Which statement best describes inquiry-based learning?

• A. It emphasizes the teacher-led lecture and concept testing
• B. It emphasizes the student's active role; students explore material, ask questions, and share ideas while the teacher guides rather than simply tells.
• C. It focuses on memorization of facts
• D. It uses only worksheets with right answers

Answer: (B)

Inquiry-based learning centers on students actively building understanding through exploration, questioning, and discussion, with the teacher acting as a facilitator rather than simply delivering information. The description that fits this approach best is the one where students take an active role—exploring material, asking questions, and sharing ideas—while the teacher guides the process rather than merely telling them the answers. This setup helps students develop reasoning and problem-solving by engaging with ideas, testing them, and receiving targeted support through guided questions and feedback.

In contrast, the other descriptions emphasize a more traditional setup: a teacher delivering lectures, focusing on memorization of facts, or providing worksheets with predetermined right answers. Those approaches don’t align with the idea of students driving inquiry and constructing knowledge through investigation and discussion. For example, in a science activity, instead of a teacher presenting all the facts, students might investigate a question, design experiments, collect data, and reason about what the results mean with the teacher guiding the process.