My co-teaching partner leaned across her desk and asked, “So at what point do we stop ‘inquiry into this’ and start teaching them something?”. I responded with nervous laughter because her question sounded like blasphemy. It was an absolutely valid question though and has lingered in my mind for ages, particularly since I am aware of Professor John Hattie’s meta-analysis on high vs. low impact influences on student learning. According to Hattie’s Visible Learning Rankings, inquiry-based learning has a low ranking on its impact scales. I do recognize that inquiry-based learning comes in a variety of flavors, which is well represented by Sarah Plews’ breakdown in her Concept-based Inquiry Mini-PD course:

So I have often felt skeptical of Hattie’s findings because I think generalizing inquiry-based learning is doing this approach a disservice. However, I have come to accept that some content lends itself better to inquiry than others, and some concepts must be developed in a more structured way. I think the reason why inquiry-based learning falls flat on Hattie’s Impact Scales is that many practitioners aren’t sure when and why we might use different approaches.

So, are there moments in our PYP classrooms when we need to put inquiry-based teaching methods on the back burner and provide explicit and direct instruction? Yes, yes there are! And that doesn’t mean we are tossing out all the other PYP practices. This is not a “either/or” situation–either we teach through inquiry OR we are NOT a PYP school. Having a strong PYP program means that practitioners know what content and skills would be best taught through a variety of methodologies.

Ok……so what content and skills might those be, you wonder? Well, here’s the thing, it’s not just the WHAT but it is also the WHO. We have to consider the needs of our students before we decide HOW best to teach them. So what students benefit the most from direct instruction? I think the guidance below is helpful:

Students who learn and think differently. Without explicit instruction, students who struggle with attention or working memory may not focus on the most crucial ideas in a lesson. With explicit instruction, you cue students in to the most essential information.

English language learners. When you use consistent and clear language in each step of instruction, English language learners (ELLs) aren’t overwhelmed with new language demands. Research has shown that explicit instruction can lead to achievement gains among ELLs.

From Understood.Org

When we consider our students with learning needs, it seems obvious that we might alleviate the cognitive load by providing direct instruction. Consider this-When students have a clear understanding of what they are learning about, they are not using their brain power for meaning-making; instead, they are using their working memory to process this information and store it for later use.  This actually helps them, later on, to engage in an inquiry because they have the knowledge to draw upon during a more open-ended lesson. It’s a support, not a deterrent to more inquiry-based approaches.

Explicit and Direct Instruction for the Key Conceptual Lens of Form and Function

One of the filters I use for deciding when we need to explicitly teach something is considering if this is going to be new knowledge to students. Typically it is more efficient to teach the key concepts of What is it? (form) and How does it Work? (function) through a more direct instruction approach when students are acquiring new understandings of concepts or skills. Students need to know the definitions of things and procedural knowledge. Let’s not leave them guessing or feeling confused.

Think about it- can we just send kids with a stack of books and have them generate theories about how language works and then teach themselves to read? No, that would be professional malpractice! We have to explain foundational concepts to students.

Let’s think about the words “explicit” and “direct”, another synonym is clarity. You might also think of this as “scaffolding”, in which the teacher is explaining and demonstrating a concept or procedure, and then giving students the opportunity to have guided practice. Educational research shows that when we “show and tell” how something works, it has a greater impact on learning.

Students require more explicit instruction with some of the following content and skills:

• phonics and decoding skills
• research skills
• collaboration skills
• using mathematical tools and strategies
• safety skills
• spelling and grammar
• understanding time and chronology

So what might this look like or sound like in a PYP classroom?

Sounds like: Today we will be unlocking our thinking through the concept of Form and answering the question, “What is a closed syllable?” . We will be successful at becoming knowledgeable of this syllable type when we can:

• Define what a closed syllable is.
• Identify what words contain closed syllables and which ones do not.
• Read at least 5 words with closed syllables in them.

So you may be wondering, What is a closed syllable? A closed syllable is when a vowel is followed by (or closed in by) one or more consonants.  The vowel sound is ‘short’.  This pattern is often referred to as the CVC pattern (consonant – vowel – consonant), although a closed syllable does not always begin with a consonant. Let’s take a look at some examples……

Now it’s your turn, can you sort these 10 words into the categories of Closed syllables and Not Closed syllables? When you are done sorting, read your words aloud, do you hear the short vowel sound in the word? When you think you have sorted the words correctly, you can compare your answers with a partner…..

Okay, before we go today, I want you to whisper to a friend what a closed syllable is and write at least one new word that contains a closed syllable on this sticky note. You can put your sticky on our Definition Chart for closed syllables. And, if you find any other new words when you are reading, grab a sticky note and write it down with your name on it, and put it on our chart.

Looks like:

• teacher-selected materials and examples
• the teacher talks more than the students
• the students are engaged in a specific task, with little agency over how it is done.
• there is an explicit “right answer” based on attaining the learning goal.

A closing thought

Teaching is complex, especially in the PYP. Although I have made a stark generalization in what Key Concepts might demand a teacher-directed approach, I ask you to think carefully about your unique learners and consider how best they acquire the knowledge, concepts, and skills they need to be successful. There are moments when we are not actively soliciting curiosity, asking students to problem-solve, or generating theories in our PYP classrooms. And if you choose to develop a lesson that isn’t inquiry-based, it doesn’t mean that you are desecrating the PYP principles.

We want to emphasize that being ‘an inquiry teacher’ does not necessarily mean using an inquiry approach for EVERY lesson.

-Carla Marschall and Rachael French, from Concept-Based Inquiry in Action

So, let’s be thoughtful and skillful in our pedagogical decisions, taking a more teacher-centered approach and providing direct instruction when the moment calls for it. Perhaps if we are more mindful of the merit of the precision of explicit teaching, then our inquiry moments will be more profound.