Traditional classrooms position teachers as the primary source of information, with students memorizing and reproducing facts in essays and exams. In contrast, inquiry-driven classrooms engage teachers as facilitators who provide foundational knowledge and then guide students through interest-based learning processes. This approach keeps students focused and motivated but requires teachers to intentionally coach rather than lecture. Early exposure to inquiry-driven learning helps children take ownership of their education, fostering responsibility and curiosity that extend throughout their academic careers.
To prepare educators for these dynamic learning environments, Arkansas State University (A-State) offers an online Master of Science in Education (MSE) in Early Childhood Education program. Graduates are equipped with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to design inquiry-based curricula, assess student learning effectively and lead early childhood education settings that promote active, student-centered learning.
Children Learn by Observing, Experimenting and Asking Questions
In inquiry-driven early education, children receive the tools they need to make observations, experiment with what they have observed and then ask questions to clarify understanding. Often, guided inquiry involves notebooks in which children log their observations. The children spend a great deal of time drawing and then labeling what they see, and then they spend time thinking about what might be happening. The teacher guides their thinking and helps identify ways they can answer their own questions. Rather than disseminating information as the all-knowing authority, the teacher shares methods for finding accurate answers. In this way, students learn to identify appropriate sources of good information.
Implementing guided inquiry and intentional teaching is a complex process that requires specific skills. Teachers who want to lead inquiry-driven classrooms should enroll in an online master’s degree in education program that prepares them to create and manage this type of learning environment. This training helps educators build the confidence and expertise needed to support student-centered learning effectively.
Documenting Learning Through Guided Inquiry
In the small Italian town of Reggio Emilia, teachers have been documenting children’s learning for generations. These teachers document the children’s daily experiences and then monitor the presentation of the children’s thinking. This attention to how children respond to their learning environment is critical to inquiry-based learning.
Children may not follow their own learning processes until they see the stages presented in sequential order: think, observe, think, draw, think, experiment—each in turn. This is the essence of guided inquiry; teachers must help children learn, but they must also help children see how their learning develops over time. Documenting this learning can take the form of a gallery of drawings and observations, a slideshow of completed work, or just a notebook tracking a child’s path to discovery in pictures and words.
Guided Inquiry Is About Respecting Children and Their Families
One of the most exciting aspects of guided inquiry is how much teachers can learn about their students and their students’ families. Interest-driven learning is different in every class due to the diversity of students a teacher encounters. The more that teachers respect who a child is and where he or she is from, the more that child will focus on learning. When people feel respected, they feel comfortable engaging with material they do not understand, which can help teachers guide them toward answers.
This kind of learning may appear unstructured, but it requires teachers to be highly intentional and well-versed in guided inquiry methods. One way to develop this expertise is by earning an online master’s degree in education, which prepares educators to lead classrooms that honor student identity while fostering curiosity and critical thinking.
Inquiry-driven Learning Is About Building on Experiences
Research shows that people learn best when they can connect new experiences with what they already know. In traditional learning environments, teachers present information to the whole class as a group. In contrast, inquiry-driven classrooms encourage students to use their prior knowledge to investigate new ideas. This approach helps children make meaningful connections between new content and their own experiences, reinforcing learning in a more personal and lasting way.
Guided inquiry supports this process by helping children explore new concepts through the lens of what they already understand. As they build on prior knowledge and document their thinking throughout, they develop deeper comprehension and gain new insights. This approach reflects how young children learn most effectively: through active engagement, meaningful connections and thoughtful reflection.
Learn more about Arkansas State University’s online MSE in Early Childhood Education.