{"id":267635,"date":"2024-12-28T07:11:12","date_gmt":"2024-12-28T07:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/28\/14-effective-teaching-strategies-for-inquiry-based-learning\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:09:54","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:09:54","slug":"14-effective-teaching-strategies-for-inquiry-based-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/28\/14-effective-teaching-strategies-for-inquiry-based-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Effective Teaching Strategies For Inquiry-Based Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\n<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\">\n                <\/aside>\n<p>            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><!-- HFCM by 99 Robots - Snippet # 9: Recommended Books --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/end HFCM by 99 Robots --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" alt=\"Effective Teaching Strategies For Inquiry-Based Learning\" class=\"wp-image-64631 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Ways-to-Create-Inquiry-Based-Learning-in-the-Classroom.png\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Ways-to-Create-Inquiry-Based-Learning-in-the-Classroom.png\" alt=\"Effective Teaching Strategies For Inquiry-Based Learning\" class=\"wp-image-64631\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>by <strong>TeachThought Staff<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Inquiry-based learning is an approach to learning guided by students through questions, research, and\/or curiosity.<\/p>\n<p>An inquiry-based learning <em>strategy<\/em> is simply a way to facilitate inquiry during the learning process. It might be useful to think of ways to<em> suppress<\/em> inquiry to emphasize the strategies that might be used to promote it.<\/p>\n<p>Years ago in the (tongue very much in cheek) <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/learning\/curiosity\/\">12 Ways To Kill A Learner\u2019s Curiosity<\/a><\/strong>, I said that limiting choice, thinking in black and white, and focusing on answers instead of questions were just a few ways to stifle inquiry and curiosity.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/learning\/inquiry-driven\/\">In Strategies For Creating An Inquiry-Driven Classroom<\/a><\/strong>, professional development facilitator Irena Nayfeld offered that \u201cchildren want to understand the world around them, and naturally reveal their interests by asking questions \u2013 sometimes even too many questions! As educators, we may feel pressure to keep going with our intended lesson plan or to get to our \u2018point.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at how to promote inquiry-based learning in your classroom.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>14 Ways To Promote Inquiry-Based Learning In The Classroom<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>1. Instructional design<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of the most powerful ways to promote inquiry learning in your classroom is to design activities, lessons, and units that benefit from, promote, or require inquiry. Without \u2018room\u2019 or a \u2018role\u2019 for inquiry in your classroom, it will be difficult to \u2019cause\u2019 sustainably.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/pedagogy\/examples-of-essential-questions\/\">Good essential questions<\/a><\/strong> can be useful here, too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Question-Based Learning<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Question-based learning is a TeachThought framework for learning through the formation and revision of questions over the course of a specific period of time. You can read more about <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/learning\/what-is-question-based-learning\/\">Question-Based Learning<\/a>. <\/strong>This also can be combined with student-led or<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/critical-thinking\/self-directed\/\">self-directed learning<\/a><\/strong> where students ask their own questions, which, if done in an authentic (to the student) way, should result in more sustainable inquiry as well.<\/p>\n<p>Also, see <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/critical-thinking\/guide-inquiry\/\">questions to guide inquiry-based learning<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Inquiry-based rubrics and scoring guides<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>By defining and itemizing individual facets of inquiry and framing what it looks like at different proficiency levels, students can be more clear about exactly what you\u2019re hoping to see them capable of and \u2018doing\u2019 as a result of the activity or lesson. <\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Model inquiry <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This can be done in many ways, including dialogic conversation, Socratic Seminars, and think-alouds, among others.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Use question and statement stems<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, students don\u2019t know the mechanisms or patterns of inquiry, and question and statement stems can act as training wheels to help get students moving toward sustained, authentic inquiry. You can see some examples of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/critical-thinking\/sentence-stems\/\"><strong>sentence stems for higher-level discussion<\/strong><\/a>, for example.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Intentional Feedback Loops<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Reward \u2018Cognitive Stamina\u2019 by encouraging students to \u2018dwell\u2019 on a topic or extend inquiry even when hitting dead-ends, the assignment is \u2018over,\u2019 or they\u2019re unsure where to \u2018go\u2019 next. Consider some kind of \u2018inquiry-driven grading\u2019 where you adjust grading processes to accommodate this unique approach to learning.<\/p>\n<p>The brain works through feedback loops. Roughly put, students do something, and something happens in response. The tighter and more intentional the feedback loops are for applying inquiry, the more likely it is to \u2018stick.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">See also <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/learning\/what-is-a-feedback-loop-for-learning\/\">What\u2019s a Feedback Loop In Learning?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Gamification<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Reward points for great questions. Even consider assigning \u2018points value\u2019 to great questions\u2013perhaps even higher \u2018point values\u2019 than the answers themselves.<\/p>\n<p>You could also provide \u2018levels\u2019 for students to progress through (based on points, for example). Reward curiosity with immediate positive feedback. (See #6 above.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. Reframe content<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Math, science, social studies, language arts, and other traditional content areas overflow with fascinating concepts, topics, histories, legacies, people, etc. \u2018Position\u2019 content in a new way that is fresh, provocative, or even controversial (see below). Inquiry is more natural when ideas are interesting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9. Controversy sells<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Banned books\u2019 or other (mild to moderate) controversies can go a long way in sustaining student engagement\u2013which sets up the stage for inquiry.<\/p>\n<p><strong>10. Clarify the role of mindset in inquiry<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This can be done partly by clarifying the value of mistakes and uncertainty in the learning process.<\/p>\n<p><strong>11. Use \u2018smart\u2019 learning spaces<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Design physical learning spaces to promote interaction, access to digital and physical media, and spontaneous collaboration. Artfully design spaces with color, light, and furniture, etc.<\/p>\n<p><strong>12. Leverage interdisciplinary learning<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Work with teachers across content areas and grade levels to increase interdependence and \u2018gravity\u2019 of student work<\/p>\n<p><strong>13. The power of \u2018place\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Connect students with experts and local organizations to embed work in places native to that student. This is obviously more complex than can be explained as a line item in a single post but just imagine the role of \u2018setting\u2019\u2013how much more at ease and natural and connected students are in places native to them\u2013communities or homes or neighborhoods or streets or cities they care about and have a history with that is inseparable from the student.<\/p>\n<p><strong>14. Emphasize humility<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can read more about this idea from a separate post, I wrote on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/learning\/humility\/\">learning through humility<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"et_pb_row abfd_et_pb_row abfd-container-divi\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column\">\n<div class=\"abfd-container\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/author\/terryheick\/\" class=\"abfd-photograph-link\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"abfd-details\">\n<div class=\"abfd-biography\">\n<p>Founder &amp; Director of TeachThought<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachthought.com\/pedagogy\/inquiry-based-teaching-strategies\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] by TeachThought Staff Inquiry-based learning is an approach to learning guided by students through questions, research, and\/or curiosity. An inquiry-based learning strategy is simply<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":267636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267635"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267635\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}