Creating An Inquiry- Based PE Classroom 

Introduction

Physical education (PE) is more than just teaching students how to play selected sports, acquiring skills for outdoor education or achieving a National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA). Rather, it should be the engaging of students in “activities which require critical thinking, critical enquiry, problem-solving and collaboration with others in the process of learning” (Wright et al., 2004, p. 9). This article discusses the essence of Inquiry Based Learning (IBL), an approach that promotes communication, collaboration, and critical thinking and how to leverage on critical characteristics to create an effective Inquiry-Based PE classroom.

Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL)

IBL organises learning through an inquiry cycle that involves students in problem solving using inquiry skills such as asking questions, analysing the data collected, experimenting using different methods, and discussing with peers in order to make sound judgements (Aghazadeh, 2020; Kwek et al., 2019; Østergaard, 2019).  This inquiry cycle is often mistaken as a learning tool which teachers use to plan their lessons and students were put through the phases in the cycle to ‘complete learning’. The essence of IBL lies in nurturing a disposition or classroom culture (Aghazadeh, 2020; Baildon, 2021) that engages both teachers and students in "rigorous forms of questioning, reflection and collaboration to figure things out for themselves both individually and collectively" (Baildon, 2021, p. 6). Hence teachers should be adaptive in using the phases of learning and pay more attention in  supporting students in knowledge building (Kwek et al., 2019). 

Creating An Inquiry-Based PE Classroom

Based on studies, there are five characteristics of an Inquiry-Based classroom (Aghazadeh, 2020; Baildon, 2021; Kwek et al., 2019; Østergaard, 2019). 

Firstly, the traditional PE teacher role has to be reversed to that of a “facilitating, guiding, personal-coaching role” (Østergaard, 2019, p.13). Teachers in such classrooms co-construct ideas, make suggestions and ask a lot of questions to learn alongside with their students. For teachers to fully embrace this change in roles, they “need to have a tolerance to new pedagogies, be open-minded about trying out new practices, be adaptable and flexible in the process, exhibit responsibility and self-direction” (Kwek et al., 2019, p. 5). 

Secondly, students in an Inquiry-Based classroom are active learners who take “increasing responsibility for their learning, and finding the opportunity to communicate their ideas and insights through different mediums” (Aghazadeh, 2020, p. 10). In other words, teachers need to accord students with choices and voices to demonstrate their own learning. For example, students in a PE class can be given the time and space to discuss and decide on how they want to practice passing in a Floorball lesson that aims to help students improve their fundamental skills. However, students may not be ready for this role as they may lack the necessary soft skills to participate in the inquiry processes. Hence “the teacher should be aware of their reflective and communicative skills, and it may be necessary to first promote those skills by using different strategies” (Østergaard, 2019, p.14).

Thirdly, an Inquiry-Based lesson employs authentic and relatable tasks which allows students to engage their prior knowledge and promote further exploration. For example, to help students understand the sudden and quick change in directions required to move away from opponents in a game of Netball, the PE teacher may first engage students with the idea via a discussion on the movements used in shuttle runs. This would allow the students to better appreciate and apply this concept in their Netball game.

Fourthly, both teachers and students in Inquiry-Based classrooms engage with questions during lessons. Generally, “teachers ask questions to prompt student curiosity, to seek clarification, to probe thinking, to encourage listening and engaging with ideas, to deepen student reasoning and to engage students in dialogue and deliberation about information sources and problems”(Baildon, 2021, p. 5). However, getting students to ask questions about their learning can be challenging especially if students have not been acquainted with such practices. 

Therefore, the fifth characteristic is crucial as it helps to set the stage for IBL to happen in PE lessons. An inquiry-based classroom requires a safe learning environment for everyone in it. Specifically, it has “classroom routines and forms of scaffolding that support students in “doing” inquiry” (Baildon, 2021, p. 5). Basically, teachers must be prepared to provide necessary guidance and offer scaffolds to support students, manage challenges, and move forward in learning (Aghazadeh, 2020; Baildon, 2021). Additionally, for learning to happen when the PE teacher is supporting other groups of students, the students must all feel safe to query for clarification and to teach one another. Hence it is important for the PE teacher to constantly help students communicate clearly with one another, set the expectation and classroom routines to help one another.

Conclusion

An inquiry-based PE classroom is motivating because when done well, students will grow to become critical thinkers and self-directed learners who contribute positively to the community. Before embarking on IBL, PE teachers are encouraged to reflect on their classroom practices using the five characteristics and enact them in their actual PE lessons.

Contributed by

Ms Aw Kai Yueh, Senior Academy Officer, PESTA

Reference

Aghazadeh, S. (2020). Inquiry-based Learning and its Impact on Teaching and Learning of the Humanities. (NIE Working Paper Series No. 19). Singapore: National Institute of Education.

Baildon, M. (2021, Nov). Research findings on inquiry in classrooms: Implications for teaching and learning. OER Knowledge Bites, 15, 5. https://nie.edu.sg/docs/default- source/oer/oer-knowledge-bites15.pdf?sfvrsn=cbb0656b_2 

Kwek, D., Baildon, M., Onishi, P., Yeo, J., Sengalrayan, B. W., Tan, M., & Bhardwaj, D. (2019). Synthesis report of NIE projects: Inquiry-based pedagogies and inquiry-based learning in Singapore classrooms. Singapore: Office of Education Research, National Institute of Education.

Østergaard, L. D. (2016). Inquiry-based learning approach in physical education: Stimulating and engaging students in physical and cognitive learning. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 87(2), 7-14. DOI: 10.1080/07303084.2015.1119076

Wright, J., Macdonald, D. and Burrows, L. (2004) (Eds) Critical Inquiry and Problem-solving in physical education. London: Routledge

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