The Importance Of The Inquiry Process

Any person who has encountered a young child in their life knows that children are full of questions. One indiscriminate question asked in every language, culture and community is: “Why?” From birth, children intrinsically begin investigating and exploring their world to reach a better understanding of it. They constantly develop ideas which are inevitably challenged by new experiences, thereby evolving into new ideas. As Piaget explains, a child’s existing schema is challenged with new information, pushing them into a state of disequilibrium; the child must then assimilate or accommodate the new information and adjust their schema (Woolfolk, & Margetts, 2013). The inquiry process draws on the natural curiosity of children. The following

As opposed to 19th century teaching practices, where the teacher was seen as the source of all knowledge and had the responsibility of passing that knowledge on to children, teachers using the inquiry approach have the role of facilitating an environment where children can construct their own learning (Reynolds, 2012). In the inquiry based approach, the teacher goes on the learning journey alongside the children and the focus is not on what is being taught, but rather on the learning process (Murdoch, 1998). Additionally, learning is relevant and meaningful in children’s lives and connected to their current funds of knowledge and other areas of the curriculum (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, 2015; Bateman, 2014). One benefit of the inquiry process, is that it promotes a variety of skills which are vital for children in the 21st century. Because of the rapid progress in technology, teachers have no way of knowing the skills students will need in their future jobs. Therefore, the main things students need to learn are how to learn and how to think. The skills developed during the inquiry process include information processing skills, critical and creative thinking skills, communication skills and reflective and metacognitive skills (Reynolds, 2012). Mastering these skills will equip students with the abilities they will need in the future to

Glibert (as cited in Preston, Harvie & Wallace, 2015) gives a simple three step overview of the inquiry process. The first step is to define the inquiry, which includes posing questions and planning the inquiry (Glibert, as cited in Preston, et. al., 2015). Questions may arise spontaneously or be prompted by provocations or artefacts that teachers provide (O’Brien, Peavey, & Fuller, 2016; Walker, 2015). Ralston Elementary School (2015) suggest that teachers should role model questions to students which encourage higher order thinking. The next step is to collect information and analyse it (Glibert, as cited in Preston, et. al., 2015). Reynolds (2012) suggest the use of brainstorming and graphic organisers as ways to collate and present the information. The final step is to decide what to do with the information. This requires students to make conclusions, reflect on and respond to the information (Glibert, as cited in Preston, et. al., 2015). Gilbert (as cited in Preston, et. al., 2015) also points out that the process may go back and forth through these steps as children pose more questions throughout the