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ENQUIRY BASED LEARNING

·         Characteristics of an EBL Approach

·        Examples – Characteristics of an approach to Geography
(The Schools Council Project “16®19” Geography)

·         Am I an enquiry based teacher –  An Exercise

·         Enquiry in the classroom
A Simple Cost – Benefit Analysis

Steve Frampton
Vice Principal
St Vincent College

 

  

Characteristics of the enquiry-based approach to learning

An approach to learning which:

·        identifies questions, issues and problems as the starting points for enquiry

·        involves students as active participants in a sequence of meaningful learning through enquiry

·        provides opportunities for the development of a wide range of skills and abilities (intellectual, social practical and communication)

·        presents opportunities for fieldwork and classroom work to be closely integrated

·        provides possibilities for open-ended enquiries in which attitudes and values may be clarified, and an open interchange of ideas and opinions can take place

·        provides scope for an effective balance of both teacher-directed work and more independent student enquiry

·        assists in the development of political literacy such that students gain understanding of the social environment and how to participate in it.

  

Characteristics of the approach to Geography

An approach to Geography which:

·        focuses on the inter-relationships between people and their environments

·        takes as its starting point enquiry into questions, issues and problems of relevance in the world today

·        offers a clear perspective on the contribution of Geography to environmental understanding and to environmental action

·        provides opportunities for organising study in an enquiry-oriented sequence so that students can develop a range of skills

·        facilitates the introduction of controversial topics and the provision of opportunities for values enquiry

·        is outward looking and encourages links with other subject areas and with activities beyond school

·        emphasises understanding and awareness of place and space

·        enables students to gain useful knowledge about a balanced selection of areas and places in the world

·        offers the possibility for enquiry to draw on new approaches to Geography as appropriate to the topic.

  

Am I An Enquiry-Based Teacher?

Examples = a tool for analysis, to look at attitudes towards teaching and learning.  Not a scientific test or universally applicable.

 What are the 5 most important practical implications for our teaching?

(a)                See yourself as a manager/organiser of learning activities rather than the sole provider of knowledge i.e. move towards student-centred approaches.

(b)               Move away from ‘talking at’ lectures towards resource-based learning and discussion i.e. reorganise resources.

(c)                Reorganise the structure of the classroom and resources areas.  Make them more informal open and accessible.

(d)               Focus more on skills, techniques and values/issues not factual content.

(e)                Integrate issue based content, skills and techniques with fieldwork and assessment.

NB:  This assumes we all have “Enquiry-based students”, however we must not take this for granted.

AM I AN ENQUIRY BASED TEACHER?

 Are you an enquiry teacher?  Here is a self-evaluation checklist.  Tick the spaces that correspond with the frequency with which you display the following behaviours.  So, are you an enquiry teacher?  Here is a very unscientific scoring system – but one that will provide a fairly accurate answer to the question.  Total the number of responses of each frequency. Enter the results in the table below.  Calculate your sub-totals by using the designated multiplier (for example, your ‘nearly always’ score is to be multiplied by 4).  Finally calculate your total score.  This will be a score out of 80. 

 

 

Nearly Always

Frequently

Sometimes

Rarely

1.        I opt for flexible seating, student movement and the maximum interaction between students

 

 

 

 

2.        I make available a wide range of resources and materials for student use

 

 

 

 

3.        My introductory lessons on a unit of work present a problem, issue, question or contradiction to stimulate student thinking

 

 

 

 

4.        In doing so, I encourage students to react freely with little direction from me.  The course of the enquiry becomes theirs to plan

 

 

 

 

5.        The students talk more than I do during classroom enquiry work

 

 

 

 

6.        When I talk, I question, not ‘tell’

 

 

 

 

 

7.        I consciously use the ideas raised by students and base my next questions on them

 

 

 

 

8.        I redirect student questions in such a way that students are encouraged to seek their own answers

 

 

 

 

9.        My questions encourage students to test the validity of their ideas in the broad context of experience

 

 

 

 

10.     Class dialogue is conducted in a fashion that emphasises courtesy and openness to divergent views

 

 

 

 

11.     Skills are developed and practised as they are required during an enquiry, not as a separate set of activities

 

 

 

 

12.     I encourage a rigorous questioning of the grounds upon which statements are made

 

 

 

 

13.     I encourage students to explore the implications of holding alternative value and policy positions

 

 

 

 

14.     I make students aware of personal, social and political bases for diversity in attitude, values and policies

 

 

 

 

15.     I encourage students to arrive at value and policy positions of their own that they can understand and defend

 

 

 

 

16.     I use evaluation in the classroom as a means to improve learning and not to judge people

 

 

 

 

17.     The results of evaluation help me make amendments to existing enquiry procedures with students

 

 

 

 

18.     I evaluate students on growth in many aspects of the learning experience, rather than simply on the knowledge acquired

 

 

 

 

19.     I share the results of evaluation with students, identifying strengths as well as areas where we both need to improve

 

 

 

 

20.     I make my students aware that I am involved in my own research interests, and that learning need not stop when one leaves school

 

 

 

 

(Modified from original source - Project News 11 July 1980)

Individuals were asked to complete the questionnaire as a means of focusing on how we develop teaching strategies to encourage an awareness of attitudes and values.

  

ENQUIRY IN THE CLASSROOM

 A SIMPLE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS

 Why?  The Advantages

(a)                  More enjoyable for staff/students.

 (b)                 Far greater variety of activities (skills, techniques, learning approaches).

(c)                  More relevant (especially with the advent of GCSE).

(d)                 Satisfies needs of those students who go to work or High Education (skills based and content is relevant to a modern society).

(e)                  Very flexible, allows staff to focus on own interests/skills.

VERSUS

  

Potential Problems/Disadvantages

(a)                Copyright issue over photocopying and the storage of material e.g. newspapers and periodicals.

(b)               Problem of getting and updating data.

(c)                Practical dilemma between covering content and developing skills and techniques.

(d)               Works best where there is a team of enthusiastic staff or local self help groups – this may not be practical.

(e)                Flack from your colleagues.  Geography becomes very popular with the students.  They start to expect/demand more of other more conservative subjects in terms of content and mainly teaching/learning approaches!

The style of work creates more homework for the students to do and you to monitor.  It is more interesting and enjoyable than most homework therefore students spend more time on it than for some other subjects!