Narratives of inquiry learning in middle-school geographic inquiry class

Abstract

This study aimed at modifying a teaching and learning model for a geographic inquiry to enhance both the subject-related skills of geography and so-called 21 st century skills in middle school students (14-15 years old). The purpose of this research is to extend our understanding of the user experiences concerning certain tools for learning such as maps and information and communication technology when they are used alongside the inquiry learning model by examining the narratives produced by the students in one compulsory middle school geography course. The data comprised interviews with students from three different classes in the same school. The narrative of the "negotiating master of self-regulation" was identified as the dominant narrative of the experiences of the progressive inquiry model. This narrative depicts a learner who benefits from progressive inquiry and has the appropriate communication and collaboration skills to cope and succeed in the 21 st century. Two counter-narratives-the "solo learner in need of support" and "solo master of self-regulation" narratives-in which the skills for self-regulated learning and negotiation varied from high to low, were also identified. The results also indicate experiences of under-using the available technological applications.Keywords: collaborative inquiry learning; geographic inquiry; inquiry learning; narrative inquiry; progressive inquiry; technology enhanced learning IntroductionOne of the key features of geography as a school subject is that it provides content that can mediate attainment of the higher-order thinking skills such as analyzing, making synthesis, and problem solving (Leat, 1997;Nagel, 2008;Pauw, 2015), which have been considered to be among the skills that are mostly needed in a world of rapid technological changes and increased globalization of economies. For example, creativity, innovativeness, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and metacognition have been found to be the most essential 21 st century skills of thinking, and communication and collaboration skills have been identified as the most necessary working skills (Binkley et al., 2012;Pauw, 2015;Soulé & Warrick, 2015). Further, information literacy and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy have been found to be the most crucial skills relating to work.Progressive inquiry is an inquiry learning approach to teaching and learning which is aimed at enhancing the subject-related skills and knowledge as well as the aforementioned 21 st century skills (Hakkarainen, 2004;Muukkonen, Hakkarainen, & Lakkala, 1999). The aim of progressive inquiry is to introduce a new way of creating knowledge to learners that resembles the scientific inquiry process, hence it suggests that inquiry is a question-driven process of understanding that can lead to knowledge creation (Paavola & Hakkarainen, 2005). Progressive inquiry is based on the knowledge-building theory of intentional learning and expertise (Bereiter, 2002;Scardamalia, 2002;Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1994). It un...

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