Inquiry-Based Learning by Shahla Kamilova

shahlakamil8 — 2025-08-16 06:56:37 UTC

In my mathematics classroom, I see inquiry-based learning working well when students are encouraged to investigate patterns, pose their own questions, and connect mathematics to real-world situations. To strengthen this process, I chose the collaborative approach highlighted in the videos, as collaboration naturally supports inquiry. When students work together on inquiry tasks, they not only share different strategies and perspectives but also refine their reasoning through discussion and peer feedback. For example, while exploring how the coefficients of a quadratic function affect its graph, collaboration allows students to compare observations, challenge each other’s ideas, and arrive at a deeper collective understanding. Similarly, in real-world investigations—such as modeling population growth or analyzing geometric structures—teamwork enables students to divide tasks, gather insights, and integrate their findings. Thus, collaboration amplifies inquiry by making the learning process more interactive, reflective, and student-driven. Inquiry-Based and Collaborative Learning Work Together: Exploring Patterns Through Group Discussion
When introducing new concepts, I often begin with open-ended problems that require students to search for patterns. For example, students might calculate the sums of different arithmetic sequences to discover the general formula. By working in pairs or groups, they share their reasoning, compare methods, and refine their observations together. Collaboration ensures that inquiry is not an isolated activity but a collective process of building understanding.

bmtimu2 — 2025-08-18 17:52:43 UTC

Looking at the IB resources, I notice that the "two particularly well known and IB favourite inquiry-based approaches are experiential learning and problem-based learning."

I have tried to blend Teacher-Directed, Teacher-Guided, and Student-Directed Inquiry in Experiential and Problem-Based Learning (Trigonometry Focus)

Teacher-Directed Inquiry (Experiential Learning – Right Triangles)
The teacher provides a structured task: “Measure the angle of elevation to the top of a school building from 20m away, then calculate its height using tangent.” The steps and method are clearly outlined, ensuring students build procedural fluency with sine, cosine, and tangent ratios.

Teacher-Guided Inquiry (Problem-Based Learning – Sine Rule Application)
The teacher poses a scenario: “From two different points on the ground, you measure angles of elevation to the top of a tower. How can you use these angles and distances to calculate its height?” The teacher prompts with guiding questions but does not prescribe which trigonometric tools to use, encouraging students to discover the sine rule or cosine rule.

Student-Directed Inquiry (Experiential + Problem-Based Blend – Real-World Modelling)
Students design their own trigonometry investigation, for example, choosing an object in the school compound, deciding where to stand, what angles/distances to measure, and which trigonometric methods (ratios, sine rule, cosine rule) to apply. They also reflect on the validity of their results, comparing different approaches and accounting for measurement error.