Policy Notes: Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood Education

Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning, or IBTL, is a pedagogical approach in which students construct knowledge by pursuing answers to questions which are often open-ended or by working out problems. They are encouraged to explore, investigate, analyze, and ask more questions. The role of the teacher is to facilitate or guide the students’ activities and discussions, prompt them to extend or deepen their thinking, direct them to relevant resources, and create a supportive learning environment. While the outcome of the inquiry is important, IBTL places as much value on the process of inquiry. It is through the inquiry process that students hone critical thinking or the ability to organize, evaluate, connect, and synthesize data and information; exercise their creativity and imagination; and develop their ability to identify and assess various options to tackle any problem and take necessary action.

The research project, Nurturing Critical and Creative Thinkers through Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood Education, aimed at documenting various inquiry-based teaching and learning practices in selected learning institutions (i.e., schools and community learning centers) for early grade learners in selected countries in Southeast Asia.