The Infusion of Inquiry-based Learning into School-Based Agricultural Education: A Review of Literature

Abstract

Demands for increases in student achievement have led education professionals to incorporate various and rigorous teaching strategies into classrooms across the United States. Within school- based agricultural education (SBAE), agriculture teachers have responded to these challenges quite well. SBAE incorporates a wide variety of teaching and learning strategies, theories, and ideas into its conceptual framework. One such teaching and learning strategy is referred to as inquiry-based learning, commonly known in SBAE as problem-based learning. This method emphasizes cognitive development, critical thinking, and intellectual growth in students. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the emergence and current utilization of inquiry-based learning in SBAE. We found that inquiry-based learning has been a long-standing staple in SBAE, particularly in terms of increasing the achievement of agricultural students. As a result, a model of the use of inquiry-based learning in SBAE programs was developed. Recommendations, discussion, and implications for research and classroom practice were included in this study.