Enquiry Based Learning David Leat Research Centre for Learning and Teaching (CfLaT) Newcastle University David Leat: EBL1.

Enquiry Based Learning

David LeatResearch Centre for Learning and

Teaching (CfLaT) Newcastle University

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Practical Wisdom (Phronesis)

• Phronesis is the capability to consider mode of action in order to deliver change, especially to enhance the quality of life (or even teaching!). Aristotle says that phronesis is not simply a skill, as it involves … the ability to reflect upon and determine that end.

• Phronesis is concerned with how to act in particular situations. One can learn the principles of action, but applying them in the real world, in new situations, requires experience. It is one thing to know that one should be honest but knowing how to apply honesty …

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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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The effects of assessment: PACE - A longitudinal study of (200+) primary pupils through the early years of National Curriculum

• McNess, E., Triggs, P., Broadfoot, P., Osborn, M. and Pollard, A. (2001)'The changing nature of assessment in English primary classrooms: Findings from the PACE project 1989-1997',Education 3-13, 29:3, pp. 9 — 16.

• The children in the study were very aware of the importance of good marks and getting things right. Many of them avoided challenge and had a low tolerance of ambiguity.

• They expressed a preference for easy tasks and had low persistence when they found things hard ..... they increasingly referred to their poor performance as a reflection of their innate ability.

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PACE: A longitudinal study of primary pupils through the early years of National Curriculum

• In moving through primary school the pupils studied became increasingly instrumental and adept at playing a pupil role.

• Unfortunately, it seems that the extent of content specification of the NC and its assessment structures may ... be undermining positive dispositions to learn. ... The research suggests that we should be particularly concerned about the attitudes and lifelong learning skills of pupils of both low and average ability.

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High stakes assessment

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

Results go up; Teachers teach to the test; The curriculum narrows; Student anxiety increases; Encourages performance orientation and surface

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 model

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Enquiry Based Curriculum and Learner Relationships 11

Enquiry Based Curriculum and Learner Relationships 12

An opinion line

Harmony Tension1

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1

2

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How you know its working

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

language (animation)• Pupils changing their minds (occasionally).

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Enquiry Learning – Solving a ‘Mystery’

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

Student Enquiry into Enquiry Learning

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Student voices from NE EnglandYou 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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A ‘Thinking Tool’ and a mini ‘solid’ enquiry

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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. This is characterised by:

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

• c. closed or pseudo-open teacher questioning and tasks;• e. authoritative, judgmental or quantitative feedback;• i. 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:

• a. flexible planning or complex planning which incorporates alternatives;

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

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

• i. 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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Analysis: Basil Bernstein’s concept of framing

Framing refers to the strength of the social rules in place in the educational settings such as classrooms and involves a ‘pedagogic discourse’ which helps define how students see themselves as a result of the classroom experiences. Instructional discourses reflect the selection of knowledge for teaching, such as its sequencing and criteria for assessment, while regulative discourses concern the social relations in the classroom, with regard to expectations of conduct and manner.

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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(Structure

)

Philosophy for/with Children

SOLEs(Self

Organised Learning

Environments)

Mantle of the Expert

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;

• So 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 – One enquiry model (Dorothy Heathcote)

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• The essential device is an enterprise to run and a client who needs a job done;

• Running the enterprise generates a wide range of learning opportunities which are relatively authentic;

• The drama conventions help them take on other perspectives and tackle dilemmas

The ‘enterprise’

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The enterprise

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

• The 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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Skills To Shine

• This particular project paired Newcastle’s Excelsior Academy with community regeneration specialists Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East.

• Students were set the task of acting as the preferred contractor / architect who had been tasked with submitting a full design brief, with internal and external recommendations for the construction of homes to house either: Asylum Seekers & Refugees, Young Parents with Families, Women Fleeing Violence or Young People aged 16-25.

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Skills To Shine

• The students were given the number of units required to be built and asked to consider: who would live in the houses, what the community needs, sustainable living, build and design. They then presented their ideas and plans to a panel of experts before one team was awarded the contract.

• The students spent half term acquiring the knowledge, skills and experience from the business mentors before preparing their presentations.

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In & out

• The pilot was launched at a specially designed day at St James

Park where students met professionals from the industry including chartered surveyors, community liaison officers, health and safety advisors, planners and building designers. Students also were given the opportunity to visit a fully operational site to see the jobs they were learning about in action.

• Students then presented their response to the brief to a panel of industry experts.

• Presentations also on employment opportunities in the building industry.

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6 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?

An ‘evaluatist’ stance

Deana Kuhn advocates an ‘evaluatist’ epistemology through which the individual can reach judgments about claims and opinions, a stance which is preferred to … ‘absolutist’ and ‘multiplist’ epistemologies. She emphasises the failure of most students to step outside of themselves and distinguish between their perspective and that of the writer of texts or indeed any ‘other’.

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Curriculum questions (Dillon 2009)

1. Nature of curriculum – what is it, what is it for? (for citizenship, for moral development, for delivery of vocational skills, for preparation for HE, for healthy lives, to pass exams!)

2. Elements of the curriculum – what is it composed of?• Who teaches it?• What is taught?• Where and when?• Why?• How?• What are the outcomes? Who learns what?• How is it assessed?

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REMAKING CURRICULUM

SUBJECTS

ENQUIRY

COMMUNITY

Dialogue - where different voices are heard and listened to. Meaning is not given but contested and explored.

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1. Manchester Area-Based Curriculum http://www.thersa.org/projects/area-based-curriculum/manchester-curriculum

• A shift towards an area-based curriculum implies a re-introduction of local contexts into curriculum making and therefore implies a re-organisation of the relationships between knowledge within the curriculum.

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Manchester: Constraints?

• While the early residentials offered important opportunities for ‘thinking big’, the pressures on teachers meant that in most cases they were forced rapidly to set aside the wider discussions and move quickly to design of the delivery of the curriculum. The planning process often involved teachers getting together after work, working on their own late at night, and snatched conversations …

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The shackles …

• The design of the residentials also structured the project: because only teachers were involved in the design process … there was no cross-school planning, and no collaborative curriculum design with out-of-school partners. The Manchester Curriculum, as a result, came to be not a ‘city-wide’ approach, but a schools-focused activity.

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Missing the boat?

• Local organisations welcomed partnership; • Briefing of partner organisations was often

poor;• Schools didn’t work with partners to design

curriculum and instead tended to build a partnership characterised by ‘commissioning’ or ‘visiting’ arrangements – buying-in expertise or finding locations to visit.

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Armathwaite School

• School used a grant to appoint a part time community development officer;

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

• The 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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Questions from the coEnquire network

Some feared losses:

control

It’s our job to help students avoid failure.

What happens if they can’t get on with each other?

Some expected gains:engagementlife skills

straightforward assessmentHow do we assess it?

They’ll learn self-management, teamwork, and how to learn.

time

role, status, comfort, confidence

culture of learning

Needs:experience exploration expression

They’ll want to be more involved in learning.

How will we cover the syllabus?

We’re teachers not a facilitators.

depth of understanding

What if they just ‘cut and paste’ information?

What do teachers need to get to grips with E.L.?

..in partnership with staff, students and outside agencies.

How long is it going to take them to become independent enquirers?

truth How will we know if students are developing misconceptions?

encouragement

H. Timperley, A. Wilson, H. Barrar & I. Fung (2007). Teacher professional Learning and Development: Best evidence Synthesis Iteration. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education

Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycle to promote valued student outcomes.

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Hot seat artists

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