Guided Inquiry And How It Helps Students Learn

Discover how a guided-inquiry approach can help students take ownership of their learning.

Guided inquiry-based instruction is a learning approach that encourages students to take an active role in the learning process. This method of teaching allows for students to lead their own research and explore topics of interest, while also providing them with guidance and support from the instructor. In this way, students are able to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills while deepening their knowledge of course material and other related topics.

How Is Guided Inquiry Different From Traditional Teaching? 

Unlike traditional approaches to education which focus on rote memorization and regurgitating facts, guided inquiry-based instruction focuses on fostering an environment where students can direct their own learning experience.

Through this style of instruction, students are provided with resources such as prompts, research tools, or open-ended questions that will allow them to explore topics independently. By taking part in this type of self-directed exploration, students become more engaged and invested in their studies as they take ownership over their learning process.

How Is Guided Inquiry Structured? 

The structure of a guided inquiry-based lesson typically begins by introducing a broad concept or problem that allows for student exploration without overwhelming them with too much information at once.

Next, instructors provide helpful resources such as reading materials or videos that help guide student understanding of the topic at hand.

Afterward, instructors provide feedback and guidance for individual research projects completed by the class so that each student can gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

How Does Guided Inquiry Help Teachers?

Furthermore, through guided inquiry-based instruction educators are better able to observe how individual students apply knowledge acquired from prior lessons during independent work time. This helps teachers foster meaningful relationships between previous concepts learned throughout the term and new topics introduced along the way because it promotes student engagement with both old concepts as well as new ones. Additionally, it allows teachers to assess individual student progress towards completing course objectives based on real time observations rather than just end results alone.

Summing Up Guided Inquiry

Overall, guided inquiry-based instruction provides countless benefits for both educators and learners alike since it encourages student autonomy while allowing instructors to observe student comprehension during independent work time. It helps promote higher order thinking skills such as problem solving and creative expression among learners while allowing teachers to monitor progress more accurately throughout a given course period compared to traditional forms of instruction. Therefore, through its emphasis on self-directed discovery and its ability to improve retention rates among learners, guided inquiry-style instruction offers great potential for enhancing any educational setting regardless of context or location

To learn more about how Propello can help educators implement guided inquiry in their classrooms and more, visit our Knowledge and Inspiration Center and see how we help learning soar!