conducting questionnaires before deciding on inquiry question.
- Designing a few inquiry questions/investigations that students can choose from, therefore giving them responsibility and decisions about their learning.
- Effective and thoughtful grouping which extends students thinking
- Co-operative learning tasks that students effectively engage in to explore further concepts about their topic.
- Negotiate assessment criteria which enables students to have a say in what will be assessed
- Use self assessment and peer assessment tools to help students gain a new insight into their own learning.
- Teach students the skills of inquiry before conducting an Inquiry Based Investigation
- Remember that it is the teacher's job to provide guidance and structure to organise inquiry learning. If the students are heading in the wrong direction, pull them in by going back to basics and redirect the learning.