WHAT IS OUR LEARNING APPROACH?
TISH JOLLEY
Assistant Head of School
At Alcuin, we approach learning through inquiry, an approach that allows for student voice
and choice. Our goal for students is to empower them to take responsibility for their own
learning, where they are able to use their knowledge and understanding to construct meaning
for themselves as they learn about the world around them. In an inquiry approach we frame
the learning around big ideas and conceptual understandings so that students are able to
make connections to their prior knowledge, re-evaluate their thinking and come to a deeper
understanding.
Throughout their inquiries, students develop the necessary skills required for learning as
they actively engage in solving authentic, real life problems and issues. Teachers provide
opportunities for students to engage in a variety of activities and open-ended problem
situations that incorporate different learning strategies and approaches, including Problem-
Based Learning and Challenge-Based Learning.
At Alcuin we encourage and nurture the students’ curiosity and innate desire to question and
explore, which is so evident in young children. In an inquiry classroom you will see children
asking questions, working collaboratively, thinking strategically, engaging in discussion,
raising different perspectives, investigating, searching for patterns that connect, creating
and innovating, and ultimately taking responsibility for their learning. They will be engaged
in open-ended explorations that allow them to go as far as they need to go. Inquiry teachers
know where their students are, what their potential is, what their needs are and how they
learn. They help them to get there by providing learning opportunities that provoke thinking
and leave students wanting more.
“Students cannot possibly
learn everything of value by the
time they leave school, but we
can instill in them the desire to
keep questioning throughout
their lives.”
Grant Wiggins
WHAT IS OUR INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING?
Inquiry-Based Learning is an educational approach
that focuses on student-driven investigation,
exploration, and discovery. It places an emphasis
on questioning, critical thinking, and problemsolving
skills, allowing students to actively engage
in the learning process.
Inquiry-Based Learning is an educational approach
that focuses on student-driven investigation,
exploration, and discovery. It places an emphasis
on questioning, critical thinking, and problemsolving
skills, allowing students to actively engage
in the learning process.
THE PROCESS OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING TYPICALLY INVOLVES SEVERAL STAGES:
1.
QUESTIONING
Students are encouraged to ask openended
questions and identify what
they want to learn or understand
better.
2.
RESEARCH
Students gather relevant information from a variety of
sources, such as books, articles, interviews, experiments,
or online resources. They evaluate and analyze the
information to develop a deeper understanding.
3.
INVESTIGATION
Students design and conduct experiments, surveys, or
other activities to explore their questions further. They
collect data, make observations, and draw conclusions
based on their findings.
4.
REFLECTION
Students reflect on their learning experiences,
discuss their findings, and make connections
between new knowledge and prior
understanding.
5.
PRESENTATION
Students communicate and share their learning
outcomes with their peers, teachers, or the
wider community through presentations,
reports, exhibitions, or other creative means.
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