Always be inquiry

Description
During the one week observation, I was managed to observe one science activity only due to the school will have the monthly examination on next week. The science activity was conducted by Cikgu Rohayah, the science teacher for the class year 3B. The experiment that they were investigated was about the materials attracting by the magnets. The teacher was told the students to take out all the materials that they had brought from their home. The class was divided into 4 groups and provided with 1 set of variety magnets for each groups. Students were been told to conduct their group discussion by themselves and the teacher was gone around to give some guidance for the students. I went around the class to observe their group discussion and asked some questions to the students. At the end of the activity, the teacher conducted the discussion with the students and made a conclusion about the investigation from the class activity. Before end of the class, the teacher gave some worksheets to the students as an assessment for the topic.

Feelings
During the activity was conducted, I walked around to each groups to record the discussion activity hold by the students. I felt that it was a responsibility for me as a facilitator beside from an observer. So, I went to every group and gave some little guidance to ensure that they were more than enough to test all the objects.

Evaluation
Along the class activity, the science activity was conducted with open discovery. The students were given freedom to test all the objects surrounding with different types of magnet. The class activity was conducted in students centered learning. Students were having their own discoveries, group discussion and made conclusion about the investigation that they had done. The discussion session was instigated every student to speak out their findings to the other groups or the group members. The children were motivated when the teacher gave out a new object to the students for testing using the magnet. After the class activity, the teacher gave out some worksheets to the students as an assessment to reinforce the understanding of the topic.

Analysis
The students were used the inquiry learning approach when they were given opportunity for something hands-on learning activity. From the inquiry learning, the students were investigated the materials that can be attracting by the magnets and vice versa. They were finding the truth that made an observation on the objects, asked questions to the teacher or group members and stated a conclusion on the finding.
While I refer to the Teaching Primary Science by Inquiry-Discovery (Poh Swee Hiang, 2008), the process of the class activity is called guided discovery which is means the inquiry-based classroom is a process of discovery under the direction of the teacher. The teacher plays the role of a facilitator and guided while the students discover concepts on their own. This method links teacher centered exposition and students centered independent inquiry become a practical start to scientific inquiry. Besides from students centered learning, the teacher also should inform the students what is to be learnt, what is said by the teacher is true and carry out with exercises.

Conclusion
The level of inquiry and discovery learning can further enhanced using the experiment, project, simulation, field study methods and demonstration of discrepant events. The teacher must always provide the environment to stimulus the students to think and learn.

Action plan
In future, I will always enhance my lesson plan by involving the elements of inquiry and discovery learning through hands-on activities which act as a catalyst for learning.