Enquiry Based Learning

Professor David Leat

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‘Since we do not know what kind of information will be needed in the 21st century, it is senseless to teach it in advance. Instead we should be turning out people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learnt.’ John Holt, 1964

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High stakes assessment

• Wherever in the world high stakes national assessments have been introduced the following happens:

Results go upTeachers teach to the testThe curriculum narrows Student anxiety increasesEncourages performance orientation and superficial learning

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Language that allows teachers to think differently is drowned out

Targets

SafeguardingStandards

Objectives

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So what is Enquiry?• It is a process of doing and thinking driven by curiosity, hunches

and questions (it is not routine)• It can be independent or supported, formal or informal, individual

or collaborative• It is fed by drawing upon or acknowledging other perspectives or

voices, and opens us to being changed (self enhancing/correcting)• It may involve the making of new products, produce,

performances, art, services, endeavours or decisions• Learners assume as much responsibility as possible• Any assessment has to have regard to the whole person• It may well be ‘troublesome’

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A simple Enquiry modelCreating a

need to know

Asking questions

Using evidence

& experience

Making sense of evidence

& experience

Reflecting on learning

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What is the best potato to grow from seed?

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An opinion line

Harmony Tension

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harmony?

or tension?

How you know it’s working

• More and better talk which reflects thinking• Connections being made• Serious talk• Playful talk, jokes and laughter• Hand movements, frowns, smiles, body

language• Pupils changing their minds (occasionally)

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Solving a ‘Mystery’

Exploring the qualities we need to be Independent Enquirers – ‘Concept Star’

Student Enquiry into Enquiry Learning

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Enquiry - student voices from NE England

You got to see things from different people and how they see it, so they made different sense;

You get to choose what experiments you do, as long as it is safe;

I always think I am right but when I listened … I realised I wasn’t.

I never knew learning was like this;

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Convergent pedagogy

Assessment which starts from the aim to discover if the learner knows, understands or can do a predetermined thing is characterised by:

• precise planning by the teacher and an intention to stick to it

• closed or pseudo-open teacher questioning and tasks• authoritative, judgmental or quantitative feedback• an analysis of the interaction of learners and the

curriculum from the point of view of the curriculum.

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Divergent pedagogy

Assessment which starts from the aim to discover what the learner knows, understands or can do:

• flexible planning or complex planning which incorporates alternatives

• primarily open tasks with questioning by teachers and learners directed at ‘helping’ rather than testing

• exploratory, provisional or provocative feedback aimed at prompting further engagement from learners

• an analysis of the interaction of learners and the curriculum from the point of view of both learners and the curriculum.

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This means the facilitator does not know beforehand

which direction will be taken!

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Structured activities help learners uncover the processes of learning, thinking and enquiry

Introduction of practical tools and techniques to help learners develop appropriate skills

Induction into a culture of learning and enquiry

Teachers help learners to identify good ideas, questions or problems worth enquiring into and agree with them their learning or enquiry focus

Teachers provide support with process; success indicators are negotiated and evaluation shared

‘Skilful neglect’ of learners to grant them discovery space

Learners devise their own enquiry or project

Teachers provide support and guidance when requested

Flexible learning/assessment relationships

Preparation is designed to enable improvisation (‘Jazz’)

SolidStructured teacher directed

Supported teacher-learner negotiated

learner directed/teacher facilitated

Open

Adapted from ‘Studio Thinking Framework’ CP 2008, Lois Hetland

Stages of development in Enquiry Learning

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Community of

Enquiry

Philosophy for Children

P4CSelf

Organised Learning

Environments SOLEs

Mantle of the ExpertMoE

Mini Enquiry

Degrees of freedom

Solid

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P4C

MoE

SOLEsIndependent EnquiryTeacher• presents or

facilitates the formulation of a question• enlists supportive others: ‘Granny Cloud’

Students:

• stands back and ‘let’s go’

• facilitates sharing of learning

• organise and manage themselves

• interrogate knowledge bases to find answers

• motivated by need to know, puzzlement

Three enquiry-based systems used in schoolsP4C Community of Enquiry

Students:

Teacher:

• facilitates dialogue

• in dialogue - create a deeper philosophical understanding

• share stimulus

• formulate and agreethe enquiry question

• models ‘confidence in uncertainty’

• selects ‘rich’ stimuli for philosophical enquiry

• motivated by puzzle’ - ‘cognitive conflict’

• models genuine enquiry and honest evaluation

Imaginative EnquiryTeacher: • takes on an

‘imaginary’ role e.g. manager

• creates ‘props’ for signifying roles

• co-directs ‘productive tension’ & ‘dramatic action’

Students: • motivated by

‘tension’

• make believe

• explore dramatic situations ‘in the now’• gather info through enquiry learning

• connects ‘frame’ ‘roles‘ & commissions’ to learner needs

P4C

Some identified problems with these systemsCommunity of Enquiry

Students:

Teacher:

• facilitates dialogue

• in dialogue - create a deeper philosophical understanding

• share stimulus

• formulate and agreethe enquiry question

• models ‘confidence in uncertainty’

• selects ‘rich’ stimuli for philosophical enquiry

• motivated by puzzle’ - ‘cognitive conflict’

• lacks facilitation skills , unwilling to ‘dig deeper’, tendency to ask leading questions

• unused to asking ‘philosophical ’ questions and even questions they do not know the answer to

• lacks authentic connection with philosophy, doubts the value of questioning everything

• motivated by the pleasure of ‘certainty’, ‘clever’ ones worried by not knowing

• uncomfortable with being confused, needs linear connection of ideas, loses track and panics

• chooses stimuli with predictable questions and ‘comfortable’ answers

• unused to ambiguous, difficult to ‘read’ stimuli

• models genuine enquiry and honest evaluation

• unused to ‘exploratory talk’, bored by talk, immature habits of mind, …”it’s too hard!”

• A dramatic enquiry in which the class work as if they are a group of experts

• They work from a point of view – with the responsibilities, language and behaviours of that community, as far as possible

• Teachers have to plan to keep the imagined role ‘topped up’

Mantle of the Expert– Dorothy Heathcote

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• identify an enterprise to run• a client who needs a job done• running the enterprise generates a wide range

of learning opportunities which are relatively authentic

• drama conventions help pupils take on other perspectives and tackle dilemmas

The ‘enterprise’

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An enterprise

• You are the organising committee for the Vegetable and Produce Show, which has not been run for 5 years

• Client is the chairperson of the parish council• You have to plan and run the show – deciding

on the ‘classes’, the entry rules, the criteria, the timing, venue, the publicity, the budget ... everything!

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The Vegetable & Produce Show

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Armathwaite School

• Grant to appoint a part time community development officer

• She found and developed ‘enquiry’ partners in the community

• Pupils researched, designed and made new sandwiches at the village bakery, weekend packages at the local dog hotel, and a wedding and reception at the local church

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Six Thinking Hats: what do they mean?

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WHITE HAT THINKINGWhat are the facts?Are there any figures that show what is happening?What information is missing?

RED HAT THINKINGHow do people feel about this?Does everyone feel the same?How might people’s feelings change?

BLACK HAT THINKINGWhat problems are there?Should we be cautious or concerned?What are the dangers?

YELLOW HAT THINKINGWhat benefits are there?Can we make any savings?How might this help?

GREEN HAT THINKINGWhat are our options?How creative can we be in addressing this?Does anyone have any better ideas?

BLUE HAT THINKINGHow could we get the information that we need?How can we best analyse this problem?How good is our thinking?What is the next stage?

Some feared teacher losses:

control - what happens if they can’t get on with each other?

Some expected pupil gains:engagement - they’ll want to be more involved in learning

life skills - they’ll learn self-management, teamwork & how to learn

straightforward assessment - how do we assess it?

time - how will we cover the syllabus and how long is it going to take them to become independent enquirers?

role, status, comfort, confidence - we’re teachers not facilitators; it’s our job to help students avoid failure

culture of learning - partnership with staff, students & outside agencies

Teachers and pupils need:experience exploration expression

depth of understanding - what if they just ‘cut and paste’ information?

How do teachers get to grips with Enquiry?

truth - how will we know if students are developing misconceptions?

encouragement

H. Timperley, A. Wilson, H. Barrar & I. Fung (2007)Teacher Professional Learning and DevelopmentWellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education

Teacher enquiry & knowledge-building cycleto promote valued student outcomes

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