Double Entry Journal # 7

What are some challenges to inquiry approaches to learning?

Several challenges are presented with inquiry based approaches to student learning. Inquiry based approaches require a great deal of planning on the teachers end of the spectrum. Proper scaffolding is another one of these challenges. Teachers must be able to balance and properly use tasks and assessments. Teachers also need to know when redirection is needed and they must learn how to properly use it. Lacking proper skills and knowledge needed to employ in this alternative way of teaching is another issue teacher’s face when trying to execute inquiry based approaches in their classroom. When a teacher does not fully understand the complexities of inquiry based learning, they often fail to provide proper scaffolding, assessment and redirection as a specific project unfolds. New classroom management skills and techniques may also need to be implemented when inquiry approaches are first being used.

Barron, B, & Darling- Hammond, L. teaching for meaningful learning a review of research on inquiry-based and cooperative learning. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-teaching-for-meaningful-learning.pdf