Using inquiry-based learning in the Mathematics classroom

Abstract

Traditionally Mathematics in the Maltese Secondary Schools is taught through rules and practice. This action research carried out during my Teaching Practice was carried out as I strove to develop an Inquiry-Based approach to teaching in one of my classes. The research data was gathered as I taught Decimals to a Form II class. While teaching this topic, I kept a research journal to document my thoughts through cycles of planning and assessing my work and that of my students. Students' attitudes and their opinion about Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) were recorded through two questionnaires, one given on my first encounter with the students and the other at the end of my Teaching Practice. Planning IBL lessons meant elaborate preparation on my part to find engaging tasks that were suitably matched to my students' abilities. Another main difficulty was that my students were not used to working collaboratively in the Mathematics class. In spite of the difficulties encountered, this experience resulted to be successful in that students successfully engaged in reasoning while working on the given tasks.