Which instructional strategy involves students learning from direct experiences through hands-on activities?

Inquiry learning is an instructional strategy that emphasizes student engagement through hands-on activities and direct experiences. It encourages learners to explore, ask questions, and investigate topics actively rather than passively receiving information. This method is rooted in constructivist education principles, where students construct knowledge through their experiences and interactions with the world around them.

In inquiry learning, students are often involved in experiments, projects, or problem-solving tasks that require them to apply their knowledge in practical settings, fostering deeper understanding and retention of the material. This experiential approach not only aids in comprehension but also develops critical thinking and inquiry skills as students learn to formulate hypotheses, gather data, and derive conclusions based on their observations.

The other strategies mentioned, such as expository instruction, direct instruction, and mastery learning, focus more on the transmission of information or structured learning paths, rather than the hands-on, experiential learning that defines inquiry learning.