Moving inquiry-based learning forward: A meta-synthesis on inquiry-based classroom practices for pedagogical innovation and school improvement in the humanities and arts

ABSTRACT

The challenges of the 21st century place inquiry as a necessary pedagogical orientation to educate young people for the future. In Singapore, inquiry-based learning is a core feature in social studies and the humanities subjects (geography and history) and has been extended recently to curriculum in the arts. Its centrality in the education system has been well acknowledged by Singapore’s Ministry of Education. However, an examination of research focusing on inquiry-based learning in Singapore has revealed that inquiry instruction remains teacher-centred and teachers are unsure about how to use inquiry as a core pedagogical approach.

This article presents a meta-synthesis from the international literature, as well as studies in Singapore, to generate a theory on impactful forms of inquiry-based classroom practices for pedagogical innovation and school improvement. The article concludes that students learn best, in terms of conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking, when they are experientially and collaboratively engaged in the search for meanings, solving problems, questioning, sharing and communicating their understanding. Finally, the article argues for the importance of building an inquiry culture, mindsets and social practice in order to address the broader challenges to inquiry-based instruction from a systems or ecological view.

KEYWORDS:

• Inquiry-based learning
• aesthetic inquiry
• humanities inquiry
• arts education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Please refer to Appendix A for more detailed examples of the classroom implementation of the articles reviewed for both the humanities and arts.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pamela Costes-Onishi

Pamela Costes-Onishi (Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology, University of Washington, Seattle) is a Research Scientist (Lecturer) at the Centre for Research in Pedagogy & Practice (CRPP) at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). Her research interests and publications include teacher learning & professional development, inquiry-based learning, arts in education, diversity in education, informal learning and community music.

Mark Baildon

Mark Baildon is Associate Dean in the Office of Education Research and Associate Professor in the Humanities and Social Studies Education at the National Institute of Education (Singapore). His scholarly interests focus on global citizenship education and ways to support social studies inquiry practices and 21st century literacies in new global contexts.

Sima Aghazadeh

Sima Aghazadeh is a Research Fellow at the Office of Education Research, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). Sima earned her Ph.D. in English Literature and her research interests and publications include topics on literary criticism, inquiry-based learning, literature and diversity and 21st century skills.