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Critically Examining Inquiry-Based Learning: John Dewey in Theory, History, and Practice
Abstract
This chapter introduces the history and development of inquiry-based learning (IBL) and describes how teaching and learning strategies over several decades in P-12 and higher education have built upon the ideas of John Dewey. Though personal reflection, uncertain learning paths and outcomes, and mindful inquiry have been central foundations undergirding IBL, the approach now stands upon the shoulders of theoretical and research giants such as Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bruner. Over 100 years, modern IBL proponents like Gruenewald, have implemented and experimented, contributing to cognitive and social science pedagogy, for instance, by attempting to make contemporary teaching and learning relevant, thoughtful, and action-oriented.
Dewey’s work continues to dominate educational landscapes and inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning have, in contemporary forms, withstood the test of time. Two case studies in this chapter illustrate how IBL has materialized as problem-based and place-based methodology, reflecting influences of social and cognitive constructivism, humanistic psychology, and eco-feminism. Those who embrace IBL continue to improve teaching and learning strategies in order to find more effective methods of immersing themselves and their students in globally critical conversations about essential life issues – inside and outside of classrooms – a central and enduring tenet of Dewey’s experiential learning.
... Inquiry-based learning (IBL) encompasses a variety of teaching focuses deriving from the perspectives of Dewey and Bruner (Herman & Pinard, 2015) who argue that inquiry is at the centre of tasks, the use of resources, and learning instructions. IBL sets students challenges that: a) catalyse their engagement and participation, b) promote experiential learning, and c) stimulate exploration and the search for solutions Levy, Aiyegbayo, & Little, 2009;Oliver, 2008;Prince & Felder, 2007;Spronken-Smith, Angelo, Matthews, O'Steen, & Robertson 2007). ...
... El aprendizaje basado en la investigación (ABI) engloba una variedad de enfoques pedagógicos procedentes de los postulados de Dewey y Bruner (Herman y Pinard, 2015); según estos autores la indagación está en el centro de las tareas, en el uso de recursos, y en las instrucciones de aprendizaje. A través del ABI se propone a los estudiantes desafíos que: a) catalizan su compromiso y participación; b) fomentan un aprendizaje experiencial; y, c) estimulan la exploración y la búsqueda de soluciones (Aditomo, Goodyear, Bliuc y Ellis, 2013;Levy, Aiyegbayo y Little, 2009;Oliver, 2008;Prince y Felder, 2007;Spronken-Smith, Angelo, Matthews, O'Steen, y Robertson, 2007). ...
El aprendizaje basado en la investigación (ABI) es una metodología que potencia los aprendizajes mediante un proceso de cons-trucción del conocimiento. La finalidad del estudio era conocer cómo se está aplicando el ABI y sus efectos en estudiantes univer-sitarios de ciencias sociales y de la salud. El método para realizar la revisión sistemáti-ca ha seguido las directrices de la declara-ción PRISMA. Se analizaron un total de 31 estudios extraídos de cuatro bases de datos electrónicas y listas de referencias sobre el tópico, publicados en inglés entre 1998-2019. Los resultados mostraron como fortalezas del ABI: 1) la promoción del aprendizaje coo-perativo; 2) el compromiso del alumnado en su autoaprendizaje; y, 3) el aumento de un pensamiento crítico. Entre sus debilidades se señalan: 1) la incapacidad de cubrir las expec-tativas de aprendizaje, y 2) las reticencias de las estructuras universitarias hacia el ABI. A partir de estos resultados se discute el valor del ABI como estrategia didáctica en la uni-versidad, en la medida en que permite pro-fundizar en la construcción del conocimiento, incrementar la motivación de aprendizaje, de-sarrollar las habilidades de investigación, el autoaprendizaje, la autoconfianza, el pensa-miento crítico, y el rendimiento académico. El ABI favorece el aprendizaje significativo en el alumnado universitario al ofrecer un espacio El aprendizaje basado en la investigación en el contexto universitario: una revisión sistemática* Inquiry-based learning in the university context: A systematic review
... This coincides with similar STEM educational actions [10,11], but it is not equal to other experiences whose outcomes are not so positive [12,82,83]. Perhaps, one reason is because the action was fully guided [84] in contrast with Dewey's philosophy [85]; the former relies on teacher guidance and direct instruction of key concepts [86], while the latter is based on students' self-learning, i.e., through research-based learning [87] (RBL). The main difference between different PjBL implementations (or PBL) is mainly in the role of the teacher. ...
The main goal of this study was to improve students’ outcomes and perception in Mathematics. For this, 12 out of 34 voluntary students were involved in an international contest: European Space Agency (ESA) Mission Space Lab. The experience was organized as STEM, under a guided PjBL. Students identified an environmental problem, executed a way to monitor it from the International Space Station (ISS) and interpreted the data received. Students’ final report was awarded by ESA. Additionally, participants increased their performance in their math final exams compared to the control group. Furthermore, the perception of students and their families about the usefulness of mathematics was very positive. The only drawback detected was the increase of workload. Thus, Green STEM, using direct instruction and guide in PjBL, may be a good tool to improve students’ grades and opinion about the importance of mathematics.
... Inquiry-based instruction dates back at least to the time of Socrates, who asked his students probing questions to help students discover ideas (Kennedy et al., 2015). Modern inquiry-based instruction traces many of its roots to Dewey (Barrow, 2006;Duffy & Raymer, 2010;Herman et al., 2015;Khalaf, 2018;Page & Painter, 2019;Pedaste et al., 2015;Schön, 1992;Stoller, 2018). Dewey argued that the purpose of education was to teach students to think rather than to be able to recite information previously discovered by others. ...
The use of inquiry-based and explicit instructional methods in mathematics has been researched and have found that the most appropriate instructional method depends on many factors including the subject matter being taught, the students’ prior knowledge, and the students’ special education status. However, teachers’ use of these methods has not been investigated in two important topics in high school geometry: arc length/sector area and graphing circles – topics which reveal how several important mathematical concepts connect from elementary and middle school, to geometry, then to pre-calculus. This quasi-experimental study compared the effects of inquiry-based and explicit teaching methods on arc length/sector area and graphing circles in terms of student achievement growth and students’ assessment of their learning gains. One group of students was taught arc length and sector area using inquiry-based methods while the other group was taught using explicit methods. An independent samples t-test compared growth in procedural fluency and conceptual understanding for all students as well as for certain subgroups based on prior achievement and special education status. The procedure was repeated with graphing circles with the instructional methods swapped for each group. Overall, results showed significantly higher student achievement growth in arc length and sector area procedural fluency under explicit instruction, but other overall differences were not significant. Therefore, teachers can use either instructional method to promote student achievement growth in conceptual understanding of arc length/sector area, conceptual understanding of graphing circles and procedural fluency in graphing circles. Teachers should consider using explicit instruction to teach arc length and sector area procedural fluency.
... Inquiry-based learning (IBL) encompasses a variety of teaching focuses deriving from the perspectives of Dewey and Bruner (Herman & Pinard, 2015) who argue that inquiry is at the centre of tasks, the use of resources, and learning instructions. IBL sets students challenges that: a) catalyse their engagement and participation, b) promote experiential learning, and c) stimulate exploration and the search for solutions (Aditomo, Goodyear, Bliuc, & Ellis, 2013;Levy, Aiyegbayo, & Little, 2009;Oliver, 2008;Prince & Felder, 2007;Spronken-Smith, Angelo, Matthews, O'Steen, & Robertson 2007). ...
Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) is a methodology that enhances learning through a knowledge construction process. The aim of this study is to establish how IBL is used and what effects it has on university students from social sciences and health sciences. This study follows the PRISMA guidelines for conducting systematic reviews. It comprises an analysis of 31 studies extracted from four electronic databases and reference lists on the topic, published in English between 1998-2019. The results show that the strengths of IBL are: 1) promoting cooperative learning, 2) engaging students in self-learning, and 3) increasing critical thinking. Its weaknesses include: 1) the inability to meet learning expectations , and 2) the reluctance of university hierarchies to embrace IBL. The potential of IBL as a teaching strategy at university level is discussed as it allows deep knowledge construction, increased learning motivation, and development of students' research skills as well as their self-learning, self-confidence, critical thinking, and academic performance. IBL favours meaningful learning by university students by offering a space for the creation of knowledge stimulated by the inquiry process.
... It was Dewey who suggested that IBL should be included in the K-12 science curriculum [2]. Since then, inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning have been used through the years, until this 21 st century [3], especially in science education. Conducting Science Investigatory Projects (SIPs) is an approach under IBL. ...
... learning regarded as a process during which students actively construct concepts and new knowledge building upon current and previously acquired knowledge (Bruner, 1986). Theories of learning developed by twentieth century researchers such as John Dewey and Lev Vygotsky focused on experience and thus provide a foundation for experiential learning theory (Herman & Pinard, 2015). Kolb's widely used experiential learning cycle consists of four components (Tomkins & Ulus, 2016): ...
As the use of Information and communication technology (ICT) solutions become more embedded in our everyday lives, ICT graduates are required to design and develop solutions that are not only easy to use, but evoke overall positive user experiences. The incorporation of human-computer interaction (HCI) principles, such as, user-centered design (UCD), usability, and user experience (UX) into the design of ICT solutions can positively influence the success of deployed solutions. However, developers of ICT solutions, especially those from developing countries, have been slow to apply these principles in their development practices. Some of the reasons for this slow pace include lack of experienced practitioners due to limited number of universities offering HCI courses, especially in African countries, lack of consensus on the measures of UCD effectiveness, and little appreciation of the benefits of incorporating these design principles into development processes. These challenge is compounded by ineffective teaching strategies, in situations where HCI courses are taught.
The application of an experiential learning strategy can go a long way in addressing the gap between the concepts of HCI, UX and UCD that is taught in the classroom and their application by ICT graduates in the work environment. In this book chapter, we describe how we incorporate eye tracking technology in a HCI course that forms part of a postgraduate Informatics degree. The focus is on an eye tracking assignment that involves student groups performing usability evaluation studies for real-world clients. We posit that eye tracking is a powerful technology to convince students of the importance of user centered design. We conducted a survey amongst HCI students and analysed student course evaluation results over a period of 3 years. The findings confirm that students regard the eye tracking assignment as a mind altering experience and that it is potentially an effective technology for convincing future ICT professionals of the importance of usability, UX and UCD
... The theoretical underpinning of service-learning is often situated within Dewey's philosophy of education (see Giles and Eyler 1994;Herman and Pinard 2015), with it being seen as a key means of producing this experiential education, i.e. the interaction of knowledge and skills with experience. ...
... The objectives of cooperative learning include at least three aspects, which are the result of academic learning, acceptance of diversity, and the development of social skills. This strategy refers to the theory of Vygotsky, which emphasises social interaction as a mechanism to support cognitive development (Davidson et al., 2014;Herman and Pinard, 2015;Lam, 2015;Hằng et al., 2015). Moreover, this method is also supported by learning theory and the cognitive information processing theory of learning. ...
... This in the context of teachers' professional development means that teachers learn to learn. Herman andPinard (2015) citing from Dewey (1916) believed that people who constantly participate in developmental situations also learn to learn. Metacognition serves as the common denominator of metacognitive approaches and metacognitive knowledge (Smith, Black, & Hooper, 2017). ...
This articlefocuses on the factors that influence the professional development of teachers after they have completed their basic education. We defined teacher professional development as teacher learning: how they learn to learn and how to use their knowledge in practice to support student learning. We collected data from 274 teachers from 44 high schools and 10 universities in Ghana.We therefore adopted a fitted logistic regression model for our analysis. The results show that individual and organizational factors influence teacher learning. The collaboration of teachers is important for the way they are developed and some teachers can lead such learning activities. In addition, a positive school culture, a good atmosphere and a good understanding of teacher learning and collaboration with external specialists can influence the professional development of teachers. The article concludes that good management policies as well as learning at school is the best ground for the further development of teachers.
Global citizen education (GCED) is a strategic area of UNESCO's education sector program and builds on the work of peace and human rights education. It may prove to be a key area of focus for school education services around the world. India has always been a key stakeholder in implementing the SDGs in its policies. The education sector plays a pivotal role in realizing the SDG targets, and GCED curriculum implementation plays are strategic roles in realizing this target of achieving SDG in education. India has played an active role in making efforts to implement GCED in school education. This chapter focuses on GCED practices, traces its origin, its prospective arrival in the Indian education scenario, and the state of affairs at present in terms of its implementation in prominent states around the country. Therefore, the chapter describes GCED implementation in Indian school system and its contribution to making the school education system a delightful and sustainable practice.
Warwick, Morgan and Miller offer an important exploration of higher education for hope within the civic context of global social justice and environmental points of crisis. Focusing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for societal change they look at ways that education can incubate hope through students’ compassionate civic action for the common good. By looking at the place-based pedagogical approach of service-learning, this chapter concludes with a case study of emerging practice at a UK University and highlights key challenges to engaging students with creating more sustainable futures in a local context.
Efforts toward achieving a quality education system are ongoing. Learning in a laboratory has specific didactic requirements. Not only must learners’ questions be answered at the theoretical level but also learners must be assisted, if necessary, in executing their experiments. In Morocco, some of our universities are witnessing a new era of enhanced learning with the MicroLab ExAO project, which aims to provide an interactive learning environment for experiments using computer-aided experimentation technology. It promotes experimental teaching of science by applying active or participatory teaching methods to improve knowledge assimilation and increase learner success. In this chapter, we describe the development of the microcomputer-based laboratory in Morocco through the MicroLab ExAO project.KeywordsExperimental educationMicrocomputer-based laboratoryActive learningMicroLab ExAO
Discourses surrounding digital technologies have often foregrounded their capacity to connect people however, in reality, online communication can also result in fragmentation, polarization and modes of exclusion. To address these issues, this paper highlights the need for learners to develop a critical digital literacy (CDL) that contributes to a greater understanding of how power and ideologies operate online. By proposing a two-pronged teaching strategy that integrates inquiry-based learning and digital activism, this paper seeks to demonstrate how the field of language and intercultural communication can help imagine a more equitable and inclusive online world through focused teaching strategies.
Alors que l’identification patronymique prévaut lors d’évaluations en classe, l’utilisation d’artefacts pour collecter les réponses d’apprenant.e.s permet d’utiliser des modalités d’identification alternatives.La manipulation de l’identification de l'apprenant.e dans un dispositif pédagogique en classe proposant des évaluations non-certificatives fréquentes influe-t-elle sur la participation visible, enregistrée par l’artefact ?La littérature affirme que l’anonymat (absence de nom) est la cause de la participation visible en protégeant l’estime sociale en cas d’erreur. Nous supposons que la (non-)traçabilité de l’identifiant, et non l’anonymat, influe sur le degré de comparaison sociale entre apprenant.e.s, contribuant ou non à satisfaire leurs besoins d’autonomie, de compétence et de relation identifiés dans la théorie de l'autodétermination (TAD). Nous approfondissons l'étude du besoin de compétence, grâce à la théorie des buts d'accomplissement.Nous testons 3 modalités d’identification. Deux modalités explorent la polarité conventionnelle de la traçabilité (identification pseudonymique vs identification patronymique). La troisième modalité laissant les apprenant.e.s choisir leur identifiant ajoute une polarité identitaire qui oppose les identifications imposées (patronymique et pseudonymique) à l’identification autodéterminée. Nous faisons l’hypothèse que ces 3 modalités d’identification satisfont différemment les 3 besoins identifiés dans la TAD entravant ou favorisant la motivation intrinsèque. Nous mesurons ces différentiels en comparant les taux de réponses enregistrés par l’artefact lors des fréquentes séquences d’évaluations non-certificatives mises en œuvre.
The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) employ a global indicator framework to detail each Goal and monitor its implementation. This article focuses on three targets from the indicator framework, which call for mainstreaming education for global citizenship, sustainable development, and climate change into national curricula. By investigating the practicalities of meeting these targets from an educator's perspective, this article proceeds with: arguing for a need to shift the central purpose of education; examining what is meant by education ‘for’ the three key areas included in the global indicator framework; exploring curricular opportunities offered by the SDGs; and presenting inquiry-based learning as a pedagogical approach for critically interrogating the SDGs with learners. If the SDGs are used to drive a pragmatic definition of global citizenship, then trends in education such as inquiry- and problem-based learning come to life with a clear and urgent purpose.
Experiential learning is a pedagogy that actively engages the student in the phenomena that they are studying, such as in cooperative education, internships, clinical experience, service learning, outdoor leadership, organizational development, and activity-based learning. When students develop their own research agenda, engage in critical thinking and test their interpersonal skills, they come face to face with an alternative worldview, learning through both action and reflection, including the consequences of the larger social and ethical implications of this knowledge. This article will explore experiential learning as a framework for enhancing the educational value of an international experience. After a brief review of theorists of experiential learning, the accepted principles of good practice in the field will be discussed, followed by discussions of the design of learning objectives and learning contracts, and the importance of this type of learning as it relates to international programs.
John Dewey (1859–1952) was a major figure of the American cultural and intellectual landscape in the first half of the twentieth century. While not the originator of American pragmatism, he was instrumental to its articulation as a philosophy and the spread of its influence beyond philosophy to other disciplines. His prolific writings encompass metaphysics, philosophy of mind, cognitive science, psychology, moral philosophy, the philosophies of religion, art, and education, and democratic political and international theory. The contributors to this Companion examine the wide range of Dewey's thought and provide a critical evaluation of his philosophy and its lasting influence, both elsewhere in philosophy and on other disciplines.
Taking the position that “critical pedagogy” and “place-based education” are mutually supportive educational traditions, this author argues for a conscious synthesis that blends the two discourses into a critical pedagogy of place. An analysis of critical pedagogy is presented that emphasizes the spatial aspects of social experience. This examination also asserts the general absence of ecological thinking demonstrated in critical social analysis concerned exclusively with human relationships. Next, a discussion of ecological place-based education is offered. Finally, a critical pedagogy of place is defined. This pedagogy seeks the twin objectives of decolonization and “reinhabitation” through synthesizing critical and place-based approaches. A critical pedagogy of place challenges all educators to reflect on the relationship between the kind of education they pursue and the kind of places we inhabit and leave behind for future generations.
Traditionally, methods for collecting qualitative data have created practical difficulties in that they often require long-term engagement and, as a result, produce a great volume of data. This paper proposes and demonstrates a speedy technique for gathering and analyzing such data. It is argued that an analysis of critical incidents can be used by researchers interested in collecting qualitative data quickly as a method for doing a case study, but also, at the same time, in a participatory way that contributes to understandings that can be useful for the purpose of school improvement.
In Pauline Chinn and David Hana’ike’s chapter exploring the role of place, culture, and situated learning on teacher agency
in science, Pauline and David employ Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and Actor Network Theories to examine David’s
lived experiences as a middle-school science teacher in Hawaii. Through ethno- and biographic narratives, Pauline and David
offer a “genealogical” examination of David’s early experiences as a learner, focusing on the ways in which his identity as
a Hawaiian native has shaped his growth and development as a science teacher. Specifically, Pauline and David emphasize the
intentionality of David’s establishment of activity networks with individuals within schools and the local community as being
connected to his identity. They provide examples of how these activity/social networks have supported his development of a
teaching practice that has enabled him to successfully connect school learning to place, culture, and science for students
who, like David, identify as Hawaiian natives.
Experience and Educationis the best concise statement on education ever published by John Dewey, the man acknowledged to be the pre-eminent educational theorist of the twentieth century. Written more than two decades after Democracy and Education(Dewey's most comprehensive statement of his position in educational philosophy), this book demonstrates how Dewey reformulated his ideas as a result of his intervening experience with the progressive schools and in the light of the criticisms his theories had received. Analysing both "traditional" and "progressive" education, Dr. Dewey here insists that neither the old nor the new education is adequate and that each is miseducative because neither of them applies the principles of a carefully developed philosophy of experience. Many pages of this volume illustrate Dr. Dewey's ideas for a philosophy of experience and its relation to education. He particularly urges that all teachers and educators looking for a new movement in education should think in terms of the deeped and larger issues of education rather than in terms of some divisive "ism" about education, even such an "ism" as "progressivism." His philosophy, here expressed in its most essential, most readable form, predicates an American educational system that respects all sources of experience, on that offers a true learning situation that is both historical and social, both orderly and dynamic.
Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional approach that has been used successfully for over 30 years and continues to gain acceptance in multiple disciplines. It is an instructional (and curricular) learner-centered approach that empowers learners to conduct research, integrate theory and practice, and apply knowledge and skills to develop a viable solution to a defined problem. This overview presents a brief history, followed by a discussion of the similarities and differences between PBL and other experiential approaches to teaching, and identifies some of the challenges that lie ahead for PBL.