Inquiry and IBL pedagogies

What do inquiry tasks look like in science?

Tool IH-2: Exploring IBL tasks in science

Overview

Aims: • To develop awareness of the educational

potential of IBL approaches

We will:• Explore some IBL tasks • Share reflections as a group• Prepare to use a task with a class

Exploring IBL tasks

Examine some of the IBL tasks from the MaScil repository at http://www.mascil-project.eu/classroom-material.html

Consider carefully what students would actually be doing if they engaged with these tasks.

Further questions about IBL tasks

The MaScil ‘Inquiry Learning Dimensions’ are:• exploring situations;• planning investigations;• experimenting systematically;• interpreting and evaluating; and• communicating results.

To what extent would you agree with these dimensions?

Using IBL tasks with students

Consider:• the challenges students may face when

working on the activities;• ways in which teachers might support

students with these tasks;• the type of classroom atmosphere required to

encourage discussion of alternative strategies, ideas and explanations from students.

Finishing offSelect a MaScil task (or one from another source) and try using this with a class.

After the lesson:• Reflect on the responses of students to the

task;• Identify anything you have learned yourself

or would do differently;• Be ready to report back to the group next

time.