What is discovery learning?
Discovery learning is a method that presupposes that the student is ready for something psychologically and therefore enables him to challenge him to actively investigate the world. The starting point here is the natural curiosity of children.
Discovery learning involves working thematically and new knowledge is placed in context. This helps children learn to see connections. So it is not about learning individual facts. By connecting new knowledge and skills to previously acquired knowledge, it sticks better. In addition, the student remembers the learning material better if he discovers it himself.
Discovery learning is active learning
With discovery learning, students are actively engaged in their learning process. They develop their talents and learn how to use them optimally. They also learn to think and act independently. They learn to take initiatives, plan, implement and reflect. The students discover the meaning of learning and they learn from and with each other.
Discovery learning and cooperative learning
Discovery learning uses cooperative learning. Cooperative learning is also called collaborative learning. This involves cooperation between stronger and weaker students. This is stimulated by cooperative working methods, in which children work in pairs or groups.
Cooperative learning takes advantage of the differences between children. The children look for a solution together and help each other. In addition to a cognitive goal, cooperative working methods also have a goal aimed at the students working together.
Discovery learning and the multiple intelligences
The premise of this concept is that children can be intelligent in different ways. There are eight ways:
- verbal/linguistic intelligence, which means you are intelligent with language.
- logical/mathematical intelligence, which means that you are intelligent with arithmetic.
- visual/spatial intelligence, which means that you are intelligent with seeing.
- musical/rhythmic intelligence, which means that you are intelligent with music.
- physical/kinesthetic intelligence, which means that you are intelligent about movement.
- interpersonal intelligence, which means you are intelligent about people.
- intrapersonal intelligence, that is, you are intelligent about yourself.
- nature-oriented intelligence, which means that you are intelligent with regard to nature.
Every child develops more strongly in some of these intelligences than in others. It is important that every child develops different intelligences and is aware of his own unique intelligence pattern with strengths and areas for development. Children learn that every person is unique and that strength lies in shared diversity.
In discovery learning, students investigate a topic by working together and learning from their own and each other’s intelligences. After the joint research, the students present their results based on their different intelligences.
Student, teacher, subject matter
Learning is an active activity in which students try to understand the learning material and connect it with existing knowledge. This requires that the students have a ‘coat rack’ with basic knowledge. It is therefore important that the teacher checks in advance what prior knowledge the students have. The teacher can then follow up on this and first introduce any missing knowledge.
It is good to refer to previously covered material, because students remember new material better if it can be linked to existing knowledge. At the end of the lesson, have the students summarize the material in their own words. Integrate the new learning material into other subject areas.
Step-by-step plan for discovery learning
Discovery learning can arise spontaneously. A step-by-step plan can provide guidance. Various step-by-step plans have been developed, including. This model distinguishes the following steps:
- Confrontation
- Explore
- Set up experiment
- Performing the experiment
- To conclude
- Presenting results
- Deepen and broaden
Confrontation
Discovery learning starts with the confrontation with a problem or object. A problem or object is suitable if it meets the following conditions:
- It fits in with the experience of children.
- It evokes wonder and makes you curious.
- It invites further research.
Explore
In this phase the children are given the opportunity to explore the problem or object. If it is a concrete object, they can look at it, feel it, smell it, or listen to it. Previous knowledge is refreshed and the children can exchange experiences.
Set up experiment
During the exploration phase, questions arise for the children. In this phase, these questions are converted into research questions for a study. Together with the teacher, the children devise a plan for the investigation. What do we need? Where are we going to work? Who does what?
Performing the experiment
Once the plan is ready, the children can start implementing it. The children keep a logbook during the process. The teacher already evaluates during the research.
To conclude
After the research, conclusions can be drawn. The problem may now be resolved, but there may also be follow-up questions.
Presenting the results
The students process the conclusions in a presentation. The teacher encourages you to summarize the results well and present them in an appropriate form. This can be done in various ways: in a table, word spider, graph, drawing or exhibition.
Deepen and broaden
The teacher can deepen the subject and integrate it with other subjects. He/she can also link an activity to this, such as a wall newspaper or a craft assignment.
Discovery learning and gifted children
Discovery learning fits well with the specific learning characteristics of gifted children. Gifted people have a natural urge to discover and investigate, and that is a spearhead of discovery learning. Discovery learning stimulates creativity and originality and offers plenty of room for personal input, which gifted people like. Other learning characteristics of gifted people are:
- They want to take big steps towards the end goal.
- They don’t like repetition.
- They are quick-witted.
- They have a great general interest.
- They can quickly make connections between new and old knowledge.
- They usually have strong analytical insight.
- They usually have great problem-solving skills.
These characteristics of gifted people are useful for discovery learning.
In summary
Discovery learning is therefore active, investigative learning that uses cooperative working methods and Gardner’s multiple intelligences. It has positive effects on learning attitude and motivation.
