The program emphasizes the way content is taught. Asking students key questions that require critical thinking is the driving force behind this program.
The Primary Years Programme PYP is committed to structured, purposeful inquiry which engages students actively in their own learning. The PYP believes that students should investigate important subject matter by formulating questions, looking at various means available to answer questions and proceeding with research, experimentation, observation and other means that will lead them to responses to issues. The starting point is the students’ own understanding and the goal is the active construction of meaning by building connections between students’ experiences and information and using the processes derived from the inquiry in new contexts.
The teacher’s role is to create an educational environment that encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning. The teacher facilitates the process by asking thoughtful, open ended questions and encouraging students to ask questions, too. The teacher must model and value inquiry.