The Meaning of Inquiry Based Learning

a. The Meaning of Inquiry Based Learning

In teaching and learning process inquiry is one of contextual approach components. Contextual approach is a kind of learning concept in which teacher

present a real life into teaching and learning process and asks students to relate it with their knowledge and experience. It is a really students- centered. He/she designs the class as a team that enables students to work together to construct something new/information by themselves. The result of teaching learning process is hoped to be more useful to solve problems, thinks critically, do observation, and make conclusion in their long life. The teacher’s role is a facilitator and program designer than informer. In order to do this, inquiry is used. Inquiry has meaning as complex idea that means many things to many people in many contexts. Inquiry is questioning. It is not only questioning but more than it. A good questioning must relate to the subject that is being discussed. The question must be able to be tested and meaningful.

Gulo (in Trianto, 2007: 135) states that inquiry is series of teaching and learning processes that involve all students’ ability maximally to search something logically, critically, and systematically. He explains more deeply that inquiry is derived from questions, hypothesis, collecting and analyzing data, and the last is making conclusion. Sund and Trowbridge (1993: 62) state that inquiry occurs when an individual is involved mainly using his mental process to mediate/discover some concept or principle. In other word, inquiry leads students to how develop concepts or to learn them, how to build theories, memorize information, solve problems, and learn skill. They learn how to solve problem independently rather than receive direct instruction on what to do from the teacher.

human being in order to seek the truth (Trianto, 2007:135). Through inquiry, students construct much of their understanding for inquiry implies “a need to know”. The inquiry process is started by delivering questions/problems. The teacher delivers some questions to students to lead them to get the problem presented. By questioning, individuals have a need or want to know information and knowledge that leads them to understand both clearly. The process of inquiry is similar to infants observing faces that come near, grasping object, putting things in their mouth, and turning toward voices. They begin to make sense of the world by inquiring (http:www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html).

The essence of inquiry based learning is arranging the learning environment to facilitate students centered instruction and give sufficient guidance to ensure direction and success in discovering concepts and principle. Teacher uses questioning in order to help students to understand them. Sund and Trowbridge (1993: 110) state that one way to help students to do it is by questioning. They also explain that an inquiry based learning oriented teacher seldom tells but often questions. In other word it needs teacher’s capability to design question. This is so because by asking questions, the teacher assists the students in using their mind. Teachers act as facilitators of learning, not those who always give information or instruction to their students and teach as if they are single source of knowledge. They motivate students to ask questions and solve the problems independently; nevertheless, it is possible to do these in pairs or group.

method in which the process of constructing understanding is done by questioning. The concept of inquiry, curiosity, and wonder should be alive in classroom everywhere. Inquiry based learning try to settle the scientific thinking basic in students minds in order they are able to learn and enlarge their creativity in problem solving. They are really placed as learning subject. The teachers’ role is facilitator who chooses the problem to be solved, and guides them to solve it. His/her guidance is needed but his/her interventions to solve the problem should

be lessening. . The students and teacher share responsibility for learning and they collaborate in constructing new knowledge.