Students enjoy the educational experience when they are taught through an inquiry-based learning method that allows them to take part in class rather than be passive pupils, according to research.
“There seems to be a general acceptance that an inquiry-based approach helps students to construct and internalise knowledge as opposed to simply storing and retrieving the information received on demand,” according to an article by Michael Buhagiar.
His article – Sustaining inquiry-based learning (IBL) beyond the Primas (Promoting inquiry in mathematics and science education across Europe) Project – appears in the first edition of the Malta Union of Teachers’ journal, The Educator.
Mr Buhagiar summarised the outcome of the Primas project, an EU-funded research scheme that sought to promote IBL in mathematics and science classrooms across 12 European countries between 2010 and 2013.
The University of Malta participated in the project by adopting the IBL in selected State secondary schools for two scholastic years.
By the end of it, it emerged that students and teachers equated the learning method to “an enjoyable educational experience”.
The author wrote about the striking request of schools to be involved. Now that the project was concluded, the crux was to ensure the IBL pedagogy continued to flourish in Malta.
“This desire for continuity and renewed investment had been on the minds of all involved in the running of the project. The good news is that local education authorities seem to share this feeling,” he wrote.
Mr Buhagiar’s article was one of six published in The Educator. The journal replaces the magazine The Teacher, which became obsolete given that the union communicated with teachers regularly through circulars and through its website, explained editor George Cassar.
Evolving from a magazine to a journal gave the clear message that teaching was a profession, he said.
The MUT also announced a new initiative – Premju Sagħtar. The editor of the children’s Maltese language magazine, Sagħtar, Charles Magro, said a prize would be given to Year 3 students in all schools for proficiency in reading in Maltese. The prize will be given during prize day of some other special school activity.
Both Sagħtar and The Educator are published by MUT Publications.