Challenges for Inquiry Based Learning

Although there are multiple advantages to Inquiry-Based learning, there are also some drawbacks to this style of learning/teaching. The first thought that comes to mind is how time consuming the preparation would be. You have to sit down and strategically think of all the learning styles you need to approach and the appropriate questions to ask students. If there isn't enough (or if there is too much) structure, you will fail to properly scaffold your students and it will become a disaster in the classroom. Time and classroom management can also become an issue. Many teachers already struggle to keep order in the classroom, and with inquiry based learning, it can get out of hand quickly if your students cannot accept their own responsibilities. Because there is often small group work with inquiry based learning, the teacher can quickly get overwhelmed. Many times, this could unfortunately turn into the teacher surrendering to the situation and turning small group work and discussion into whole class work and discussion. Then everyone just feels defeated. Ultimately, if a teacher wants to implement Inquiry-Based Learning in his/her classroom, planning can't be the only focus for the lesson at hand. Classroom management needs to be addressed and students need to understand what is expected of them so they can be mature enough to take on responsibility for their own learning.