This document discusses teaching as inquiry, which involves teachers inquiring into their own teaching methods, assessing effectiveness, and learning new practices or making alterations where needed. It encourages establishing a culture of trust and open-mindedness to support this process. Examples are provided of how primary and secondary schools have implemented teaching as inquiry through systems, teacher collaboration, data analysis, and engaging students. Resources and research related to teaching as inquiry are also listed.

1. Teaching as inquiry
“Teachers are at the
heart of school
improvement, and
with all the change in
the world and new
understandings
about learning it is
essential that they
too keep learning. “
(Stoll, Fink & Earl, 2003)

2. Teaching as inquiry
In this session:
• the teaching as inquiry
process and its place in
the NZC
• characteristics of
schools and classrooms
where teaching as inquiry
is evident
• examples from schools,
and key resources

3. Teaching as inquiry
http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-documents/The-New-Zealand-
Curriculum/Effective-pedagogy

4. Teaching as inquiry
Encourage teachers to:
• inquire into their own
teaching methods
• assess its effectiveness
• learn new or alter practices
where necessary.
Teachers are regarded as
“ongoing learners in the area
of improving their teaching.”
Curriculum Implementation
Exploratory Studies 2

5. What forms does inquiry take?
Action research
Critical dialogue
Classroom observations
Journals
Critical data analysis
Appreciative inquiry
Port folios
Writing (including story telling)
Text analysis
Programme evaluation
http://instep.net.nz/inquiry_and_evidence_based_practice/inquiry_based_
practice/what_forms_does_inquiry_take

6. EDTalk - Helen Timperley
Helen Timperley, Professor of
Education at The University of
Auckland, talks about ways
teachers can gain knowledge
through cycles of inquiry into
their practice. Start clip at 2.13.
http://www.edtalks.org/video/professional-
learning-makes-difference-students
More reading:
http://www.mp.gov.rs/resursi/dokumenti/do
k195-eng-
IBE_teacher_professional_learning_and_dev
elopment.pdf

7. Teaching as inquiry - leaders
Support teachers with:
• systems and processes for
introducing teaching as inquiry.
• promote culture of trust, open
mindedness
• allow for fallibility
• encourage persistence.
Help teachers:
• meet in groups to understand process and put it into practice
• investigate data
• reflect on problems of practice
• consider approaches that will help students.
NZ Curriculum Update 12

8. Teaching as inquiry - teachers
• meet often to focus on learning
and teaching activities
• base discussions on good data
and information
• commit to group decisions
• record information about
students’ learning and note
actions to improve learning
• write end-of-term classroom and syndicate programme
evaluations
• observe and give feedback on one another’s practice, noting
issues, ideas to follow up
•invite students to participate in process.
NZ Curriculum Update 12

9. Teaching as inquiry - schools
• learn together
• draw on external expertise to build
teachers’ understandings
• systems integrate teaching as inquiry
into classrooms, across the school
• link PD programmes and teaching as
inquiry
• teaching as inquiry expected and monitored.
Discussions about:
• shared problems of practice
• analysing data to discover successful teaching strategies and
where improvements are necessary
• deciding on appropriate teaching strategies and approaches.
NZ Curriculum Update 12

10. What’s in your inquiry toolbox?

11. School examples - primary
Video: Newmarket Primary School – developing school-wide inquiry. Includes a resource
outlining advice for leading inquiry. Duration: 4:07
http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Leadership-development/Leadership-
programmes/Ako-in-action/Wendy-Kofoed-school-wide-inquiry
Video: Newmarket Primary School - modelling inquiry with teachers. Duration: 4:23
http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Leadership-development/Leadership-
programmes/Ako-in-action/Wendy-Kofoed-accelerating-Maori-and-Pasifika
Paper: Ilam School - teaching as Inquiry (Download paper top RH of screen.)
http://digitalcommons.nl.edu/ie/vol2/iss1/5/
Video: Ilam School approach to effective pedagogy Duration: 6:58
http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-stories/Media-gallery/Effective-pedagogy/Ilam-
pedagogy
Video: West End School deprivatising practice – plus discussion resource Duration:2:23
http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Leadership-development/Leadership-
programmes/Ako-in-action/Gary-Punler-deprivatising-practice#block-1-button

12. School examples - secondary
Kelston Girls’ Carol Jarrett describes introducing teaching as inquiry in her department
http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Ministry-curriculum-guides/Secondary-middle-
leaders/Supporting-effective-teaching/Supporting-teaching-as-inquiry
Duration: 4:49
Epsom Girls’ Claire Amos talks through the process of introducing teaching as inquiry to
develop school-wide e-learning action plans
http://www.edtalks.org/video/using-teaching-inquiry-guide-elearning-action-plan
Duration: 6:42
Flaxmere College principal Louise Anaru describes a school-wide approach
http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Leadership-development/Leadership-
programmes/Ako-in-action/Louise-Anaru-leading-pedagogical-change
Duration: 3:04
Papatoetoe HS principal Peter Gall describes a teacher’s inquiry on student engagement
http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Leadership-development/Leadership-
programmes/Ako-in-action/Peter-Gall-supporting-inquiry-approaches
Duration: 1:14

13. Teaching as inquiry - resource collection
New Zealand Curriculum – effective pedagogy section
http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-documents/The-New-Zealand-
Curriculum/Effective-pedagogy
Curriculum Update 12 – Understanding teaching as inquiry
http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Ministry-curriculum-guides/Curriculum-updates/NZC-
Updates
INSTEP – Inquiry and evidence based practice
http://instep.net.nz/inquiry_and_evidence_based_practice
Assessment - using evidence for learning
http://assessment.tki.org.nz/Using-evidence-for-learning
A suggested teaching as inquiry process for teachers of te reo Maori
http://tereomaori.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-guidelines/Teaching-and-learning-te-reo-
Maori/A-suggested-teaching-as-inquiry-cycle
Teaching as inquiry - elements of teaching effectiveness (Professor Graeme Aitken)
http://assessment.tki.org.nz/Assessment-in-the-classroom/Teaching-as-inquiry

14. Research
Directions for learning: The New Zealand Curriculum Principles, and teaching as inquiry
May 2011 (published 22/7/11)
In early 2010, the Ministry of Education asked the Education Review Office (ERO) to
conduct an initial evaluation, and a follow up evaluation one year later, to investigate
how schools were using the eight principles and the teaching as inquiry process as
outlined in The New Zealand Curriculum.
Curriculum Implementation Exploratory Studies 2 (published 5/11)
This study reports on ways in which innovative schools and teachers have been
working to implement The New Zealand Curriculum across all three years of the
project.
Monitoring and Evaluating Curriculum Implementation: Final Evaluation Report on the
Implementation of The New Zealand Curriculum 2008–2009 (published 1/4/11)
This report presents findings from a national evaluation of the implementation of The
New Zealand Curriculum. The project sought to establish a national picture of
implementation progress in English-medium schools in the first two years following
the curriculum's launch in November 2007.