LEARNING UNIT 4:
Theme 1
LO 1: Identify appropriate teaching strategies to achieve specific learning outcomes
LO 2: Apply appropriate teaching strategies when planning
LO 3: Create motivating learning environments
LO 4: Critically reflect on the effectiveness
LO 5: Evaluate the effectiveness of lessons
Inquiry as a teaching strategy
LO 1: Identify appropriate teaching strategies to achieve specific learning outcomes
Features of structured inquiry
Form of research that employed for short period or extensive project
May engage in the process individually, in groups or co-operative teams
Level & type of teacher guidance provided depends on experience & complexity of the
question they are investigating
Driving force of the strategy is learners’ instinctive desire to ask questions and learn
Systematic process:
1. Compelling question is posed for students
2. Students undertake an investigation to find the answer
3. Develop new ideas (creative phase)
4. Encouraged to share their learning experiences & new understandings of others
5. Critically reflect on the research question
3 general approaches to research that have the potential to be useful for teaching strategies:
1. Research based on finding; interpreting & using info that has been produced by someone
else
2. Based on gathering, interpreting & using info that did not exist before the research was
conducted
3. Based on some form of experimentation
1
, Reasons for using inquiry
Encourages learners to ask questions, investigate, discover & create answers for themselves
Strive for more than superficial understanding & to view learning as something more than
remembering info
Helps learners to progress from what they already understand to what they need to
understand Challenge, engage, motivate & extend all learners
Encourages critical thinking
Provide meaningful context for learners to use & develop their communication skills
Help learners develop their organisational & time management skills
Experience at working the way adults work
Understand the nature of a field of study
Teach students how to make use of the sources of info
Provides teachers an opportunity to stand back & observe learners & reflect on their
learning styles
Planning for inquiry reminds teachers of their primary role to help students learn how to
think
Fun & motivating way to learn
Effective way of getting parents involved
Issues to consider
Time consuming
Does not result in the learning you hoped for
Not all will enjoy learning this way
Learners who have poor learning skills will be disadvantaged
Learners with poor writing skills will be disadvantaged
Learners can find it frustrating
Requires a lot of self-direction
Efforts to focus learners may frustrate them
Unless they have skills to interpret the data they gather, they may learn very little
Inquiry tasks can become unmanageable
Learners will see it as a project to be completed with minimal effort
Use inquiry if:
Learners are self-motivated & learn with minimal assistance
You want to encourage learners to take a deep approach to learning
You want learners to learn how to enjoy learning
You want to encourage learners to be independent thinkers
You want learning to be driven by curiosity
Do not use inquiry if
Lack basic skills to work independently or in small groups
Learners have very poor literacy skills
Do not have access to the equipment or info they need to produce data
You cannot allow learners sufficient time to complete the research task
LO 2: APPLY APPROPRIATE TEACHING STRATEGIES WHEN PLANNING
2
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