Inquiry method is a teaching method based on activities and skills that focus on the active search for knowledge or understanding to satisfy a curiosity. Discovery method is a teaching method that encourages students to take active role in their learning process by answering a series of questions or solving problems designed to introduce a general concept. The inquiry-discovery method is actually an integration of the inquiry method and discovery method. This integration method is suitable in teaching mathematics, especially in discovering a formula, describing the characteristics of objects or patterns, solving problem, analyzing data and so on.
This method covers activities such as planning, investigating, analyzing and discovering. Learning by means of this method needs skills, such as making comparison and looking for similar characteristics to formulate a certain generalization.
Miss Liza can use this inquiry-discovery method to teach her pupils the topic of volume. She can use the following learning process to her pupils to find the volume of cubes and cuboids. As the cubes and cuboids are different in sizes and shapes, the volume of the cubes and cuboids are different too. By using the learning process as below Miss Liza can use the inquiry-discovery method to find the volume of cubes and cuboids.
IDENTIFY THE RESEARCH TOPIC
PLAN STRATEGY FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM
COLLECT RELATED INFORMATION
STUDY AND ANALYZE THE INFORMATION
DERIVE GENERALIZATION OR CONCLUSION
Identify the Research Topic
Pupils are given some cubes and some cuboids for each group.
Let the problem be of finding out the volume of cubes and cuboids dimensions
(The teacher should remember that has to elucidate the process from the pupils . The teacher has to put questions in such a way that leads the pupils to discovery )
Plan Strategy for Solving the Problem
Pupils are guided to solve the problem using trial-error technique. Use the question “How many cubes would it take to fill the cubes or cuboids?”; “Let’s fill the cubes or cuboids with a number of unit cubes to find out the answer” to guide the people. Pupils are given a table to fill the answer for each solid.
Collect Related Information
Pupils are asked to study the process of finding the volume of cubes and cuboids.
Study and Analyze the Infomation
Based on the activities above, pupils are guided to find the volume of the cubes and cuboids by using the method of addition . Pupils will fill or add a number of unit cubes .
Derive Generalization or Conclusion
Finally guides the pupils to derive the formula to calculate the volume of cubes and cuboids. The pupils also should know to differentiate or characterise the similarity to find the volume of cubes and cuboids.
| A cuboid with length l units, width w units and height h units has a volume of V cubic units given by V = lwh |  |
| Teaching and learning Activities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Let the problem be of finding out the volume of a cuboid and cube of dimensions l cm × b cm × h cm. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Q A Q A Q A Q A | To determine the volume what is to be done ?
The pupils say 30 cubes. Can you now give me the volume of the cuboid ?
Yes, 30 cu. cm. Why 30 cu. cm and why not 30 cm ? 30 cubes each of 1 cu. cm volume have been used. So, volume of the cuboid is 30 cu. cm.
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So the same method can be used to find the volume of cube as well as cuboid. Despite
the fact that this method allows the learner to become an active participant
in the learning process; creates in the learner a spirit of inquiry ; makes the learner
self-reliant; allows the learner to acquire a real understanding and clear notion of
the topics. Besides that, each of the methods discussed above have their distinctive place in
teaching. However none of them is always appropriate. An elective method formed by a
combination of certain elements of each of these is, therefore followed in .practice.
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