An Exploration of Inquiry in the English Classroom

By: Alison Colwell

As an intern, I realized that there were going to be ample ways to teach English to the class.
However, I wanted a way that would directly encompass the students in the learning process. As the
first month came and went, I saw in my observations the various ways shape before my very eyes.
And not surprisingly, those teaching methods of lecturing for the solid forty-eight minutes have
become outdated (for some teachers). Today, we know that this leads to a student who is
indifferent. Or they are trying so hard to keep up with their note taking that they really are unable to
grasp what the teacher is saying. Yes, I do understand that it is the role of the teacher to
communicate knowledge, but this must take place with a delicate balance of student involvement.
As the months went by and I was thinking about my own inquiry project, I realized that the key
to the classroom is in that word, inquiry. No, this is not a unique concept since in the English
classroom today, teachers are realizing that this needs to be done and can be done with today's
technology. However, the degree to which it is done and how it is done, still needs to be questioned.
Definition of Inquiry
Inquiry is described as, "A seeking for truth, information or knowledge-seeking information by
questioning" (Learning Partnership, N.D.). What this means is that students do research on a topic
that is generated through a series of questions. An old adage best explains the basis of inquiry:
"Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand" (Learning
Partnership, N.D.). Students who are actively participating in inquiry learn much better than if the
teacher was lecturing to them. The students that I interviewed really stressed that it is easier for
them to understand the material when they are physically involved rather than just reading the text
or hearing a lecture.
Another definition is, "Pursuing significant questions through using questions and ways of
researching from a range of knowledge systems" (Wells, 1999). This definition focuses on
inquiry's ability to connect the student's knowledge to the curriculum and research. Therefore,
inquiry connects the known knowledge to the unknown. In Dr. Myers book he explains that by
connecting the students' social world with what they are learning helps them understand the
unknown (Myers, 200 1). Figure A shows how inquiry is able to connect the students'
personal/social knowledge to the sign systems and knowledge systems.
Inquiry is not only developing questions, but also examining how these questions impact the
world around them. Thus, it is not just the students' world that they are concerned with, but also the
historical and cultural world. This is accomplished through their being active participants in their
learning. This is done by first examining their passions and then exploring, through many forms of
media, possible solutions and metaphorical representations. They begin to not only learn how to
learn but also how they can impact the world around them.
Though inquiry is considered a new educational reform movement, its philosophical basis can be
retraced back to the early twentieth century. Dewey, in particular, realized that, "Education, therefore
must begin with a psychological insight into the child's capacities, interests and habits" (Dewey,
1929). Thus, Dewy saw that in order for the classroom to really affect a child it must contain
curriculum that is a reflection of the students' interests. And one can see that the basis of inquiry is
letting the student explore topics that are related to their own questions. It is from these questions
that inquiry can be a tool that connects the child's social world (capacities, interests, and habits) to
the curriculum. But what does Dewey feel about inquiry in an English classroom? "Literature is the
reflex expression and interpretations of social experience; that hence it must follow and not precede
such experience. It, therefore, cannot be made the basis, although it may be made the summary of
unification" (Dewey, 1929). Thus, Dewey again reinforces inquiry and the students' social world.
When an English teacher is teaching a certain text they cannot just explain the plot, symbolism and
themes that scholars connect with the text. If this is done the student walks away without a real
understanding of the novel. Instead, the teacher must use inquiry to help the student see their own
lives and experiences throughout the text. This way they will not only be able to identify with the
characters but also see how their perspectives lie within the many interpretations of the text. They
will also understand how powerful the text is if they can make a personal connection through
inquiry and artifacts.
Cuban also examined what a classroom should be like to be the most effective. "Applied to the
classroom, fundamental changes would aim at transforming the teacher's role lives of children....
from that of a central source of power and knowledge to the role of a coach who guides students to
their own decisions, who helps them find meaning in their experiences and what they learn from
one another and from books ... Teaching becomes less telling and more listening. Student learning
becomes active and includes group work, play, independent work, and artistic expression. There is
less seatwork and listening to the teacher explain" (Cuban, 1993). This reinforces inquiry in that it
will fundamentally change the role of the classroom and the relationship between students and
teacher. The classroom automatically becomes less traditional since the students begin to have
power over what they are learning. The teacher takes on the role of a mentor who instead of
force-feeding their knowledge helps to guide the students where the students deem to go. The
teacher, through abstraction, reflection and discussion, encourages an open classroom where all of
the students' views and questions are heard.
Advantages of Inquiry
The reason that inquiry is so essential to the larger issue of school reform is that it has the
potential to create a classroom environment that is more conducive to student learning. There are
many advantages for both the teacher and the students who participate in inquiry learning.
First, it presents students with empowerment in the classroom (Inquiry Page, 1998). The teacher
is not the sole focus and he/she becomes more of a mentor to the student (The Inquiry School,
N.D.). Instead of the teacher being the questioner and answerer, the classroom becomes more
student focused. And because the students are generating the questions, inquiry can work with
multiple skill levels at once. A teacher can be assured that it can affect both the fast pace and slow
pace learners in their classroom. They now do not have to just sit there and take notes but they have
a role in what topics they are learning and what their product will be. This leads to more interest in
what they are doing because they feel a sense of control and they know that they work at the level
that is appropriate for them (Crawford, 1996).
A student's metacognitive skills can be developed through inquiry (Wells, 1999). They do not
just have to memorize material and then reiterate it on a test; instead, they have to develop skills for
researching, organizing, thinking abstractly, questioning and reflecting. These skills are applicable
to all areas of their life and will help them in their personal, school, work and social lives. A student
who is learning these skills now will have intrinsic motivation and will continue their learning
throughout their lives.
Inquiry also combines the student's social world with the curriculum, which helps the child
understand both better. A student who can see a text for the same issues that are currently going on
in their lives will better understand the social world of the characters and its relation to their life
(Myers, 2001).
Though our educators are often slow to change, inquiry is important to implement. It is the
answer for the new reform movements that are underway, led by educators who are realizing how
stagnant education has been. It consists of all of the important elements that we realize will help our
students learn: asking questions, reflection, student control, student choice and hands on learning.
But most importantly is the new relationship the inquirer has with the teacher. The teacher delves
into the abstract with the students while having both the student and teacher lead the class
simultaneously. This is a long cry from our classrooms where the teacher transmits their
knowledge and expects the students to learn silently and non-objectively.
Steps of Inquiry
In order to have students understand what the inquiry process is, it is important to explain to
them the steps of Inquiry before they start. If they understand that there are certain components that
are involved they will get a better picture of the whole process. But the inquiry process is similar to
the writing process. Not only is it meant to be flexible but it enables the inquirer to go back to
certain steps to review, develop another question, and to connect the inquiry to abstract
representations. In addition, the process is circular so you might finish the cycle for one particular
inquiry and then realize that first question has led to another.... and then you start this process over.
However, each step, although the order or way it is done is flexible, is important. One cannot have
an inquiry without a question, research, nor could a true inquiry not include some sort of creation
(even if its is an outline). And the inquirer knows that to really take full advantage of the process it
is important to gather additional ideas from colleagues and reflect on your question, how your
approached it and new ways to think about it.
Figure B
(Inquiry Page, 1998)
1. Ask- Finding the question that matters, which can be either teacher or student generated.
2. Investigate- Gathering information on the question area through research.
3. Create-Shaping the new information into a schema that the students understand and creating a
product (artifact, paper, presentation, etc.).
4. Discuss- Sharing their discoveries with others. This is why a positive classroom community
must be present.
5. Reflect- Looking over their insights and asking what they have learned, what they should have
done, and if new questions have developed.
My Experience
What inquiry means for an English classroom can be exciting. Throughout this year, I have
been amazed at what the students can accomplish without the strict guidance of a teacher. In fact, I
think that the students work better when they are given a more abstract assignment than one that is
too detailed and doesn't give flexibility. Although my experience is in an eleventh grade, college
prep classroom, this can be applicable for all grade levels.
I think that one of the most damaging misconceptions of inquiry is to think that it is too hard
for the grade or level of English that you are teaching. In order for it to be fortuitous, a teacher must
believe that their class can accomplish it. Too many times teachers think that because their class
might be the lowest level English class, instead of the college prep or advanced class, that it might
not work with their students. That is why inquiry is so phenomenal. The level that the students
perform to are designated by the students themselves instead of by material that is to hard too
comprehend, or due to writing that is beyond their abilities. Though the product of an Inquiry
would be different between English 12 and A.P. 12, both would be able to work within their
particular level.
This is because a student from a lower level class who understands the steps will pick something
that is Important to him to research. And he will decide what to explore to learn about his topic.
Thus, he can choose material that he can understand and make the connections that he sees. And the
teacher cannot judge the topic (within reason) but can judge the amount of work put forth and the
connections that are made. And if the teacher takes on a mentor role of helping him understand
certain material or helping him select certain texts, there is no reason that the A. P. class would learn
more since the directions of the inquiry are what influences the level of learning. In fact, inquiry is
done even at the elementary level and those students get just as much from it as the high school
students. Some might even say that the lower level students might need it more since they are often
exposed to less metacognitive skill based lessons.
I created three inquiry units throughout the year: transcendentalism inquiry project a poetry
anthology project and a group inquiry project that revolves around To Kill A Mockingbird. All three
units revolved around having the students research a particular question, share their ideas, and create
some sort of end product. In order for them to understand what inquiry was the first unit was small
and the question was teacher directed and introduced them to artifacts. The second unit was three
weeks instead of one and was a more developed inquiry unit. They had the opportunity to not only
ask their own question but we also went more in depth on each of the inquiry steps. The third unit
was what we were working up to and what I considered a real inquiry unit. They were able to
explore questions around a text, connect their own lives to the historical and cultural research and
present their findings to the class.
Transcendentalism Unit
In the first unit that I created, Transcendentalism, I planned with the notion in mind that I
wanted them to experience some sort of inquiry project. My topic was transcendentalism and I
knew that the topic itself might turn the students away from the project. However, I was determined.
I decided to begin with a small inquiry project that the students were to do on their own. Instead of
lecturing for the class period on what Transcendentalism was, I decided to have them learn on their
own. My intention was for them to take one class period and research Transcendentalism in the
computer lab. I decided that because I wanted there to be individualized variety I would not give
them web sites, instead I gave them essential terms that they could use in their key word search.
They were supposed to read over a few web sites, and then put into their own words meanings for
Transcendentalism. I told them that the next day we would read these aloud in class to make them
take the inquiry seriously.
Because I knew that English classes in State College were less traditional than some other
classrooms elsewhere, I was curious to see what level of inquiry the students had previously
experienced. Their retort really astonished me. I heard from one boy, "How can we write a one page
paper on something when we don't know what it is?" I found that they felt that the assignment was
too vague and as one girl said, "Couldn't you give us a list of web sites that we could use so we
would understand this better?" I told them that it was not supposed to be a hard assignment and was
just supposed to introduce this topic to them. However, I could feel their frustration.
Frustration is something all teachers encounter. And because the teacher is not the sole speaker
in the student-centered classroom, frustrations will be present. But because the benefits outweigh
the level of frustration one must learn to deal with it, especially at the start of introducing inquiry to
the class. One thing a teacher needs to do is understand that the students are feeling frustrated
because they are doing something that they are not familiar with. Thus, the teacher needs to explain
to the students the reasons that frustration can be positive. Explore with the student what area they
are concerned with and ask them how you can help. Most often it is the abstractness of the
assignment or their not understanding why the teacher is posing the assignment.
When the students do not understand why the teacher is not just lecturing to them, explore with
them what times they have learned the most in school. I doubt that it will be a lecture on the
Holocaust; instead when they went to the Holocaust museum, anything where their learning was
more hands on. And explain that they will be able to choose what their questions will be, so that
they might explore an area where they show interest, even if they don't see its connection to school.
Devising this unit, I had wondered how to incorporate choice. At the end of their unit, I wanted to
do another inquiry that would give them more choice and creativity. I also wanted them to be able to
display their talents. Their objective was to create an artifact that exhibited the Transcendentalist's
views on nature. During the previous weeks, we had read Emerson, Dillard and Whitman and I
wanted to see if they could relate these readings to their own creation. They were able to express
their ideas in a painting, essay, drawing, poem, poster and if they wanted to do something different
they could talk it over with me, I was hoping that they would be more open to this than the one page
inquiry they had done previously. Out of curiosity, I asked how many had done artifacts before and
only three or four in each class raised their hand. Therefore, I was not sure what to expect. Along
with the artifact, they were required to write a page explanation of bow their artifact exhibited these
ideas. We had decided to include the written component so that when we looked at their artifact so
we would not miss any of their connections and were able to really understand what the student felt
each piece of his/her artifact symbolized,
This time I introduced the project on a Thursday and the following Monday gave them the class
period to work on it. That Tuesday we shared their artifacts in a presentation where they showed us
the artifact and read their explanation. I was very pleased with the results. I found that they really
enjoyed the aspect of being able to choose what format to create their artifact. The collage that is
shown in Figure C was a representation of an artifact that used the girl's own creative ideas to
examine, in metaphorical representation what they were learning. Moreover, it seemed that most
decided to choose artifacts that displayed their talents. This was especially true for one boy who
usually is not an active participant in class, but became very excited when he learned that he could
draw for the artifact. He was very proud to not only show the class his artifact (Figure D) but also
explain to me the symbolic meaning behind it. Overall I was pleased with both the artifacts and the
accompanying explanations, which really grasped the readings that they had read. From a survey I
gave them on the unit, I found that most said that the artifact was their favorite part because it
allowed them to be creative. It also gave me time as a teacher to individually praise them. One girl,
who is rather timid and always doubts her writing ability, produced a beautiful poem (Figure E) that
the whole class talked about. I knew that this was the perfect opportunity to let her not only open up
to her classmates, but to also build confidence in herself.
The Rock
I have been formed and shaped over eternities age
My every smooth ridge and sharp surface revealing my years
My surface slowly Conforming to the patterns
Of the delicate winds whispers
And tender placid droplets of rain gently coming to rest on their mother earth's surface-
Carefully forming my outward appearance.
I am strong and sturdy
And cannot be destroyed with one easy blow
Only over time will my true pattern show.
I Plant myself firmly into the ground
You walk upon me leaving prints in the soil surrounding my resting place
But the scuff of your shoes on my surface merely brushes the dried grains of the earth
That the rains splashes upon my surface
To become part of my outer protector
The weather and winds cause my outside surface to trans-Form and adapt
No matter how much I resist- I fall into its trap.
But the inside-my soul-the foundation of my form
Gives my outside the resistance-to too quickly conform
I also made sure that I incorporated the prescribed inquiry steps for this unit. For the 'Ask'
section, this involved having the students' question what the transcendentalist views about nature
were. This led to questions about who the leaders were, what they wrote and their political and
cultural views. The 'investigation' included reading through the journals, essays and poems of that
time and doing research on the web. They read Walden Pond, Civil Disobedience, and Annie
Dillard's essays. The 'create' came into play with their creation of the paper and artifact. This
included the one page definition of Transcendentalism and artistic representations from Bonsai
trees to poetry. The 'discussion' took place in a roundtable class discussion where everyone shared
his or her artifact and explanation and asked questions. And the 'reflection' came in the form of the
survey, where they examined what they liked about the unit and what they felt should be changed.
Poetry Anthology
The second inquiry project the students did revolved around poetry. During the first week, we
introduced and analyzed multiple poems, read them aloud and they constructed their own. This
week was intended to have them get accustomed to poetry so they would be more comfortable with
the next project. I think that this week was vital since one student commented, "I really have never
read poetry for fun. The next week they went to the library and they were given directions that
would guide them in their poetry inquiry. They were to find ten to fifteen poems that exemplified
one of the things on the list. These included finding poems that were written by a woman, a haiku, a
poem where the tone changes at the end, contains personification, etc. They then spent two days
reading over poems from books that had been previously pulled and decided which ones they
would include in their inquiry. The students had to do research on one poet that they really
connected with and analyze a poem. Then they were supposed to either do another research activity
where they generated the question or created an artifact. This last thing let the students start to pose
their own questions. They were ready for this for they were starting to understand inquiry.
This readiness was shown when students asked questions such as: how does the poetry reflect
the current issues of the time, how is a particular poem a representation of the poet's life, what
makes his/her poetry appeal to teenagers, and how does this poem exhibit certain features of a
poetic movement. Another advantage to the students picking their topics and their poetry was being
able to hear their voices. And it was from the power of their voices that I knew that they were
becoming more comfortable with inquiry. One girl wrote about Nikki Giovanni since she identified
with her struggles of being an African American female:
"Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on June 7,1943. 5he grew up during the Civil
rights movement which had a huge impact or) her interests and her morals. She entered Nashvilles
Fisk University in 1960.... Every poem contains a feeling that she wants to get across and she
usually does this in a basic style poem.I think that Giovanni's style of writing is not as
important as the meaning and her messages of her poems. Her poems are not very diverse or even
unique, but the messages are. Her writing explains her life and the challenges she had gone through
from being an African-American female."
Another girl expressed to me that she really enjoyed reading poetry that was written about
teenagers. And through her choice assignment, I realized that the students often take this
opportunity of a choice inquiry to write about issues that they are dealing with:
"Picking poems for my anthology was simple because I found the poems appealed to me and
incorporated them in. All of my poems contain an overall emotion or overall theme that is serious
and real. These themes range from anorexia to love to feminism. ---1 also chose those poems
because teenagers wrote them and I feel that I can relate to their writings better than I can to
someone older than I.
When I told one of the students that we had done the first unit to get ready for the poetry inquiry I
asked him how he was doing. Since he had some trouble with the first inquiry unit, I was pleased
when he said, "It's a lot of work but I can start to see myself in it".
Group Project Inquiry
This was the most extensive inquiry project that we did. We were required to have our class
read the novel To Kill A Mockingbird so I structured the inquiry unit around this. I know that it is
hard to understand the text if the students do not understand the historical and cultural context
revolving around the novel. Therefore, I put them into groups and they were required to research
divergent areas around the text. Some examples include the Civil Rights Movement, The Scottsboro
Trials and Harper Lee. Their groups were supposed to give a fifteen-minute presentation that was
creative and engaging and included a hand out. They had two days to research and plan their
presentation. They separated the topics into individual topics and then, on the last day, the group
gathered and discussed all of their information and planned how they would present it. This was
fast paced but it really focused the students and by this time they realized what inquiry was all
about.
The next part of this unit was discussion about the text lead by the different groups. They also
were required to do one journal writing that contained their reaction to the text and connected the
research that their group did to the novel. Therefore, the students were forming the connection
between the inquiry and the curriculum and were able to physically see this connection. This was
completed after the students had finished reading the whole text. I had wanted them to actually do
three or four of these journal writings but I was unable to accomplish this since my mentor teacher
didn't think that there would be enough time. More journal writings would have been important
because they could compare how their interpretations of the novel changed as they got further in
their inquiry projects.
Although the main creation was their presentation to the class, it is important to look at some quotes
from their journal writings. Therefore, we can physically see how they were starting to make
connections with the text to their research:
Understanding the Scottsboro trials is essential to understanding the trials of Tom Robinson.
By researching and presenting on the Scottsboro trials, we learned the many similarities between
the two trials. Some of these similarities were they both took place in the 193o's in Alabama; they
both involved rape charges against a black man by white women. In both cases an ailment
potentially made rape impossible. Also because Harper Lee grew up while the Scottsboro trials
were taking place we can better understand why she included this is the book. Since she saw
firsthand the injustice of racism ... We had never heard of the trials before so researching this
helped us with the book.
Another group that researched civil rights did an excellent job in their presentation by introducing
us to black leaders who were not as famous as Martin Luther King Jr. And in their journal
reflection I particularly liked how they connected their research and the strengths of the
presentation.
From our research on civil rights, blacks had a small amount of power and influence in that
society of that time. In the story blacks live in run down houses and are seen as a menace to
society. Although the time periods were different, the era in the story is slowly moving towards the
idea of civil rights. The character of Atticus is a symbol of this because he is a white man defending
a black man which is unheard of at this time. In our research, we studied many black leaders who
became prominent figures in the early 1950s. We had never heard of most of these leaders in our
history class so it was neat reading about them. Also our research gave the civil rights movement
more of a personal feel since we looked at individuals and their stories. And we see through our
classes surprise during our presentation that they too had never seen or heard these stories either.
But because the text took place in the 30s these figures were not represented. However from our
research we learned that many crusaders started their fight against racism in the early 30s-40s. So it
was obvious that Harper Lee realized that blacks were being mistreated and that certain figures had
already began to stand up for them.
Observations
After observing the students' reaction to the inquiries done in class, I realized that there were
certain elements to inquiry projects. And because I was at the end of the year and at the end of my
inquiry exploration, I realized that to really understand if this inquiry has any affect on our English
students, I could not just look at their work, but I must ask them. Therefore, I asked three of my
students to meet with me one on one for about forty-five minutes. I approached each interview with
a set of questions that reflected on their thoughts about 'inquiry in general (after a thorough
definition was given), the different components and what they had noticed about the units that we
had done this year. I encouraged them to really be honest with me and not to worry about the
answers they thought I wanted. For this reason, I did not tell them the focus of my research project
until we were done with the interview. I compared their answers to my own reflections throughout
the year on what I found to be the critical components of inquiry:
Choice in format and subject
Audience
Examples
Introducing the project
Artifacts
1. CHOICE
What I realized through my own experience with inquiry in the classroom was that the students
were telling me indirectly and sometimes directly what is involved in inquiry.
The first lesson that I took out of this was that they needed to have a certain level of choice. Not
only do they feel that it gives them more freedom, but they also can choose to do a project in which
they are interested. No, this does not just have to deal with the artistic projects, like the artifact, but
can just deal directly with subject matter. If a student can choose what subject to write on it will be
better for both teacher and student if they like what they are doing. I discovered that a certain level
of choice makes the student feel more invested and passionate about what they are doing and
quality level will rise.
This was reinforced through the students' comments that were interviewed. They all stated that
choice was very important to them because often a teacher will pick a research topic for them and,
"they won't really care about it". Those interviewed found the poetry unit easier than the
Transcendentalism paper because they were able to go in the direction they chose. And because
they had interest, they were more invested in the outcome. Andrew did add an interesting point in
that most of the class still needs guidance even if they do have choice. Otherwise, they are unsure of
what they are supposed to do and will become discouraged.
Another thing that the students were telling me is that they wanted to be able to choose what form
this inquiry takes place. In an English class where most of it is writing intensive, it gives the student
a creative break to be able to choose to show their thoughts in a painting or poster. In the
transcendentalism projects the students were able to show their talents and able to use these to
express an abstract idea. Yes, it was accompanied by a written explanation but they were able to use
their creative artifact to base their thinking. The freedom that the students had on what to choose to
do made them own it.
2. AUDIENCE
I also realized that what you do with their inquiry is just as important as the inquiry itself Though
some of the students were shy with reading their piece aloud, they seemed to enjoy seeing all of the
different ideas that their friends had. Moreover, by letting them know that there would be an
audience besides the teacher made the assignment have more purpose. This was also reinforced in
my student interviews when Paul said that when he has the class as an audience he is more
motivated to work harder since he does not want to come across as not knowing what he is doing.
Nevertheless, he does notice that if his audience is just the teacher', such as in journal writings, he
feels freer with what he says since he is not afraid of embarrassment. Yes, they might have groaned
at the idea of sharing both inquiries but it again gave them a sense of responsibility and ownership.
3. INTRODUCTION
Another key I found was the way the inquiry is introduced. The first inquiry I did, the one page
paper, I wanted to make small so that they would get used to the idea of working and creating on
their own. The second project, the artifact, was more involved. But, because they had the experience
with the first project, they were more comfortable creating these ideas on their own and examining
our discussions on the writers. I heard less of "I don't understand what you mean" and more of, "I
know what I am going to do.
I just need to plan how I am going to do it." Also, they seemed more comfortable with the idea of
working with an abstract assignment and producing an end piece. In fact, in the survey, the majority
emphasized how it would have been easier for them to understand Transcendentalism if I had just
told them what it was. However, not one student said that about the artifact assignment. Also in the
introduction, you want the students to set clear goals about their inquiry. This eliminates confusion
if they feel that they have a clear plan of where they want to be on their assignment in a week.
4. EXAMPLES
This was a real dilemma for me since I felt that if they had an example of what I had envisioned
them doing, I would stifle them. I imagined giving them an example of an artifact or
Transcendentalism explanation and they would come in the next day with work strikingly similar. I
did not know what to do. For the paper, I did not give them an example because I was too afraid.
But for the artifact, I gave them a poem of Mary Oliver and explained how this could be considered
her artifact since the transcendental views are built into the poem. And did the majority do poems
on flowers? No. However, it did seem to alleviate some of their fears. While they were working,
and if they had questions on the assignment itself, I would again draw their attention to the poem
and we would discuss how it was symbolic of the assignment. And by having something to draw
from made them understand the assignment better. Examples are important since it gives them a
base to work from. However, if I were doing it over again, I would give them a variety of different
examples. This would only let them see the different way an assignment can be done.
In the interview the issue of whether teachers should give examples with inquiry, the reaction was
mixed. Andrew felt that they were a waste of time and all that the teacher should do is make sure the
assignment had guidelines. Paul reminded me that they were teenagers, and teenagers whether they
would admit it or not, liked structure! And he felt that examples helped them but did not lead them.
5. ARTIFACTS
Artifacts enable students to show what they have learned and their skills. They are the epitome of
the inquiry theory since they are adapting an abstract theory into something physical by using their
metacognitive skills. In addition, they have a variety of mediums: poetry, paintings, essays, collages,
photographs, drawings, etc. This enables the student to use their special skills to show what they
have learned. I heard from many students that they loved doing the artifact since they had choice of
medium and it gave them a chance to be creative. I was very surprised at the deep meaning behind
their artifacts. "Outside of school, learners do not use only reading and writing to create and share
meaning. They have multiple sign systems available, including music, art, mathematics, movement,
and drama as well as language. Any of these sign systems can be vehicles for learning and thinking
about a particular inquiry" (Short, 1996).
During our interview I was surprised to learn that they had all done less than three artifacts in
their academic career. But they really enjoyed them. Ellie, an amazing writer, expressed that it was
an opportunity to be creative which she really enjoyed. Andrew told me that he was in the class that
Dr. Myers taught with Mrs. Paul when he was researching inquiry and social worlds. Andrew said
that what he had learned from this is that he liked artifacts since he was able to put his life into the
artifact and use it to understand what he was learning.
Inquiry Changes
Because I learned a lot from one inquiry project to the next, I made changes throughout the year.
In the survey given after the Transcendentalism project, I learned that many of them were frustrated
with the inquiry process and would have rather had me lecturing to them. Paul found the most
difficulty with the Transcendentalism unit becomes he felt that it was too abstract. In the Poetry
Anthology, I gave a weeklong introduction to poetry. The reason I had added this was that in their
surveys they let me know that they were struggling with what they were expected to do; that they
were scared to start on a topic that they did not know anything about. The project also gave them
the ability to pose their own questions, which really improved the level of excitement and helped
Paul with the abstractness. Students who are researching something that they want to, rather than
what the teachers wants them to, are more willing to put more work into their projects. I also gave
them more direction throughout the whole process. Each day they were given a new explanation
and then given time to work on that particular project. Therefore, they were not bombarded all at
once with the whole unit.
For the To Kill a Mockingbird inquiry, I allowed them to work in groups. Ellie said that she
thought that both group and individual projects have advantages and disadvantages, but group
projects were better since you can depend on other people and you can get an array of different
opinions. Though they did do their research individually, they had the support structure of the
group to discuss each person's information and figure where it fit into the overall topic. In addition,
they had more control and freedom to state their own views through the Journaling and discussions,
which really let me see them in the projects.
While in the TKM group projects they came to understand the value of inquiry and were
actually enjoying it. Andrew thought having everyone come on certain days with questions let us
hear the voice of the class, see and hear what was relevant to them, and also hear their stories about
how their own lives are connected with the text. Also they had a lot of discussion. In the To Kill a
Mockingbird unit, I used it as both a tool to connect our research to the text and as a base for
reflection. Andrew said that everyone liked the To Kill a Mocking Bird unit since they liked the text,
saw how the text, through their inquiry, was based on real issues. This reinforces starting inquiry
on a small scale to allow the students to become comfortable with the idea of inquiry and then
slowly progress to the stage where they are solely responsible for their inquiry. Then they see not
only how it relates to them, but also the historical and cultural world.
At the end of the year I asked my students what they thought about inquiry in general. They all
agreed that they liked it since it gave the students more control and it was rather "fresh, more
involved and a lot less boning". For the teacher it is an answer to the role of the student-centered
classroom. And it is a vehicle for the students to discover his/her potential while at the same time
being able to see how their lives, their talents, and the historical world are all connected with their
curriculum.
Resources
Crawford, Kathleen & Short, Kathy. (1996). Learning Together Through Inquiry. Portland, Maine:
Stenhouse Publishers.
Myers, Jamie & Beach, Richard. (2001). Inquiry-Based English Instruction. New York, New York:
Teachers College Press.
Wells, Gordon. (1999). Dialogic Inquiry, Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University
Press.
Disney Learning Partnership. Inquiry-based Learning. Retrieved February 6, 2002, From:
http://www. thirteen. org/edonline/concept2class
Inquiry Page (198). Retrieved March 28, 2002, from: http://inquiry.uiuc.ed
The Inquiry School: A sketch of a high school for the next generation. Retrieved February 6, 2002,
from: http://www. horizon.Unc.edu/projects/HSJ/Malshaak. asp
Flinders, D.J. & Thornton, S.J. (1997). The curriculum studies reader. NY: Routledge
Cuban, L. (1993). How teachers taught (2nd ed.). NY: Teachers College Press.
Interviews:
Ellie Foard, personal communication, May 13, 2002
Paul Gaylo, personal communication, May 13, 2002
Andrew Beatty, personal communication, May 14, 2002