Inquiry

Inquiry is a seeking for truth, information, or knowledge usually by questioning. Gifted students need to cultivate inquiry skills, such that they can think critically, evaluate, and identify concerns. Inquiry gives students the opportunities to think independently and to discern their own personal meaning of open-ended problems. It nurtures in gifted students, adept at mental competition and their abilities to “out-think” others, the critical thinking dispositions to be good reflective listeners, open to evidence, and respectful of other points of view.

Inquiry has its basis in Socratic inquiry, a technique of questioning used by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (470–399 BCE). As developed by Socrates, the inquiry process has two stages: the ironic or destructive phase, where by skillful questioning the student is brought from unconscious ...