Comparing teacher beliefs and actions during collaborative geographical inquiry

Abstract

The importance of between‐desk instruction during inquiry‐based learning to deepen learning is well recognised in some curriculum areas but remains under‐researched in geography. Inquiry‐based learning incorporates the use of generative questions and inquiry methods to support student‐driven investigations. This paper reports on a study of teacher–student interactions during geography inquiry‐based learning. A cross‐case fine‐grained analysis of two teachers’ video‐recorded lessons in a classroom laboratory using a kikan‐shido coding framework showed that “guiding” was the dominant between‐desk function used. The teachers differed in whether guiding was mainly used for task completion or to deepen student understanding. Semi‐structured interviews revealed that the characteristics and sequence of these guiding actions were influenced by teachers’ beliefs. Those beliefs mediated how teachers guided students during the inquiry, debunking a dichotomous view of inquiry‐based learning as either teacher or student directed. We conclude that inquiry‐based learning is a necessary and complex interplay of teacher‐directed and student‐directed activities and that more research on the elements contributing to the kikan‐shido functions performed by teachers could help better identify and strengthen teacher practice for inquiry‐based learning.