Pathlight Preparatory Educational Model supports the framework of Inquiry-Based Learning which relies upon the idea that students are capable of learning and mastering course content by investigating scenarios and problems, and through social experiences. Rather than having to memorize information from printed materials, instructors (teachers) direct, engage, and encourage their students to conduct investigations that would stimulate their curiosity, assist them to broaden their knowledge base and develop their critical and creative skills, as well as their mental frames of reference or point of views.​

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It’s important to remember that inquiry-based learning is not a technique or practice per se, but an ever-evolving process that has the potential to increase the intellectual engagement and deep understanding of learners, encouraging them to:

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·         Develop their questioning, research and communication skills;

·         Collaborate outside the classroom;

·         Solve problems, create solutions, and tackle real-life questions and issues; and

·         Participate in the creation and enrichment of ideas and knowledge.                                        

 

 

The Five (5) Stages of Inquiry-Based Learning

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Pathlight Preparatory (PP) Inquiry-Based Learning includes the following five (5) stages:

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 1.       Ask questions;

2.       Probe (examine) into various situations;

3.       Conduct analysis (investigations) and provide descriptions;

4.       Communicate findings, verbally or in writing; and

5.       Think about the information and knowledge obtained.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

The Four (4) Principles of Inquiry-Based Learning

                                                                                              

There are four (4) principles that govern Pathlight Preparatory (PP) Inquiry-Based Learning and can be summarized as follows:

 

​Principle 1: Students are in the center of the entire process, while instructors, resources and technology are  adequately 

 organized to support them.     

                                                         

 Principle 2: All learning activities revolve around information-processing skills.       

                                   

Principle 3: Instructors facilitate the learning process, but also seek to learn more about their students and the process

of inquiry-based learning.                

                                                      

Principle 4: Emphasis is placed on evaluating the development of information-processing skills and conceptual  

understanding, and not on the actual content of the field.     

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