Investigating the guided inquiry process

Abstract

Guided Inquiry (GI) is “a way of thinking, learning and teaching that changes the culture of the classroom into a collaborative inquiry community” [1, p. xiii]. GI tasks and scaffolding are emerging in American and Australian contexts, based on the ISP and GID processes. However, there is a need for research in schools on the ways students use and transfer the GID process. This mixed methods study investigated the use and transfer of the GID process for Year 7 students in an all girls’ Catholic school in a capital city in Australia as they engaged in two projects in History and Geography. Overall, findings indicate that students were able to improve their practice of the GID process from the first project to the second and that they felt more confident using it the second time. They also show diverse interpretations and preferences towards integral elements of GI including choice of research topic.