Education is no longer confined to textbooks, exams, and rote memorization. Around the world—and increasingly in India—the focus is shifting toward experiential and inquiry-based learning, two approaches that place curiosity, exploration, and real-world application at the heart of education.

At its core, experiential learning means learning by doing. Students engage in hands-on projects, experiments, and real-life problem-solving activities that allow them to understand concepts in depth and apply them meaningfully. Inquiry-based learning, on the other hand, encourages learners to ask questions, investigate, analyze, and discover answers for themselves. Together, these models move education away from passive absorption of facts toward active, reflective, and personalized learning.

From memorisation to meaning

Traditional Indian education has long emphasized grades and exam performance. While this system develops discipline, it often limits creativity and critical thinking. Experiential and inquiry-based learning challenge this by asking students not just what to think but how to think. For instance, instead of memorizing the steps of photosynthesis, students might plant seeds, observe growth patterns, and record data to understand the process firsthand.

This shift transforms classrooms into laboratories of curiosity. It encourages students to see learning as an exploration, helping them develop the analytical, collaborative, and problem-solving skills that today’s world demands.

India’s readiness for change

While the benefits are clear, the readiness of Indian classrooms varies widely. Urban private schools are at the forefront of adopting modern pedagogies, aided by access to technology, well-trained teachers, and flexible curricula.

They are integrating project-based learning, maker spaces, and cross-disciplinary lessons that blend science, art, and technology. However, government and rural schools often face barriers such as limited infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and inadequate teacher training. Many educators remain bound by rigid syllabi and traditional expectations focused on rote learning and exam results. Without systemic reform, the gap between progressive and traditional schools may widen.

Empowering teachers and students

Teachers are the cornerstone of this transformation. For experiential and inquiry-based learning to succeed, teacher training must evolve beyond delivering content to facilitating exploration. Educators need to be equipped to design open-ended tasks, encourage questioning, and manage diverse learning paces within the same classroom.

Workshops, peer mentoring, and digital teaching platforms can help teachers integrate new strategies effectively. Similarly, students must be guided to take ownership of their learning—learning to reflect, collaborate, and persist when faced with challenges.

Rethinking assessment

One of the biggest obstacles to experiential and inquiry-based education lies in assessment systems that prioritize marks over mastery. Exams that test memory discourage experimentation and curiosity.

To align with new learning methods, schools must adopt formative and performance-based assessments that evaluate process, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Presentations, portfolios, reflective journals, and real-world projects can serve as more authentic indicators of student growth.

The role of infrastructure and collaboration

For experiential learning to flourish, schools need supportive infrastructure—from science labs and maker spaces to digital tools and libraries that encourage exploration. Partnerships with industry experts, NGOs, and universities can help bridge the gap between classroom theory and practical application.

Community engagement also plays a vital role. Inviting professionals from different fields to interact with students can spark curiosity and expose them to real-world perspectives, showing how classroom concepts translate into careers and social impact.

Policy and the road ahead

Policy support is crucial for scaling experiential and inquiry-based education across the country. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recognizes the need for experiential learning and critical thinking as foundational goals, marking a significant step toward systemic reform.

Public-private partnerships, targeted funding, and continuous teacher development can ensure these approaches reach even the most resource-limited schools.

Towards a culture of curiosity

Experiential and inquiry-based learning prepare students not just for exams, but for life. They develop self-reliance, empathy, creativity, and resilience—qualities essential in a rapidly changing world.

India’s education system stands at a defining moment. By moving beyond rote learning and embracing experience-driven exploration, classrooms can evolve into spaces where students don’t just learn facts—they learn how to learn.

Through collaboration among teachers, parents, policymakers, and innovators, Indian schools can become vibrant ecosystems of curiosity, critical inquiry, and lifelong learning—nurturing thinkers, innovators, and leaders for the future.

(The author is Principal – CBSE, Lancers Army School (MSc, B.Ed))