I work with many excellent teachers with years of experience helping high school students learn human physiology. All use guided inquiry, cooperative group learning, and weekly cooperative quizzes – these are teaching practices I require in my dual enrollment program (for details, see this article and this website). But after observing them work with students, I noticed that there is another trait that they all share – something that I do not require but is intuitive for experienced educators – they let students struggle to figure things out. They do not jump in with the correct answer, they do not quickly correct odd ideas, and sometimes even let them fail and be wrong. Shocking! (Scientists are never wrong, are they?) Experienced teachers who use guided inquiry lessons do give student groups prompts and clues that promote good discussion between students, and this is the backbone of constructivist learning theory. During a typical guided inquiry activity, the first few questions are easy, and there is quick and easy consensus among students. But as the questions become more difficult, students encounter doubt (doubt is a wonderful thing in a science classroom) and differences of opinion occur. (“The blood vessels will constrict.” “No, I disagree, I think the blood vessels will dilate, and here is my reasoning….”).
In an inquiry-based classroom there are discussions and, sometimes, even arguments, but in all cases, there is a search for understanding, a cognitive quest to figure out how the body works. When this struggle exists, experienced teachers let the process play out; they let the students figure it out for themselves. One of my more experienced teachers told me once, “A group of students might ask me for help, and I know they can figure it out for themselves, so I just walk away. They think I don’t hear them, but I do. They’re fine. They’re smart kids, and they’ll eventually get there.” Wise words from an excellent teacher.
Learning is messy …it’s a long and winding road to understanding. But wow, it’s sure fun to be a part of the process.
That’s enough. Class dismissed.
Dr. Murray Jensen is a Professor of Biology Teaching and Learning at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.