Exploring Inquiry as Authentic Instruction

The Need for Inquiry in Classrooms

As Social Studies educators, our primary goal is to "help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world" (National Council for the Social Studies). Thus, as we are preparing students for how to be thoughtful and make well-informed decisions in the real world, our lessons must be structured to allow students to practice those very skills. It is rare in the real world for people to be required to listen to a half-an-hour of facts and then recall those facts from memory, however, it is frequent that people be required to consider information, sometimes contradictory information, and then form a reaction based upon how they interpreted, evaluated, and reasoned with the information. This is why it is important that all teachers incorporate inquiry-based instruction into their classrooms. John Dewey, considered a founder of inquiry-based learning, reasoned that: "if students were provided skills for the here-and-now, they would become more capable of self-support and self-respecting independence, an integral part of citizenship in our modern democracy" (Ohio Department of Education). 

Similar to the benefits of cooperative learning discussed in an earlier blog, the skills targeted by inquiry are also those demanded by employers. Meghan Casserly, in her article, "The 10 Skills That Will Get You Hired In 2013"  names the following as the top three skills you need in the competitive job market to be hired, all of which are regularly reasoning objectives of inquiry lessons: 

Now having recognized the need for inquiry skills in the twenty-first century, what is inquiry? 

 

The Learning Cycle of 5 E's   

 

Teachers can structure inquiry lessons by using the learning cycle model, which has five phases: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation. As will be seen below in the roles assumed by students and teacher during each phase, inquiry is a student-centered approach based on constructivist tenets. By designing a lesson centered around a problem or question, the students are to actively engage with raw data, primary sources, and interactive material to "synthesize new understanding from prior learning and new information" (Enhancing Education). Furthermore, inquiry allows students to incorporate their strengths or "funds of knowledge" as well as target basic skills and content from numerous entry points or disciplines, which is especially beneficial for Social Studies. 

1.) Engagement

During this phase, the teacher connects past learning to the lesson's exploration. All prerequisite knowledge that students need to be successful should already have been taught as a part of direct instruction earlier in the unit. Thus, the teacher can review this material, having students share their thoughts and assumptions on the material so far. This information provides the teacher with a better idea as to what misconceptions may need to be clarified, and what information will hopefully be reconstructed during the lesson. This is also the time for the teacher to "hook" his or her students, and inspire their interest in the lesson. The student or teacher depending upon the type of inquiry being utilized will form a question or identify a problem related to the real-world for students to explore. The topic should be highly motivating to the students. 

2.) Exploration 

In this phase, students are set free to explore data and use higher-order thinking skills to process it. Most often, they manipulate materials, interact with peers, and specifically look for evidence that confirms or challenges those original assumptions or hypotheses. The teacher circulates around the classroom, pushing the students further in their exploration and ensuring they are on the path to drawing conclusions that appropriately reconstruct knowledge. 

3.) Explanation

In this phase, students begin to verbalize what they have discovered. By transforming their ideas into words, the students help to clarify in their own minds what they know, helping to build meta-cognitive skills. The students communicate their ideas to the teacher and to their peers verbally or in writing. The teacher can then help students to utilize formal terminology and definitions for the ideas students discovered on their own. 

 

4.) Elaboration

In this phase, the students should take their generalizations and apply them to new situations. The information they found in the first two phases may lead them to form more questions that require further exploration and explanation. The teacher should encourage students to make connections between what they have discovered, their personal lives, and their prior knowledge.  

5.) Evaluation 

Lastly, the teacher and students assess what students now know and what capabilities they have developed as a result of engaging in the inquiry process. Thus, emphasis is placed on evaluating the entire process, not just the answer. Teachers can and should utilize various methods of evaluating students, including providing authentic task-based assessments and presentations. Throughout the process, teachers should take anecdotal notes to track the progress of individual students. Similarly, teachers should provide students with rubrics and checklists to allow students to engage in self-monitoring and evaluation (Ohio Department of Education). 

  Inquiry in My Future Classroom 

Hoping to be a teacher who develops the higher-order thinking skills of her students and motivates them to take an ownership interest in their own learning, I plan to use inquiry-based instruction in my classroom. Inquiry also provides the opportunity to utilize all students' strengths and to incorporate technology into the classroom. By using inquiry, I will be developing my students for civic competence.

Works Cited 

Casserly, M. (2012, December 10). The 10 skills that will get you hired in 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2012/12/10/the-10-skills-that-will-get-you-a-job-in-2013/

Coe, M. (2001, November 1). The 5 E Learning Cycle Model. Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://faculty.mwsu.edu/west/maryann.coe/coe/inquire/inquiry.htm

National Council for the Social Studies. “Executive Summary.” Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies.

The 5 E's. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://enhancinged.wgbh.org/research/eeeee.html

The Evidence Base for Social Studies: Inquiry-Based Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://ims.ode.state.oh.us/ode/ims/rrt/research/Content/inquiry_based_learning_what_we_know.asp