New science standards focus on learning experiences that allow students to actively integrate the practices of doing science with the core ideas of science while exploring and solving real-world problems. This shift toward scientific sensemaking places a greater emphasis on the need for inquiry-based learning in the classroom. How can teachers integrate inquiry into day-to-day routines?
What is inquiry-based learning?
Traditional styles of education place the teacher at the head of the classroom, laying out facts for students to memorize and show mastery through testing. Developed in the 1960s, inquiry-based learning seeks to flip that model on its head, as instructors and students share responsibility for learning.
Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is a student-centered approach to education where learning is driven by students’ questioning, exploration, and critical thinking rather than a teacher’s direct instruction. Instead of simply receiving facts from a teacher, students investigate real-world problems, ask questions, gather and analyze information, and build their own understanding through discovery and active learning strategies.
IBL is also flexible in lesson plan structure, allowing students to work independently or collaboratively to solve problems through student-driven exploration. Inquiry-based learning brings many benefits to students, including increased creativity, problem-solving, and autonomy.
Connecting inquiry-based learning, scientific sensemaking & three-dimensional learning
How does inquiry-based learning support scientific sensemaking and three-dimensional learning? They’re all connected!
What is three-dimensional learning?
The National Research Council’s (NRC) Framework for K-12 Science Education presents a picture of what it means to be proficient in science. Strong science education includes three core dimensions (hence the name three-dimensional learning):
- Dimension 1: Practices. When students engage with science and engineering practices, they learn like scientists through active investigation, model building, and testing. The practices include:
- Asking questions and defining problems
- Developing and using models
- Planning and carrying out investigations
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Using mathematics and computational thinking
- Constructing explanations and designing solutions
- Engaging in argumentation from evidence
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
- Dimension 2 Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs). These core ideas help focus science curricula and assessments on the most important aspects of science learning. DCIs are grouped into four domains:
- Physical science
- Life science
- Earth and space sciences
- Engineering, technology, and applications of science
- Dimension 3: Crosscutting Concepts. Seven crosscutting concepts bridge science disciplines and provide organizational tools for relating new knowledge from various science fields in a coherent way. These include:
- Patterns
- Cause and effect
- Scale, proportion, and quantity
- Systems and system models
- Energy and matter
- Structure and function
- Stability and change
What is scientific sensemaking?
Scientific sensemaking involves all three core dimensions of science. Simply put, sensemaking occurs when students can act like scientists with engaging, authentic, and relevant learning opportunities that allow them to make sense of the world and beyond. Students are actively weaving the three core dimensions of science together as they process new information and integrate it with prior knowledge.
How can you implement these strategies together?
Three-dimensional learning provides the structure for learning through three focused dimensions (practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas). Inquiry-based learning fosters students’ deep understanding of STEM topics, allowing them to engage with science and engineering practices and core ideas through active exploration and questioning.
Scientific sensemaking is the goal and byproduct of learning when students actively solve real-world problems while interacting with science and engineering practices and core ideas.
Strategies to create an inquiry-based classroom
It’s clear that inquiry-based learning is important to build foundations in science, especially as students engage in scientific sensemaking and three-dimensional learning.
Generally, inquiry-based learning embodies the following learning processes for students:
- Developing their own questions about engaging, real-world problems they want to solve
- Gathering supporting evidence to answer the question(s)
- Explaining the evidence collected
- Connecting the explanation to the information gathered during the investigative process
- Arguing for and justifying the explanation and ultimately solving the problem
Discover how to support inquiry-based learning
Support inquiry in your classroom with easy and effective strategies. Ideas include framing lessons around a compelling question or problem, connecting problems to the real world, asking open-ended questions, using the 5E Instructional Model, infusing student collaboration, and using investigations and experiments (either digital or hands-on in a lab).
How does inquiry-based learning support deeper understanding?
Inquiry-based learning can foster a deeper understanding of STEM concepts in the classroom. Students develop a deeper grasp of underlying STEM concepts by exploring them in context rather than learning them in isolation. For example, instead of reading about Newton’s Laws in a textbook, students might investigate how different forces affect motion in an experiment or virtual simulation.
Here are some ways inquiry-based learning promotes a more meaningful understanding of concepts rather than surface-level thinking.
- Promotes critical thinking and problem-solving: Students don’t just memorize formulas or facts—they learn how to approach complex problems, analyze data, and draw conclusions— mirroring the way real scientists, engineers, and mathematicians work.
- Connects theory to real-world applications: Inquiry-based projects often focus on solving real-world challenges, like building a bridge, designing a water filter, or exploring ecosystems, making STEM content more relevant and meaningful.
- Fosters engagement and motivation: Students take ownership of their learning during inquiry-based activities, increasing their curiosity, intrinsic motivation, and STEM career exploration.
- Builds scientific and engineering practices: Inquiry-based learning naturally integrates scientific practices, such as asking questions, planning experiments, modeling, analyzing data, and constructing evidence-based explanations.
- Supports all learners: Since students explore independently and build knowledge in varied ways, inquiry-based instruction can support students as they travel down their own learning trajectories.
As students complete inquiry-based activities, they develop a strong understanding of concepts while also engaging in science practices.
Gizmos support scientific sensemaking and STEM success
ExploreLearning designed Gizmos to meet the need for more high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) to improve STEM learning outcomes and inquiry-based learning in the classroom. These types of materials align with standards and engage students in inquiry-based sensemaking.
Gizmos virtual science labs and digital investigations encourage authentic, real-world problem-solving with a full suite of interactive inquiry-based simulations for grades 3-12 that support and enhance core curricula to encourage scientific sensemaking.
In a recent survey involving nearly 300 educators, over 95% of teachers found that Gizmos supported students’ engagement with science sensemaking practices.
- Gizmos Simulations: A vast library of over 550 interactive math and science simulations and virtual labs designed for flexibility and open-ended exploration.
- Gizmos STEM Cases: Immerse students in real-world, in-depth case studies that allow them to solve problems from the lens of a STEM professional.
- Gizmos Investigations: Coming fall 2025, new Gizmos Investigations facilitate deeper scientific sensemaking practices by leveraging Gizmos within engaging, ready-made investigations driven by student inquiry.
The designers at ExploreLearning wanted to bring more sensemaking support to all levels of teachers, allowing them to readily get the most out of Gizmos simulations and deliver high-quality instruction to all students. New Gizmos Investigations will elevate existing Gizmos simulations and support grades 6-8 with highly scaffolded and engaging pre-made lessons that engage students in science practices. Read more about a middle school teacher’s experience with Gizmos Investigations!
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