Inquiry+Approach

Inquiry Approach  The Investigation Process

According to Pigdon and Woolley (1992) there are eight steps invovled in the investigation process. 1. Tuning In- Engaging students in a new topic requires hooking them in and can be simply achieved by asking probing questions such as: Another approach to the tuning step is to hook students in by producing something unfamiliar or quizzical. Something that will act as a springboard for discussion and questions. For example, a video or multimedia presentation of new ideas or new knowledge, like 'The Dark Side of Everest' a youtube clip used in the introduction for the Everest lessons.
 * What do the clothes, buildings and things people do tell us about their history?
 * Why can't we just take a helicopter to the summit of Mt Everest?
 * What would a boy like me do on a Saturday in Nepal?

2 . Deciding Directions- This the first step in looking closer at the topic, the question, the discussion or the event. This is where teachers and students get a feel for the extrapolations to the topic and decide where to focus and what investigations will be followed up. Important questions to ask at this time are: This is also a pertinent time to incorporate discussion into the process, allowing students to sound out ideas and suggestions and fine tune what they want to do.
 * what to focus on?
 * Why is it important?
 * What do we/I need to know?
 * What are the important questions/key ideas?

3. Organising Ourselves- This aspect can be used concurrently with deciding directions as it is the 'how' to the previous step's 'what' and therefore influences what to focus on as well as being influenced by what is focussed on.
 * How is the investigation to be conducted? eg; groups, individually, electronically.
 * What type of information is needed?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Who will do the various tasks in a group?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">How will the results of the investigation be presented? eg: animation, poster, talk.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">4. Finding Out- <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This part can be the most fun for students as they are able to gain satisfaction from puzzling ideas or interesting differences and there is usually an enormous amount of data available for these activities. Therefore it is important to be very clear on what data will be usefull in the time frame available for this activity. Questioning sources and cutting down options takes place in this step:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Where do we go for this information?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Can we trust this information to be true and accurate?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Is this information biased and can it be backed up by another source?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">How else can we find out about...?

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">5. Sorting Out- <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sorting out the data from investigations is dependant on the type of data collected. Statistical data can be presented as graphs, tables or percentages for example, demographics of a populace. This type of data often only gains meaning when it is processed or analysed and presented in a comparable form. The demanding questions that need sorting out at this step are: <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Non-statistical data, such as newspaper articles or recounts that can not be tabulated or graphed can be summarized and incidences of bias and repetition can be noted. At this point it is possible to make a preliminary analysis of data to ensure further data collection is not required.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">How should the data be sorted and classified?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">What patterns, similarities and differences seem to be emerging.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Should we use these patterns as a basis for classifiying?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">What connections can we see?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">What inferences or conclusions can we draw?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">How do these conclusions relate to our original issue?

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">6. Drawing Conclusions- In this step the student goes back to their original statement questions or hypotheses and makes a concluding statement that communicates their findings and presents their material for assessment or peer discussion. Presenting information can take many forms and is largely dependant on the learning focus:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Written accounts, essays, statements.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Visual presentations, posters, photographs.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Multimedia; video, dvd, animation, audiotapes.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oral presentations.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Role-plays, dramatisations, debates.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Creating a mural or three dimensional model.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Broadsheets, charts and diagrams.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">7. Considering Social Action- So what happens next? This can be the end of the investigation process, however there are often further avenues of learning possible or continuation of the topic for emphasis or to solidify knowledge. For example, students may discover they can help with the poverty of other cultures by promoting awareness campaigns and even providing support. Sister school programs with students from other cultures is a valuable method of putting students around the world in touch with each other. Other examples include pro active campaigns depending on the topics investigated. An investigation into recycling can lead to more efficient and effective means of collecting recycling in and around schools. The possibilities are only limited by the topic itself and the amount of time spent on it.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">8. Reflection and Evaluation- Closely tied in with assessment this step of the process is important for students to reflect upon what they did or did not accomplish in their investigation. It can be used to formulate plans for the next one, things you would do better next time and how to 'raise the bar'? It is helpful for students to ask themselves questions like: <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Marsh, C. M. (2008). //Studies of society and environment: exploring the teaching possibilities (5th ed.).// Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">What things did I do well?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">What things will I do better next time?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">What parts of the projet did I find interesting/difficult/unusual?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">What have I learned from this investigation and presentation?

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Resources

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Enquiry based activities can invigorate teaching and motivate students to take charge of their own learning, understand multiple perspectives, and develop high-level reasoning skills. In an inquiry based classroom environment, teachers are encouraged to motivate students by asking intriguing questions and presenting compelling scenarios. There are numerous amounts of resources available to teachers and students, and the key is to knowing how to use their resources to their full advantage. Resources range from being authentic traditional ones such as books, journals and other printed material, to the dynamic resources that come in electronic form such as the Internet, CD-ROMs and DVDs. The benefits of using the Internet or World Wide Web are relevant and timely, and are often very engaging and child friendly. Furthermore current journals, newspapers and television programs often have websites that are updated frequently. If a teacher is prepared to chase up, often government, educational and health organisations have fantastic resources that are really useful and worthwhile and usually free. Other resources include primary resources such as drawing, photographs, maps and diaries create a first hand and somewhat personal degree. For example if you were studying World Wars, a letter from a family member or soldier add a personal understanding that children can relate to more so than simply looking up information on the Internet. One of the best resources is that of the children themselves. Getting students active in learning, such as conducting interviews between each other, friends, family members and in local community, local experts can be very rewarding for all involved, giving students a sense of responsibility and achievement.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Working in Groups

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Small learning groups is one of the most commonly used teaching practices used around the world in all different classrooms. The main purpose of working groups is to bring like-minded or similar-ability students together with the opportunity to compact the curriculum or offer enrichment to the small group. Benefits include: -working groups may positively influence the achievement of all students -a well developed working group program can offer the opportunity ofr hte teacher to better meet the needs of all students -students can work effectively with those on a similar level - students are grouped with both intellectual and chronological age peers -it is more efficient for a single teacher to plan a program of study for five students than five teachers to plan for one student -students learn with all students in class, not just ‘friends’ - students learn life-long skills of responsibility, patience, co-operation and team work -consistently strong, positive academic gains to be found in working groups <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">An Integrated Curriculum <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the Early Years, a student ‘learns to read’. In the Middle Years a student ‘reads to learn’ and this could never be more true or significant as when discussing the integration of humanities into a multidisciplinary curriculum. Colin Marsh (2008) summarizes the benefits of an integrated curriculum to students as follows: it reduces the fragmentation of knowledge, taught in separate subjects <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">It encourages collaborative planning and problem solving It places the emphasis upon skills development rather than coverage of subject matter It encourages students to search for patterns in, and connections between, ideas

The unit we have developed in this wiki contains many features of multidisciplinary learning. For example; a lesson focus written for the history domain contains in its objective tools and approaches that would be found in any English lesson focusing on literacy and comprehension, where students are urged to analyse texts on multiple levels. From a literal level of understanding, that is facts on the page; an inferential level of understanding, where students make assumptions and think through ideas communicated inferentially; to an applied level of understanding. Applying understandings gleaned from texts entails students making links to their own experiences and prior knowledge, a powerful level of understanding that cements knowledge and develops learning skills.

= = <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 7pt;">This unit was developed by Nicole Lewis, Amanda McGregor and Jason Horton