Analysis

ILA ANALYSIS

Classroom implementation of inquiry can vary. Inquiry does not follow a fixed linear pathway and there is no ‘one size fits all’ formula or framework for all students and inquiries. Wilson & Wing Jan (2009) state that "the framework of an inquiry needs to be flexible enough to respond to students’ needs, current events and issues, the availability of resources and the challenges discovered during the inquiry process". Kiem (2012) commented on the need for balance of pedagogical approaches, when implementing the curriculum, to cater for active and passive learners, if we are to be effective educators. This is acknowledged by Spronkin-Smith (p8) who identifies that inquiry learning may not be the preferred learning style for many students and that appropriate support will need to be offered. 

As part of developing a better understanding of inquiry learning, observation of students involved in inquiry learning activity and collaboration with teachers is beneficial. The collection and analysis of data provides important information in identifying aspects of inquiry learning that lead to recommendations for future practice.  

This ILA was not strongly aligned with the inquiry methods advocated in the Australian Curriculum: History, although it did provide opportunities for students to engage with key content and skill development. These opportunities were teacher–directed, with students only being given limited choices. Questions are central to an inquiry. This particular ILA was determined by the C2C unit developed by State Education Curriculum team. The ILA was very structured and scaffolded, with the overarching question being determined by the C2C State Education Curriculum team. The Australian Curriculum: History Scope and Sequence  states that by Year 9 students should:

• ·         identify and select different kinds of questions about the past to inform historical inquiry

• ·         Evaluate and enhance these questions

An ‘inquiry’ or ‘information seeking’ question is one posed to obtain needed information within a specific context, aspect, concept, issue, or problem. These are the questions that power learning. There are usually two basic levels to an inquiry question. The initial phase consists of a question that defines the area of learning. It may pose a problem, identify a need, or establish a concern/issue for investigation. It sets the scene and provides a specific context for learning. These primary questions are also called ‘rich questions’, ‘essential questions’, ‘fertile questions’, and reflective questions’. As mentioned, this ILA was teacher-directed and the question had been generated for the students.

Research Assignment- Was the Industrial Revolution Good for the World?

To what extent did the changes in (insert aspect of the Industrial Revolution) in (Britain, Europe or USA) have a positive/negative impact on (insert aspect to be assessed) from 1750 to 1900?

 

The second phase of inquiry questioning is developing information seeking questions that will assist the students in obtaining specific information about their inquiry. The teacher had observed that the students were experiencing difficulty with searching for information based on the inquiry question. She identified that the students needed to establish more specific questions to assist them in refining their search. During this intervention, the teacher modelled the process and produced a handout scaffolding the procedure. 

 

Analysis of both reflection sheets revealed that students valued finding reliable information. It is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that questions are supported by relevant and valid information sources that are suited to the reading and comprehension of the learners before the inquiry is embarked on. As the question was predefined, the teacher was able to assess suitable resources in the library. It was discovered that there very minimal resources available from this location. Due to the lack of resources, and the limited time frame of the inquiry, the teacher provided the students with some suitable websites. It is important that learners experience success as they build their knowledge and learning skills. A major aspect of supporting learners is to ensure that whatever the context of learning is, relevant information is available, at appropriate reading levels for the learner. This is a major aspect of teacher preparation and teachers should do everything possible to ensure that student’s inquiry learning is well supported by level and context relevant information. The Year 9 History teacher supported all the students during the inquiry, acknowledging that a number of the websites were difficult to navigate and read for some of the students. 

To maintain focus throughout the inquiry, at the beginning of each lesson the teacher applied the Explicit Instruction (Archer & Hughes, 2011) strategies of WALT (We are learning to), WILF (What I am looking for) and TIB (This is because).

It was not evident during the ILA that the teacher and students were adhering to a particular inquiry process, but their research behaviour seemed to follow the Information SkillsProcess model for inquiry.

 

Information Literacy Model

As an observer of this inquiry, I was ever mindful of Kulthau’s (2004) Information Search Process (Kuhlthau, Maniotes, Caspari, 2007). Through observation of the students, I was aware of the stages of the ISP they were moving through. This was particularly noticeable in the affective domain. There is little evidence that the teachers or students are aware of the Information Search Process model or its implications in an inquiry, with much focus being given to the final product rather than the journey.  

 

Kulthau

 

The ILA was designed to develop students’ information skills in gathering information and making notes, critically evaluating primary and secondary sources, making connections between their discoveries, drawing conclusions about their learning and presenting their learning in multimodal format.

The Australian Curriculum has investigated a number of approaches in the development of the critical and creative thinking capability which has been characterised by theorists as dispositions, taxonomies of skills, habits and frames of mind, thinking strategies and philosophical inquiry. This includes Bruner’s theory of social constructivism, “that learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current/past knowledge” (Calcutta, 2013). However, with the introduction of the new Australian Curriculum to all year levels at the same time, students experiencing Bruner’s Model of a Spiral Curriculum will have gaps in some areas of their education. There will be important knowledge, understandings and skills that may be missed, or rushed over due to time constraints, at least in the initial phases of the curriculum’s implementation. There was little evidence that this ILA considered the students past experiences, but during the inquiry the teacher identified and focussed on specific areas, providing an appropriate level of guidance. Vygotsky’s theory of zones of proximal development was apparent during the ILA. These zones are “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers” (Vygotsky, 1978 in Kuhlthau, Maniotes & Caspari, 2007).

During this ILA, the students expressed little interest in the topic. There were stages when the enthusiasm increased, but this had little to do with the topic and more to do with the production of a multimodal product. It is very difficult to have motivation for anything if one does not have ownership of it. This was evident in the earlier stages of the inquiry because the topic was already determined and each step scaffolded. Lancaster (2012) stated that” regardless of the subject you're covering, one goal is usually to get your students to a point that they not only understand facts and ideas, but can then think critically about what they're learning and employ higher-order thinking skills.” Bloom’s Taxonomy, developed in the 1950’s, follows the thinking process and was revised in 2000 by Anderson. The taxonomy is categorised and ordered.

During this ILA, the unit has been organised to move the students from the foundation levels of Remember, Understand and Apply, which were teacher-directed, to higher order thinking skills, which was the research question and task. 

Produce a multimodal presentation that assesses the short and long term effects of a significant aspect of the Industrial Revolution (your choice of topics is below). Your multimodal presentation must combine three of the following elements: text, images, video, and music.

                    

The foundation levels of Thinking Skills Framework are very important in assisting the students move to a higher order. Most students became more motivated as the inquiry progressed, as the creation of the script and multimodel presentation allowed them to develop some ownership of the inquiry.

Conclusion

It is difficult analysing an inquiry unit as an outside observer. As an outside observer you are only seeing a small portion of the student’s educational experience. I had very little knowledge of most of the students’ prior learning experiences or of the teacher’s personal planning, and during the time of the inquiry I only interacted with the teacher and students during their history lesson time. I also had limited knowledge of their journey in relation to inquiry leaning. Based on the data gathered and analysed using the SLIM toolkit and general observations, this was a unit in the early stages of an inquiry approach to learning. There was evidence of directed study and guided inquiry, with the teacher fulfilling the role of tutor and coach.

Bertolini (2012)

References

Archer, A & Hughes, C. 2011, Explicit Instruction Effective and Efficient Teaching, Guilford Publications, U.S.A.

Bertolini, A. 2012, ‘21st Century Learning, IBL and Planning for the Australian Curriculum’, Catholic Education Toowoomba, June 21st 2012

Culatta, R .2013, 'Constructivist Theory (Jerome Bruner)', Instructional Design, Accessed 18th October 2013, Source: from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/constructivist.html

Kiem, Paul. Have we lost the plot? : narrative, inquiry, good and evil in history pedagogy. [online]. Teaching History; v.46 n.3 p.66-69; September 2012. Availability: <http://search.informit.com.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/fullText;dn=195830;res=AEIPT> ISSN: 0040-0602. [cited 24 Aug 13].

Kuhlthau, C 2013, 'Information Search Process', , Accessed 9th September 2013, Source: from http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau/information_search_process.htm 

Kuhlthau, C., Heinstrom, J., & Todd, R.J. 2008. The information search process revisited: is the model still useful/ IR Information Research 13(4). Retrieved from http://InformationR.net/ir/13-4/paper355.html 

Lancaster, J 2012, 'Designing a framework for critical thinking with Bloom's taxonomy as a guide', Cenage Learning, Accessed 19th October 2013, Source: from http://learn.cengage.com/content/enewsletter6-framework

Spronken-Smith, R 'Experiencing the Process of Knowledge Creation: The Nature and Use of Inquiry-Based Learning in Higher Education', Accessed 10th September 2013, Source: from http://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/sites/default/files/u14/IBL%20-%20Report%20-%20Appendix%20A%20-%20Review.pdf

Wilson, J & Wing Jan, L 2009, Focus on Inquiry: a practical approach to curriculum planning, 2nd ed., Curriculum Corporation, Carlton South.

 
'Critical and creative thinking', Australian Curriculum, Accessed: 18th October 2013, Source: from: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Critical-and-creative-thinking/Introduction/Background

'Information skills in the school', NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007, Accessed: 22nd October 2013, Source: from: http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/schoollibraries/teachingideas/isp/