by Christina Rocha

Why Foster Curiosity And Inquiry Based Learning?

by Christina Rocha, Middle School Faculty

Socrates, E.E.Cummings, Einstein, Picasso, Marie Curie, Steve Jobs…what do these leading innovators and creative minds of all time have in common? They all understood that great ideas, products and companies all started from a question, or a set of questions. Education is no exception. Students of today are the leaders of tomorrow. It is therefore critical that students are able to make sense of the instant access information they are bombarded with daily, to ask good questions as they wonder and reflect, and learn to navigate a globalized world where change is the only constant. It is through questioning and learning from their inquiries that students are able to harness their power of opportunities, and better understand the way the world works. Therefore, inquiry based learning (IBL) is THE way to change our educational landscape.

It is imperative to recognize, that when students think of questions themselves, it is through this process of their own inquiry that leads to powerful authenticity and empowerment, transforming their learning into something meaningful and relevant. Inquiry gives students agency over their learning, opportunities to be architect’s of their own life-long learning, giving them the tools to combat pressing issues in our rapidly changing world. Curiosity allows students to wonder about the people, languages and cultures they come in contact with and read about, bringing them a step closer to intercultural awareness and communicative competence. The ability to ask questions allows students to find comfort in the uncertainty of their everyday lives as they build their future.

It is so important, that we as educators have the capacity to tap into the incredible curiosity and passion that our students bring with them to the classroom, and recognize that amazing possibilities are thus inevitable. In order for learning, discussion, inquiry, collaboration and effective communication to take place between languages, we need to first establish a culture of listening to one another, free of judgment or ridicule, so that students can engage in voicing their own curiosities and be given the space to learn out loud in a safe environment.

IBL is a process where students are engaged in their own learning, formulate essential questions, explore and investigate, and then build new understandings, relevant meanings and knowledge. That new knowledge then serves to answer those essential questions, creatively develop a solution and problem solve, or to support a different perspective or point of view. The new knowledge is then shared, and when questions and ideas are shared, great things begin to evolve. Inquiry brings the curriculum of life into the curriculum of school. As teachers embrace student questions, cultivating their voices and choices, and recognize these questions as the true seeds of learning, incredible things happen.

As we cultivate conscious global citizens who are media literate and mindful of artificial intelligences, keeping up with 21st century skills, we must always have in mind to foster a culture that celebrates and encourages curiosity. We must dare to challenge our students, evoking real and essential questions. How about instead of asking a student the ever so popular question: “What is your favorite class?”, instead we ask “In which class do you ask the most questions?” It is only appropriate therefore to end here with a question to you, the reader…what is your question? What do you wonder about? And more importantly, what are you going to do about it?

17