Curiosity as a Catalyst for Learning
Throughout the history of humanity, curiosity has led to innovation, invention, and incredible feats of problem solving. Curiosity promotes learning through personal interest and relevancy. This is a characteristic of human nature for all groups, including indigenous learners. Utilizing inquiry-based learning taps this natural curiosity. The provision of overarching questions to frame units, concepts, and themes provides motivation to learn and discover. Scollon (1986) proposes curricula grounded in inquiry-based questions. Questions like these, structured properly, can span over multiple subjects, providing incentive to learn across many areas.
Curiosity can also be leveraged through asking questions about the immediate environment (Barnhardt & Kawagley, 2005). Introducing a concept in a familiar context engages learners’ curiosity and piques interest. For example, in considering how government works, examine and evaluate local processes. In talking about the water cycle, look around at water levels in lakes and rivers nearby. The Inuuqatigiit curricula (McGregor, 2012) suggests questions be embedded in the larger, all-encompassing themes of relationships to people and relationships to the environment. This connection provides deeper and more immediate relevance for learners.
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In case you're curious; the science curiosity.
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In practice, this might look like the creation of running, year-long themes, like those suggested by McGregor, and supported through a variety of context and subject specific inquiry questions. Allowing students to explore and express their own ways of knowing and understanding opens the door to then incorporate Western ways of knowing; yet again, benefiting all learners.