LESSON 1

INQUIRY- BASED
LEARNING AND
RESEARCH-
BASED LEARNING
Nature of Inquiry-Based Learning
Inquiry, in its simplest definition, is a process of asking questions. This has spurred the
enumerable developments that we continue to enjoy in our society today. In the classroom,
in particular, the process of inquiry is a basic learning activity that every teacher is expected
to facilitate. The development of the ability to ask among learners is basic in the age of the
Fourth Industrial Revolution. According to the Future of Jobs Report during the World
Economic Forum, the top three of the ten skille seaded in this age are complex problem
solving, critical thinking skilled in 2016) which start from the process of aking.
Inquiry-based learning (IBL) as an appendi esantially involves tasks requiring learners’
active participation in finding answer to curricular questions. The questions can run from
very specific simple questions to more complex questions in relation to the curriculum
opportunities to engage in self-regulated activities as they pursue theit Using this in the
language classroom can facilitate the development of communication skills as it involves
activities such as writing questions, deliberating on ways of finding answers to curricular
questions, and presenting outputs as evidence of inquiry among others.
Chisholm and Godley (2011) purport that inquiry-based instruction (IBI) offers an especially
appropriate approach to learning about language varsation, identity, and power since IBL
can provide students with opportunities to leam about current issues in sociolinguistics
through sharing and debating on a personal experience with language from multiple
perspectives

Types of Inquiry

VIU (2020) presented four types of inquiry that can be used in facilitating classes. These are:

1. Structured Inquiry This lets the students follow the lead of the teacher as the entire class
engages in one inquiry together
2. Controlled Inquiry The teacher chooses topics and identifies the resources that the
students will use to answer questions.
3. Guided Inquiry The teacher chooses topics or questions and students design the product
or solution.
4. Free Inquiry Students are allowed to choose their own topics without any reference to a
prescribed outcome.
Role of the Teacher
Trave The success of IBL largely depends on the careful planning of the teacher
in relation to the curriculum. The language teacher needs to look into the
learning competencies that can be satisfied by a simple inquiry or more
complex inquiry. He/she controls and prepares the topic for investigation and
guides the learners by setting the questions to be explored. Learners are
allowed to design their own way of investigation and present their outputs
using technology tools that are afforded to them. When technology is coupled
with IBL, a gateway to information is opened and students can have access to
information at anytime and anywhere. It is assumed that the teacher is
knowledgeable of the sources of information and whether the learners have
access to these sources When designing an IBL, the teacher has to consider
the following fields proposed by Avsec and Kocijncic (2016):
1. Prior knowledge and capacity
2. Context-Learners require meaning from experience.
3. Content and learning materials
4. Process
Role of Technology
The internet or the World Wide Web offers lots of platforms for mining information.
It has become the most sought out source of information because of the variety of
tools that abound. Language is no longer a barrier in one’s search for information.
Depending on the unit of study in a language curriculum, there are many free
educational websites that are available for the language teachers and learners.
Due to the vastness of sources of information from the Www, any language teacher
who is using IBL has the responsibility to direct learners to websites that provide
the proper information. The technology tools that are made available for the
learners, whether online or offline, should support the object of inquiry which is
aligned to the learning competencies in the K to 12 Language Curriculum. It should
be noted that the use of technology in IBL. Is just one of the many other sources of
information in the process of inquiry. This does not exclude the other resources,
human and non-human, in gathering information. However, learners are undeniably
familiar and probably more adept in exploring the internet. Guiding them in
locating online resources that are relevant in developing their research and
communication skills will let them learn the importance of using educational
resources in an explicit and implicit way.
LESSON 2

PROBLEM-BASED
LEARNING AND
PROJECT-BASED
LEARNING
Nature of Problem-Based Learning
Problem-based learning is an approach that involves a process of inquiry and solving open-ended
questions that serve as the main problem that the learners will work on. The type of questions
posited is focused on a specific content standard and its application to real life issues. It also
requires more than one answer or solution. Learners are engaged in a collaborative task as they
work towards the solution to the problem. This learning activity is done in small groups with each
member assigned a certain task to accomplish, In the process of engaging in PBL, they learn
several skills such as problem- solving, communicating, research, among others which are
essential in the workplace. The end goal of PBL is to ensure that the target, the learning
competencies, are achieved in the process. Ali (2019) described PBL as a process that is used to
identify problems with a scenario to increase knowledge and understanding. In her article, she
proposed the following five principles of PBL. That may be considered by teachers in planning or
using the approach:
1. It is a power of independent and self-directed learning.
2. Learning happens in a group and teacher is a facilitator
3. All groups have to participate equally.
4. Students’ learn about motivation, teamwork, problem-solving and engagement with the task.
5. Materials such as data, photographs, articles, can be used to solve the problem. (p. 73)
Lo (2009, p. 208) proposed a six-stage process used in the
adoption of the online PBL:

1. Identifying the problem-current issues that do not have just

one answer or one definite solution;

2. Brainstorming generate ideas; tackle the problem through

self- directed questioning, arouse students’ intrinsic motivation;

3. Collecting and analyzing the information-assigning group

members to collect information; posting what they found and
what they learned; collaborative collection of useful
information:
4. Synthesizing information-solving the problem through
synthesized relevant data, knowledge building;
5. Co-building knowledge-presentation of the solumon to the learning problem issue:
and
6. Refining the outcomes giving of feedback and suggestions by the instructor to help
students improve, learning from other group’s presentation
Benefits of Problem-Based Learning
Several studies have revealed positive impacts of PBE on learners as they engage in
the process. Among these are the following
(Ghufron & Emawati, 2018, p. 666 in n EFL, writing class)
1. Promotes self-confidence and motivation
2. Reduces students’ nervousness during the leaming process
3. Increases students’ responsibility in learning
4. Makes students easily learn the material through sharing of ideas
5. Promotes problem-solving skills 5
6. Promotes self-directed learning
7. Promotes active learning
8. Makes students explore many learning resources
9. Makes students develop positive attitude towards learning.
For Baresh, Ali, & Darmi, 2019-EFL students;

Enhances fluency in communication

mproves granunar

Increases comprehension Enhances good pronunciations and intonations

Enhances self-confidence
Increases range of vocabulary
For English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students, PBL
Enhances fluency in communication
Improves grammar
Increases comprehension Enhances good pronunciations and intonations
Enhances self-confidence
Increases range of vocabulary
The acceptability of PBL as an approach to teaching and
learning don not only involve the learners but also the teachers.
In the study of Markušic and Sabljic (2019), they sought to
establish the teachers’ attitudes on the problem-based teaching
of literature. Their data revealed that PBI is an “acceptable
methodological system” because they saw “greater interest
and activity of students, development of student’s critical
thinking and communication skills, encouraging curiosity and
exploratory thinking developing love of reading, and developing
the skills of connecting teaching topics”.
Role of Technology
How is technology integrated in the PBL activity? As the learners embark on an open-ended
question collaboratively, there are a number of free online tools that they can use from the
commencement of the task to its completion especially that some of the group tasks will be done
outside the regular class hours. These online tools will allow the learners to be actively
connected and engaged in the group task while monitoring their own contributions. The teacher
acting as facilitator may also have the opportunity to peep into the activities of each learner
thereby enabling him/her to give feedback at any stage of the PBL activity. Bower, Hedberg and
Kuswara (2010) stress that technology is simply the mediator for collaboration and
representation and that it is the type of task and thinking processes in which students engage
that determine the quality of learning.
Productivity tools such as those for writing, presentations, spreadsheets calendars, organizers,
citations and others are also available to assist learners and teachers in accomplishing required
tasks and outputs from a PBL activity There are free tools that can be downloaded for mobile
phones, laptops or desktops. Before using or recommending these tools to learners, it is
important that teachers take note or try out the tools first to be familiar with the most appropriate
tool for the PBL activity.
When using PBL, the learning competencies must be the primary
consideration together with the content and performance standards before
the technology integration. As soon as these are in place the statement of
learning outcomes in the learning plan must be the blaue total and
measurable terms. PBL is about developing higher order thinking skills;
therefore, the taxonomy of objectives should be utilized to ensure that you
are targeting the required outcomes. Consider using the revised Bloom’s
taxonomy by Anderson and Krathwohl in creating your learning outcomes.
Nature of Project-Based Learning/ Project-Based Approach
Project-trased learning is an approach but has evolved as a teaching
method that engages learners in a series of planned tasks resulting to the
generation of solutions to real-world problems it is a stualent-centered
approach as it takes into account the realm of experiences and interest of
students. This method is based on John Dewey’s principle of learning by
doing and Vygotsky’s constructivist reory of learning that advocates social
construction of knowledge.
PrBL/PHA is a collaborative learning activity where learners work
on an authentic task guided by an open-ended question. Each
member has an assigned role that will contribute to the solution of
the problem that was identified. This problem reflects real issues
in their community or the world at large.
Past and more recent researches have proven PrBI, to be
beneficial in the development of various skills such as:
1. Research methodology skills (Tiwari, Arya, & Bansal, 2017).
Using student feedback questionnaire given to 99 students, it was
revealed that students knowledge of the topic taken, searching
review for the topic, communication skills, data collection skills,
and analytical and presentation skills were enhanced. The
teachers also perceived that PrBL could cause 100% enhancement
of knowledge on the various components of research
2. Oral communicative competence (Bakar, Noordin, & Rali, 2019), The
researchers investigated the effectiveness of using PrBL activities in the
improvement of oral communicative competencies of 44 Malaysian English
language learners. The study revealed a significant improvement in the learners’
overall oral communicative competence after a 12-week intervention lessons
using PrBL as a strategy. They also concluded that PrBL as a teaching strategy is
effective and is recommended as suitable English language teaching strategy
especially for learners with low proficiency in the English language,

3. Development of life skills (Wurdinger & Qureshi, 2015). The study employed
mixed-method to examine the development of life skills through PrBL. Their
findings revealed that after taking the PB course, there was a significant
difference in the mean scores for the following life skills: responsibility, problem
solving, self-direction, communication, and creativity skills. It was concluded
that PrBl indeed promotes further development of life skills.
Based on the stated inputs, it is your turn to prepare for a potential PrBL activity
in your future classroom. Follow the steps and the instructions given.
THANK YOU!