Week 13 - Inquiry Learning and Teacher Inquiry

Teacher Inquiry into Student LearningThis week, in this course we are covering Teacher Inquiry into Student Learning, and in the digital and collaborative course we are covering inquiry learning. Team Solutions (2009) make the distinction between them as follows:
Inquiry Learning (DIGITAL)
Teacher Inquiry (LEADERSHIP)
A process where students co-construct their learning in an authentic context
Where teachers inquire into their own practice and use evidence to make decisions about ways to change that practice for the benefit of the student

Critical InquiryIn the Practising Teacher Criteria (Professional Knowledge in Practice), critical inquiry is part of the criteria (Education Council (n.d.)
Criterion 12 is "use critical inquiry and problem-solving effectively in their professional practice"
The key indicators are:
systematically and critically engage with evidence and professional literature to reflect on and refine practice
respond professionally to feedback from members of their learning community
critically examine their own beliefs, including cultural beliefs, and how they impact on their professional practice and the achievement of ākonga
Further details can be found on the Education Council Website.

Teaching as InquiryThe NZ Ministry of Education also has a series of web pages explaining what they define as Teaching as Inquiry
The Spiral of Inquiry

This is described on the MoE's TKI website as “a fresh rethink on the structure of teaching as inquiry.” (Ministry of Education, 2015). It emphasises involvement of learners, their families and communities and developing learner agency. It states that engaging in inquiry is a process of developing collective professional agency either within a school or across a cluster of schools. The approach is described in Timperley, Kaser & Halbert (2014). They emphasise agency and collaboration: "Engaging in inquiry is a process of developing collective professional agency either within a school or across a cluster of schools”, and “Nor can leaders decide what the focus of their inquiry should be. It is the collaborative inquiry process that matters”
A number of teachers use this approach rather than the Teaching as Inquiry cycle, described in more detail on the Ministry web site.

Spiral Playbook