Inquiry-based Learning in Junior Secondary Geography Education: A Lesson Analysis of China’s Natural Resources Teaching

Abstract

This paper is a lesson study of the instruction of China’s Natural Resources (the third unit of eighth-grade geography), and its objective is to examine the efficacy of inquiry-based learning in geography education. In the experimental lesson, we reorganized the teaching content by integrating the learning materials from the four sections of Natural Resources Overview, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Marine Resources in the unit. With proposed real-world situations and learning tasks, students posed research questions and conducted independent inquiry into issues such as the characteristics, distribution, and utilization of Chinese natural resources, as well as the existing problems. In this procedure, students gained the right methods and skills for geographical study, thereby enhancing their academic competency in geography.