Guided Inquiry in Senior History Units
With the rapid advancements in technology, the transformation of literacy and the constant bombardment of information that twenty-first century learners are faced with, it is evident that a change is need in our teaching styles to effectively cater for today’s learners. The concept of Inquiry Learning, whereby students become active participants in locating and using a range of information sources to construct their own understanding of a problem or issues, is one appropriate student-centred response that appropriately attends to the needs of twenty-first century students (Kuhlthau, Maniotes & Caspari, 2007, p.2). By incorporating inquiry learning through the process of guided inquiry, teachers are able to guide students through the process of locating and selecting appropriate information and enable them to develop the skills needed to transform information into knowledge. Often in the twenty-first century, students are presented with tasks that require them to research and draw on a range of information sources to construct their knowledge independently, without guidance (Todd, 2006, p.6). In senior history particularly, the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) mandates that the focus of student’s learning experiences should be inquiry as, “using this approach students identify historical issues for investigation, develop research questions to investigate issues, and reach conclusion or make judgements about them” (Queensland Studies Authority, 2004, p. 18). Thus, it is apparent that teachers of senior history in Queensland should consider guided inquiry in their teaching and assessment practices as it promotes, “extensive interrogation and exploration of ideas and formulation of thoughts before moving on to collecting, organising and presenting ideas in ways which demonstrate personal understanding and ownership” (Todd, 2006, p.6). Guided Inquiry can help to improve the teaching and learning experiences of a unit through its ability to: allow students to be active participants in their own learning; provide a scaffold to assist students in constructing their own knowledge; and allow for the development of literacy skills in students that prepare them for learning in the twenty-first century.
Guided Inquiry is modelled on the constructivist theory that allows a student to be an active participant in the construction of deep understanding and learning. The concept that learners actively reflect on new information in the learning process and then form their own ideas that lead to deep understanding is the foundation of inquiry learning (Kuhlthau, et al., 2007, p.15). This, coupled with research that suggests the brain runs on emotions that drive thoughts and actions which are increased when a learning environment is challenging, social and engaging, is the focus of guided inquiry: to challenge students to become engaged in their own quest for knowledge and understanding through personal and social construction (Kuhlthau, et al., 2007, p.15). As individual research plays a large part in the QSA senior history syllabi, it is necessary to consider Mick Healey’s work that suggests that, “students are likely to gain most benefit from research, in terms of depth of learning and understanding, when they are also involved in research.. through various forms of active learning, such as inquiry-based learning” (Healey, 2005, p.1). This is further supported by Leslie Schuster’s discovery that incorporating inquiry learning into her history courses allowed her student’s to discover that their knowledge was valued and essential to their own learning (Schuster, 2008, p.176). By transforming her classroom from a teacher-centred environment with prescribed textbooks that provided students with answers, to a student-centred environment that allowed active learning through research, discussion and analysis, Schuster found that her students were equipped with skills that promoted life-long learning (Schuster, 2008, p.177). Lee Fitzgerald echoes this sentiment in her case study on Guided Inquiry in a history setting and states that students achieved more when their own research and inquiry provided direction and guided the final result (Fitzgerald, 2007, p.35). Thus, it is evident that a history unit that embraces guided inquiry will allow students to construct their own meaning and become active and engaged learners as they are responsible for the direction and outcome of their learning.
While it obvious that students benefit from the flexibility they have in building and developing their knowledge and understanding, the guided inquiry process must be supported by a flexible team of educators who assist the students in developing their research and information literacy skills (Kuhlthau & Maniotes, 2010, p.18). Kuhlthau and Maniotes argue that, as the implementation of inquiry learning is complex and multi-faceted, it is essential to develop a team of experts with a range of expertise who will supervise and assist students in their inquiry (2010, p.19). Kuhlthau and Maniotes identify five kinds of learning in the inquiry process: curriculum content, information literacy, learning how to learn, literacy competence and social skills (2010, p.19). By creating a team of educators that will assist students in these areas of learning such as, two classroom teachers and a Teacher-Librarian, the unit will be fully utulising the expertise of the school community. Catering a team with consideration of the learning that needs to take place and curriculum standards will ensure that students are best supported in the Information Search Process. The Information Search Process (ISP) designed by Kuhlthau is an essential element of guided inquiry as it provides six stages of learning that an instructional team can use to guide students in their quest for knowledge (Fitzgerald, 2011, p.27). Ross Todd asserts that a team of educators who assist students in carrying out and scaffolding their inquiry through the ISP process ensures that evidence of student learning can be gathered and, “provide a mechanism for teachers and school librarians to recognise those critical moments when intervention and instruction is essential, and then to tailor interventions to enable students to achieve successful outcomes in their inquiry” (Todd, 2006, p.6). Therefore it is essential that a unit of guided inquiry needs to be planned, negotiated and supervised by an instructional team who are able to guide, support and enable students to become effective researchers, information users and seekers, as well as constructors of their own knowledge.
By working through the stages of the ISP, students in a guided inquiry unit are able to develop information literacy skills that will enable them to function effectively in the rapidly growing technological information environment. Kuhlthau, et al, suggest that guided inquiry takes a concept approach to information literacy that enables students to continue to build on their skills and adapt to new systems and sources as needed by considering information in three central categories: locating, evaluating and using (Kuhlthau, et al., 2007, p.79). It is through the combination of these skills and curriculum standards that guided inquiry encourages students to become information literate individuals of the twenty-first century. Kirsty Gillon and Jill Stotter reflect on their implementation of a guided inquiry unit that it is easy to assume that students already acquire the skills needed to use information effectively, however, this can be the biggest mistake in inquiry unit and is often an element that hinders the construction of knowledge, as students lack the skills required to locate, process and use the information they have found (2011, p.18). Lee Fitzgerald states that she discovered that, in her implementation of a guided inquiry unit, most students assumed they had the skills needed to locate and use information however, “as they progressed locating the right information for the level of research they were at was a crucial obstacle” (2011, p.35). Thus, the skills that are developed by students in a guided inquiry unit need to be considered and modelled by the instructional team in order for them to be effective users of information and builders of knowledge.
It is apparent that guided inquiry is an effective and logical method to use when planning a history unit as it allows for students to be active participants in the construction of their knowledge in an engaging and social process. By creating an instructional team that caters for the content and skill needs of the learners as they complete the ISP process, students will be able to complete individual historical inquiries that utilise the information literacy skills needed to be active participants in the twenty-first century technological society. The numerous case studies of historical guided inquiry units indicate that guided inquiry greatly enhances the learning experience of students and should be considered and catered for in the implementation of such units.
Reference List
Fitzgerald, L. (2007). Investigating guided inquiry: a beginning. Scan, 26(2), 30-37.
Fitzgerald, L. (2011). The twin purposes of guided inquiry: guiding student inquiry and evidence based practice. Scan, 30(1), 26-41.
Gillon, K. & Stotter, J. (2011). Inquiry learning with senior secondary students: yes it can be done! Access, 25(3), 14-19.
Healey, M. (2005). Linking research and teaching: exploring disciplinary spaces and the tole of inquiry-based learning. In R. Barnett (ed), Reshaping the university: new relationships between research, scholarship and teaching (pp. 67-78). Open University Press.
Kuhlthau, C.C. & Maniotes. L. K. (2010). Building guided inquiry teams for 21st-century learners. School Library Monthly, XXVI(5), 18-21.
Kuhlthau, C. C., Maniotes, L. K. & Caspari, A. K. (2007). Guided inquiry: learning in the 21st century. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Queensland Studies Authority. (2004). Ancient history senior syllabus. Retrieved from http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/senior/snr_anc_history_04_syll.pdf
Schuster, L.A. (2008). Working-class students and historical inquiry: transforming learning in the classroom. The History Teacher, 41(2), 163-178.
Todd, R. J. (2006). From learning to read to reading to learn: school libraries, literacy and guided inquiry. International Association of School Librarianship. Selected Papers from the… Annual Conference, 1-18. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/236087169?accountid=13380
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