Lesson 29: Inquiry Teaching and Higher-Level Thinking
Objectives
- Enhance Thinking Skills
- Foster Critical Thinking
- Implement Strategies to Develop Critical Thinking
- Integrate Inquiry Learning with Critical Thinking
Understanding Learning and Its Depth
Learning can be understood in several ways:
- Is it memorizing facts?
- Is it comprehending concepts?
- Is it acquiring skills?
- Or is it a combination of all the above?
In behaviorism, learning is viewed as a permanent change in behavior. In many schools, memorizing content is often mistaken for true learning, whereas this is more accurately described as rote memorization. A deeper understanding of concepts signifies true learning.
Kolb (1984) defines learning as a process of grasping and transforming experiences.
Thinking Skills
Robinson highlights the need for students to develop effective thinking skills and attitudes, as cognitive development is crucial but often underemphasized in higher-order thinking abilities.
Glossary of Thinking Skills Terms:
- Critical Thinking: Evaluating the authenticity, accuracy, or value of information; involves logical and analytical thinking.
- Infusion: The planning, assessing, and monitoring of one’s own thinking; pertains to higher-order thinking skills.
- Metacognition: The set of skills governing mental processes, including knowledge, dispositions, and cognitive operations.
- Transfer: The ability to apply taught thinking skills to any subject.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom’s Taxonomy categorizes thinking skills into six levels, ranging from basic knowledge to advanced evaluation. It distinguishes between lower-order and higher-order thinking skills.
De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats framework is used for structured group discussions and individual thinking:
- White Hat: Focuses on information known or needed.
- Red Hat: Represents feelings, intuition, and hunches.
- Black Hat: Involves judgment and identifying potential issues.
- Yellow Hat: Symbolizes optimism and positive aspects.
- Green Hat: Emphasizes creativity and new ideas.
- Blue Hat: Manages the thinking process and overall strategy.
Incorporating Thinking Skills in the Classroom
Shift the assumption from “more teaching equals more learning” to “more experience equals more learning” or “deeper learning equals more understanding.” Use methods such as generative topics, core concepts, and big ideas to enhance learning depth.
Critical Thinking:
- What It Isn’t: Critical thinking is not about being negative; it’s about evaluating and assessing information.
- Robert’s View: Critical thinking involves disciplined thought used to assess the validity of statements, arguments, and research.
- Beyer’s Perspective: Critical thinking includes evaluative thinking and requires evidence for assessment.
- Norris’s Insight: A critical spirit is crucial for thinking critically about all aspects of life and one’s own thinking.
Teaching Critical Thinking
Develop critical thinking skills through:
- Acting like a teacher
- Encouraging students to question
- Engaging in critical reading, including children’s literature
- Writing to learn, such as free and controlled writing
- Using classification and thinking games
- Finding problems and proposing solutions
- Engaging with riddles to stimulate critical thought
Example Riddle:
This unusual paragraph challenges readers to identify what makes it special: it lacks the letter “E,” the most frequently used vowel in English.
Inquiry Learning
Inquiry learning involves investigation and questioning, incorporating elements from Dale’s Cone of Learning, which suggests that active participation in learning enhances motivation and interest. This approach helps students develop higher-level abstract knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. According to Kolb (1984), what is a key component of learning?
a) Memorizing facts
b) Repeating information
c) Grasping and transforming experiences
d) Following instructions
Answer: c) Grasping and transforming experiences
2. What does Critical Thinking involve?
a) Memorizing information
b) Evaluating the authenticity, accuracy, or value of information
c) Ignoring evidence
d) Accepting information at face value
Answer: b) Evaluating the authenticity, accuracy, or value of information
3. What does the White Hat in De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats focus on?
a) Feelings and intuition
b) Judgment and potential issues
c) Information known or needed
d) Creativity and new ideas
Answer: c) Information known or needed
4. Which hat in De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats represents optimism and positive aspects?
a) White Hat
b) Red Hat
c) Black Hat
d) Yellow Hat
Answer: d) Yellow Hat
5. What term describes the planning, assessing, and monitoring of one’s own thinking?
a) Critical Thinking
b) Infusion
c) Metacognition
d) Transfer
Answer: b) Infusion
6. According to Dale’s Cone of Learning, which method is considered a higher level of learning?
a) Learning through observation
b) Learning through doing
c) Learning through abstraction
d) Learning through repetition
Answer: c) Learning through abstraction
7. What does the Red Hat represent in De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats?
a) Information and facts
b) Judgment and skepticism
c) Feelings, intuition, and hunches
d) Creativity and alternatives
Answer: c) Feelings, intuition, and hunches
8. Which method is used to develop critical thinking skills among students?
a) Free writing
b) Memorization
c) Passive reading
d) Listening to lectures
Answer: a) Free writing
9. What does Robert’s definition of critical thinking involve?
a) Being negative and critical
b) Evaluating the validity of statements, arguments, and research
c) Memorizing facts
d) Repeating information
Answer: b) Evaluating the validity of statements, arguments, and research
10. What is a key element of Inquiry Learning as mentioned in the text?
a) Teaching subjects in isolation
b) Enhancing problem-solving and communication skills
c) Focusing solely on theoretical concepts
d) Limiting student interaction
Answer: b) Enhancing problem-solving and communication skills
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