Inquiry-Based Learning Toward a Just World: Focus on Student-Generated Questioning

• In Event: 52.084 - Roundtable Session 18
  In Roundtable Session: 52.084-12 - Problem-Based Education SIG Roundtable Session

Abstract

By their very nature, children are inquisitive. However, in a typical elementary classroom, it is teachers who ask 80% of the questions. This study explores how students become more engaged in their learning as teachers shifted their instruction from teacher to student centered by engaging students in asking inquiry questions. The study took place in an elementary (K-5) school serving high needs Latino students in Southern California. This study found that when teachers ask higher order questions and ask students to generate their own questions, students were able to take more ownership of their learning and learn at deeper levels. The data suggest that student generated questions engage them more deeply in their learning and the inquiry process.

Authors

• Nahid Nariman, non profit organization

• Janet A. Chrispeels, University of California - San Diego