Inquiry method

a. Inquiry Method

      Inquiry method is an English language word. It is a technique or a way that used by the teacher to transfer knowledge in teaching and learning process. Inquiry method is teaching strategy to get student’s attention and make them active in searching, investigating a certain problem Roestiyah NK (1985:75-76)

      Hilda taba in Laily(2005:18) states that Inquiry is teaching strategy that focus to the student that give more form of children education.

      Base on the statement of the experts above we can conclude that, Inquiry is teaching strategy that focus to the students to make them more active in searching, investigating a certain problem with education guidance from teacher.

b. The advantages of inquiry method

a.       Inquiry method can develop (self concept) to student’s soul, so students able to understand about base concept and ideas.

b.      Helpful in remembering and transferring knowledge the situation of teaching process.

c.       As a students’ motivation to think and work base on their own initiative, objective, honestly, and open attitude.

d.      Give motivation to the students to think intuitively and able to formulate their own hypothesis.

e.       Give intrinsic satisfaction to the students.

f.       Situation of teaching and learning process become more interesting.

g.      It can develop the talent of individual.

h.      Give the students freedom to study by themselves.

i.        avoid students’ study traditionally.

j.        It can give very enough times to students in study, furthermore they can apply in real life information they get from what they learn.

In learning process students need times to use their brain to think and get the understanding about concept, principle, and technique to investigate a certain problem. Roestiyah NK (1985:76-77).

c. The disadvantages of inquiry method

a.       Replacing the common way of study was not easy to do.

b.      In practicing this method, it need many preparation of resource of study and complete study material facilities, usually hard to obtain.

c.       In the classical system with many students, the use of this method was not easy to develop. Drs Udin S. Winataputra, MA. (1993/1994:225)

d. Steps in using inquiry method

According to roestiyah NK (1985:78-79) there are eight steps in using inquiry method:

a.       Guidance action means, in teaching and learning process Teacher provides many clues to the student, where students do experiments, investigation to find concepts or principle which was legalized by the teacher.

b.      Inquiry modification means, teacher just provide problems and material or instrument that will be needed in doing problem solving individually or groups. The helps that may be allowed must be form of questions that can make student to think and able to decide the appropriate way of good investigation.

c.       The freedom of inquiry means, after students study and understand about how to solve a problem and get enough information about the material of study also already do inquiry modification, students already set to do activity of inquiry freedom, where students are invited to involved themselves in the activity of inquiry freedom. Furthermore students can able to identified, formulated various kinds of problems studied.

d.      Inquiry role approaching. Means, students are involved in the process of problem solving that agrees with the expert way. an invitation give a problem to the students, and with question that already planed carefully, invite students to do some activities such as : planning the experiment, formulating the hypothesis, determining the management, and so on.

e.       Invitation to inquiry. Means, activity of learning process those device students in to group or team each team consist of four members to solve a problem. Each member have different role duty such as: coordinator team, technical advisor, data record, measurement process. Each member of team describing of the role above. Work together to solve problem related to the topic that will be studied.

f.       Puzzle with picture. Means, one of the technique to develop student motivation and attention in small or big group discussion. Picture, ostentation or the real situation, can be use to increase the way of creative and critics thinking of students.

g.      Synectics Leasson. Means, the function of this approach is to stimuli the creative talent of the student. Example science and advance knowledge of language literature, said that emotion, affectivity, element of creative eras ional, at the formula it is more important than rational thinking. Basically “synectics” focus to the student role to make various kinds of figure of speech to open the intelligences and develop the effort of creativity. It can be carry out because “figure speech “can help in letting go the “mental structure unit “in facing a problem, it can support the appearance of creative ideas.

h.      The clearly of measurement. Means, in teaching and learning process we need to do advanced evaluation about the advantages of this approach. Especially that related to the student’s attitude, values, and the formed of “self concept” of the students. In the fact, by inquiry method students can able to do their assignments better and cognitively.

To use this method optimally with good result, it needs conditions as follows:

a.       Flexible conditions, free to do interactions.

b.      Responsive environment condition.

c.       Helpful condition to center attention.

d.      Freedom of pressure condition.

In inquiry technique the roles of teachers are:

a.       Getting students interest and challenge the student to think.

b.      Giving the student flexibility and freedom to take action and develop their soul.

c.       Giving supported to “inquiry”

d.      Determine and diagnose student’s difficulties and help them to solve them.

e.       Identified and use “teach able moment” as best as possible.

Something that needs to be stimulated in teaching and learning process through inquiry are:

a.       Student’s autonomy.

In this point, the students are expected to be able to understand the material is being taught.

b.      The freedom and supported to the students.

In this case, the students are free in expressing their own ideas and the teacher supports them in conducting the teaching and learning process.

c.       Open attitude.

Between the teacher and students are closely in getting the problem when the teaching and learning runs.

d.      Self-confidence and aware of dignity.

In conducting the teaching and learning process, the students must have high self-confidence and aware of dignity when the teacher asks them to do and understand the material is being taught.

e.       Self-concept.

Each student, in this point, should have self-concept to get the successful in his or her target in learning. 

f.       Inquiry experience, come in to problems.

The students are able to overcome the problem through learning strategy that is concentrated to the activity in the process of teaching and learning.

                             Roestiyan. NK and  Dra. Yumiati suharto, (1985: 77 – 80)