Sharing Good Practice
Creating Global Thinkers using
enquiry in the primary classroom
By Terry Hudson, Author of Oxford International Primary Science
What is an enquiry-based
approach to teaching?
At the heart of enquiry is a good
question
Enquiry-based teaching is a student-led
approach that encourages learners to
question, conduct research, and make
discoveries on their own. Through this
approach students will question their
own ideas and take responsibility to
reflect on their own understanding.
The teacher often takes on a different
role through this approach, acting as
the facilitator to enable and encourage
discussion in the classroom.
What are the benefits of
enquiry-based learning?
Helping students learn how to learn
The enquiry-based approach enables
children to develop higher-order,
information literacy and critical
thinking skills. By encouraging
students to take a lead in their own
education, skills and tools for lifelong
learning are developed:
Then set the scene to investigate
further. The students can devise this
or the teacher can provide it until they
are sufficiently skilled: which material
is best for keeping cotton wool dry?
• Self-organisation
• Critical thinking
• Effective communication
• Collaborative learning
• Creativity
How to use enquiry: an
example for a primary Science
lesson
Lessons should begin by providing
a context and outlining the learning
objectives. This ensures that the class
understands what is expected of
them and creates relevance, linking
the science to everyday experiences.
It also gives any enquiry a realistic
purpose. You might, for example,
ask “what do you wear/do when it
rains?” By eliciting examples, you can
help students understand that some
materials can keep you dry.
The second stage involves using a
picture stimulus to spark conversation
and questions.
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After facilitating the initial discussion,
clarify the main scientific ideas, for
example, if a material keeps water out,
it is waterproof.
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In this example, the teacher asks
questions about waterproof materials
for the class to consider such as, “why
are waterproof materials important?”.
Before doing this it’s important to
consider the following and prepare
before the lesson:
• What prior knowledge might they
need?
• What resources might you need to
demonstrate these ideas?
Allow time for the students to discuss
the investigation and plan, check the
plans and then allow the class to carry
out the process.
Finish by encouraging students to
reflect and analyse their investigation
and suggest improvements and
developments.
Class Time
How to develop enquiry-based
skills for all subjects
It’s important to remember that
students do not have to carry out full
investigations every time. A lesson
or unit can concentrate on one or
two phases of the scientific enquiry
process. For example, present
students with results from secondary
sources and ask them to make sense
of them.
Asking
students
to
plan
an
investigation and discuss their plans
without carrying out the investigation
is also a good way to develop enquiry
skills.
However, it is also important to allow
the students to put these together
and carry out full investigations. This is
when they are truly enquiring.
Enquiry skills that are developed
through
this
approach
create
independent and critical thinkers
across all subjects, not just Science
but also Maths, English, Geography,
Computing and Social Studies.
For more information please ask your
local Education Consultant in the UAE:
[email protected]