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Inquiry

At PYP schools, including Coyote Ridge, teachers deliver instruction through inquiry. IB defines inquiry as “allowing students to be actively involved in their own learning and to take responsibility for that learning.”

The role of the teacher in a PYP classroom is to guide students to deeper levels of understanding by designing learning experiences that allow students to connect new information to prior knowledge. In the classrooms at Coyote Ridge, you will find students collaborating with each other to solve problems, investigating ideas, and conducting research. Students are encouraged to continue inquiring outside of the classroom. Parents report to teachers that their children constantly ask questions and seek out answers at home.

Elements of an Inquiry Approach

Elements of an Inquiry Approach Diagram
  • Exploring, wondering and questioning
  • Experimenting and playing with possibilities
  • Connecting previous and current learning
  • Making predictions and observations
  • Collecting data and reporting findings
  • Clarifying existing ideas and revisiting perceptions
  • Applying concepts to deepen understanding
  • Researching and seeking information
  • Establishing and testing theories
  • Solving problems in a variety of ways
  • Taking and defending a position