Resistance to Inquiry

1. Resistance to Inquiry The importance of conducting climate setting, stating student performance objectives, and achieving closure

2. Sources of Resistance • Students • Parents • Peer Teachers • Peer Teachers

3. Nature of Student Resistance • Passivity • Negative comments/complaints • Active resistance to following instructions • Unwillingness to volunteer • Dislike for critical thinking activities

4. Student Reasons for Resistance • Students have often been trained to sit passively in classes • Students have not been prepared or encouraged to question • Students would rather be told what to know rather than think, because critical thinking is hard work • Students actively resist inquiry because they see a threat to their grades • Fear of being wrong in a public setting • Not certain of the “correct answer”

5. Nature of Parental Resistance • Typically originates with students complaining to parents

6. Overcoming Resistance • Using appropriate climate setting approaches • Setting clear student performance objectives • Achieving proper closure

7. Classroom Climate Setting • Whole-group climate setting • Individual climate setting • Early and often to be effective

8. Stating Clear Student Performance Objectives • Stating clear student performance objectives is essential to helping students achieve the expectations of a lesson. • To avoid or reduce resistance, an inquiry lesson MUST begin with a statement of what students should know and be able to do as a result of the inquiry lesson. • The failure to clearly state concise student performance objectives is a MAJOR weakness among teacher candidates.

9. Achieving Proper Closure • Students often complain that “the teacher isn’t teaching us anything” which often stems from a lack of proper lesson closure. • An inquiry lesson MUST conclude with a concise summary of what students should know and be able to do as a result of the lesson. • The lack of proper closure leaves students uncertain about what the conclusions are. • The lack of proper closure is a MAJOR weakness among teacher candidates.

10. Direct: Too slow Students can’t read Inadequate material Teacher discomfort Teacher habits High-stakes testing Etc., etc., etc. Indirect: “Inquiry is great! Do all of it you like; just be ready to have you students complete the unit test on such and such a date.” Resistance of Peer Teachers

11. Resistance of the System • Week-by-week guidelines of what subject, what page… • The reality, “Fine, do inquiry, but make certain that your students are ready to take a test over X, Y, and Z on the stated date.” • Would you really want to teach under such a system?