How can you lead student-led discussions in inquiry-based learning activities?

1 Set clear goals and expectations

Before you start any inquiry-based learning activity, make sure you communicate the goals and expectations of the discussion to your students. What are the main questions or topics you want them to explore? What are the criteria or indicators of a good discussion? How will you assess their participation and learning? You can use rubrics, checklists, or self-evaluation tools to help students understand what you expect from them and how they can improve their discussion skills.

3 Monitor and intervene

As a teacher, your role in student-led discussions is to monitor and intervene when necessary. You can monitor the discussion by observing, listening, or taking notes on how students are interacting, what they are saying, and what they are learning. You can intervene by asking probing questions, providing feedback, clarifying misconceptions, or redirecting the discussion. However, you should avoid dominating the discussion, giving direct answers, or judging students' opinions. Your goal is to support students' inquiry, not to control it.

4 Encourage reflection and feedback

After the discussion, it is important to encourage reflection and feedback among students. You can ask students to reflect on what they learned, what they enjoyed, what they struggled with, or what they still wonder about the discussion topic. You can also ask them to give feedback to each other on how they contributed, listened, or challenged each other during the discussion. You can use exit tickets, journals, surveys, or peer assessment tools to facilitate reflection and feedback. This will help students consolidate their learning, celebrate their achievements, and identify their areas for improvement.

5 Vary the formats and topics

Student-led discussions can take different formats and cover different topics depending on your learning objectives, time constraints, and student preferences. You can vary the formats and topics of the discussion to keep students interested and motivated. For example, you can use whole-class, small-group, or pair discussions; you can use fishbowl, jigsaw, or debate formats; you can use current events, case studies, or scenarios as discussion topics. You can also involve students in choosing or creating the formats and topics of the discussion to increase their ownership and engagement.