Exploring the lived experience of middle school students engaged in inquiry based learning

Abstract

This paper discusses the phenomenological investigation and study findings of middle school students engaged in a unique Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) model named here as Student Driven Inquiry (SDI). SDI is a form of IBL that privileges student autonomy. Phenomenology allows an in-depth look into the student lived experience through the use of open-ended interviews. This pilot study elicited six common themes of student experience: joy in study immersion; appreciation for autonomy; satisfaction with self-selected topic; enthusiasm for learning; considerations of time management; and stress in project completion. These themes suggest the SDI model is one of deeper, joyful student engagement and learning with a certain measure of stress. The student perspective of the lived experience of SDI adds important information to the growing conversation on K-12 Information Literacy (IL), inquiry learning models, and student motivation. Implications for curriculum development, instructional practice and further research are discussed.