INQUIRY TRAINING MODEL

INQUIRY TRAINING MODEL

ž  Proposed by Richard Suchman

ž  Aim - To teach the students the art of independent inquiry in a disciplined way

ž  General goal - To develop the intellectual disciplines and skills necessary to raise questions and search out answers stemming from curiosity

ž  Basic assumptions

§  All knowledge is tentative

§  There cannot be one answer to particular cause and effect question

§  People inquire naturally when they are puzzled

§  The process of inquiry can be taught to students

§  Team approach is better than individual approach to find solutions to a problem

Description of the model

SYNTAX

ž  Phase 1 - Encounter with the problem

Teacher explains inquiry procedure

Teacher presents discrepant events

ž  Phase 2 - Data gathering : Verification

Learners verify the nature of objects and conditions

Learners verify the occurrence of the problem situation

ž  Phase 3 - Data gathering : Experimentation

Learners with the help of the teacher search for related data and isolate relevant ones with a view to find out relations

Learners hypothesize and test causal relationships

ž  Phase 4 - Formulation of explanation

Learners formulate rules or explanation to the discrepant event

ž  Phase 5 - Analysis of the inquiry procedure

Analyse inquiry strategy and develop more effective ones

SOCIAL SYSTEM

ž  Social system is co-operation

ž  Teacher plays a dominant role in presenting the puzzling situation

ž  In inquiry session teacher and students participate as equals

PRINCIPLES OF REACTION

ž  Teacher tasks are the following

§  Ensure that the phrasing of questions is done correctly

§  Ask students to rephrase invalid or vague questions

§  Point out invalidated statements

§  Use the language of the inquiry process

§  Neither approve nor reject student theories

§  Ask students to make clear statements of theories and provide support for that generalisation

§  Encourage interaction among students

SUPPORT SYSTEM

ž  A set of discrepant events

ž  Teacher’s knowledge of the inquiry process

ž  Resource material related to the problem

INSRUCTIONAL EFFECTS

ž  Scientific process skills

ž  Strategies for creative inquiry

NURTURANT EFFECTS

ž  Spirit of creativity

ž  Autonomy in learning

ž  Tolerance of ambiguity