Last Updated on October 7, 2023 by Editorial Team
Learning should be a two-directional process. It requires the active involvement of both teachers and children to achieve a meaningful outcome from the learning process. But, learning is likely to reach a deadlock if children don’t reciprocate in any manner.
A simple question, a reaction, or an explicitly expressed interest are a few ways a child demonstrates curiosity in learning any subject or topic. These ways of demonstration emerge from intellectual curiosity. It is well-developed[1] in some kids; others may require a little push. So, to ascertain the kind of boost the child may require to develop intellectual curiosity, we acquaint you with the following information in the post:
- What defines intellectual curiosity
- Examples of intellectual curiosity
- What makes anybody intellectually curious about a subject
- How to boost intellectual curiosity
- Need to explore intellectual curiosity
So, let’s start!
What defines intellectual curiosity?
The inclination of a child to know more about the subject or study it a little more extensively defines intellectual curiosity. There are always some students who raise questions, give answers, and show readiness to read more about the topic.
As soon as they get the hang of the topic, they look for ways to find out more about it. You can easily identify this trait by the deeper attention they pay in class. Hence, readiness to learn or explore more and to have questions about the subject or be proactive in class are some of the definite indicators of intellectual curiosity.
Examples of intellectual curiosity
Sophie, et al, in an exploratory article[2], called Intellectual curiosity the ‘third pillar’ of performance in academics. Intelligence is the cranial ability to understand and absorb what is being taught, conscious effort is the tool using which the learner tries to excel on the academic front, and intellectual curiosity takes him on the research path.
With this trait, the child does not stop at accomplishing age-appropriate proficiency; he chooses to dig deeper and find something worth following and creating something. A few actions that exemplify intellectual curiosity are:
1. Deeper Enquiry
A learner tries to find out more about the topic or subject by asking questions, raising doubts, and making a few mental notes for deeper exploration. In a topic, say numbers, an intellectually curious child will not stop only at mugging up the number.
They will ask questions about what numbers do, where these are applied, how we differentiate bigger numbers from smaller ones or how can we break numbers. These are some of the questions coming out from an intellectually curious mind and show signs of a researcher in the student.
2. Desire to inspect
An intellectual curiosity example may include the desire to inspect. A learner when exposed to a model or picture may inspect it to find out about its various characteristics. A child trying to lift heavy and light objects or trying to find ways to color pictures in various styles on a reusable frame are demonstrations of inspection abilities.
3. Searching for better alternatives while doing a job
Just obeying orders like a robot is not a sign of an intellectually curious person. A fine example of intellectual curiosity will be to look for other ways to do a thing. But, it becomes an intelligent approach only when the sought outcome benefits the self or others. It means the inquiry should bring meaning to the job[3] and allow to find a faster solution or better outcome or to find a way that reduces effort.
This approach is useful throughout life and can be seen conspicuously in adults too. Making a choice between a keyboard or a mouse to instruct a computer faster, or reorganizing the kitchen to make cooking faster and easier are some outcomes that arise from intellectual curiosity.
4. Learning new languages or courses
An intellectually curious person will show an inclination towards learning new languages and courses. It is his capacity to explore and absorb newer skills faster that eases the endeavors of fathoming new possibilities. Learning new languages and excelling in courses is a legitimate example of intellectual curiosity. The same goes for adopting different careers. A curious individual tries not to join the bandwagon and chooses a different path.
5. Expanding networks
Curiosity about people, and their skills, allows an intellectual person to utilize them as a support system extended support, or a team. How to put people’s skills to use or complement the gaps in the self with the virtues of others is thinking explicitly displayed by a curious person. Those people who are on the same page on intellect as he seems interesting to him, which results in sustainable networking and emotional-social skills[4] development.
6. Building innovative solutions
It is solely for the curiosity of intelligent people with high intellectual capabilities that we find around us airplanes, electricity, paintings, and other aesthetic and functional innovations. People asking questions formulating the ideas into action, and arriving upon workable resources are nothing but the perpetrators of curiosity.
Simply put, all acts of moving a step beyond the visually evident, and exploring deeply to find something better or more useful are fine illustrations of being an intellectually curious person.
What makes anybody intellectually curious about a subject?
Everybody cannot be forced to become an intellectually inquisitive person. Being curious is, first of all, an innate quality. People have an aptitude for certain things and are comfortable meeting new challenges surrounding those things. So, they become interested in knowing more about any subject, if:
- the subject suits their IQ level
- it offers a lot to explore and the learner loves doing that
- the subject fits a person’s individual values and philosophies
- It gives a sense of satisfaction and happiness to the explorer
Need to explore intellectual curiosity
The desire to learn is certainly a positive virtue. If this inquisitiveness is missing, the learner is most likely to fail in endeavors of an academic or other nature. Thus, the zeal to excel is a prime indicator of this curiosity. Other important ways[5] intellectual curiosity helps bring more to the table are:
- Better involvement: The learner is involved more deeply in the subject; thus, their learning is more pronounced.
- Improvement in quality of work: Since the learner employs better ways out of curiosity, more output and better quality emerge naturally.
- Improved learning: Zeal to explore beyond a layer or two offers better knowledge of the topic, and they discover and understand things better than their contemporaries.
- Enhanced decision-making abilities: All pros and cons are explicitly known to a person who has enquired about all aspects of a situation. Thus, curiosity to know better and more impacts decisions in a positive manner.
- Makes better problem solver: The main aim of being curious is to arrive at a solution. Hence, problems become easier to crack when a person knows why they occur and ways to address those reasons.
- Induces leadership quality: You are most likely to be looked up to by others when you have the exemplary traits mentioned above. Better knowledge, fast ways of doing things, ability to think ahead of others add to your leadership abilities. In the long run, your chances of getting picked up for good roles in organizations improve.
Conclusion
Human beings stand on the highest pedestal when it comes to intellect and the application of the mind. It is the intellectual curiosity that sets us apart from other creatures. Hence, it is necessary to stimulate the mind to think better, and deeper, so that its full potential can be utilized.
As a part of teaching or self-learning, it is good to include ways to boost intellectual thinking, which we have discussed in the curiosity activities post. The only thing to be careful about is undue curiosity; it can lead to a loss of time and straying from the topic.
References
- Brain mechanism of curiosity unraveled. (2021, May 21). ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210513142430.htm
- Hell, B., & Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2011). The Hungry Mind. Perspectives on Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611421204
- Horstmeyer, Alison. (2019). Using Curiosity to Enhance Meaningfulness of Work.
- Linda Darling-Hammond, Lisa Flook, Channa Cook-Harvey, Brigid Barron & David Osher (2020) Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development, Applied Developmental Science, 24:2, 97-140, DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791
- Six surprising benefits of curiosity. (n.d.). Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_surprising_benefits_of_curiosity
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,