Inquiry-Based Instruction is actually not new in educational field, especially in the teaching of science. This type of method is often referred to as Learning Cycle developed in 1967 by Karplus and Thier for the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS).
This inquiry based teaching approach is based on
three distinct phases of instruction: (1) exploration provides students
with firsthand experiences with science phenomena; (2) concept introduction allows
students to build science ideas through interaction with peers, texts, and
teachers; and (3) concept application asks students to apply these
science ideas to new situations or new problems.
The most popular
version is the 5-E model that was proposed by Roger Bybee in 1997, which
comprises of Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.
