PHYLLIS CHEW (NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY )

DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVITY THROUGH INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING (IBL) IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: A CASE STUDY OF TAIWAN. : METHODOLOGIES AND TEACHING APPROACHES

Acknowledging the presence of diversity and inclusivity in our interconnected world is increasingly paramount as mass communication and modern transportation brings us ever closer to each other. It is not merely about recognising "the other", but also understanding our shared common global humanity. Embracing diversity allows children to see both shared communal values and unique differences. It is about valuing each others' perspectives, understanding that individual views and beliefs can be enriching for both parties. One way to do this is by developing a deeper understanding of the strategies of Inquiry-based learning (IBL) approaches in teachers’ individual disciplines and how questioning strategies through IBL can be used in the classroom to harness such a goal. This paper is a case study of how teachers in Taiwan are learning to nurture student’s voice in learning, while asking meaningful questions and using materials from language textbooks to address complex problems.

Dr Phyllis Chew specializes in the sociolinguistics of English language Methodology having taught for many years in both elementary and high schools, and universities all over the world. She has been a tenured professor at the National Institute of Education in Singapore and is currently a Consultant with the Singapore University of Social Sciences and the Ministry of Education, Singapore. She is the project-director of Instep, a series of 64 textbooks for Singapore schools used from 2000-2015. She is a founder-member of AsiaTefl International Advisory Board.