How inquiry learning can underpin the teaching of HSIE

Inquiry learning enables children to engage in practical issues and topics related to their own context. These topics are clearly relevant to the strands within the HSIE syllabus- change and continuity, cultures, environments, social systems and structures (Board of Studies, 2006). Through this subject, children learn about people and their environments. Effective learning of such aspects should engage students in their own context as they learn how their understandings of certain topics can contribute to society – this can be observed through inquiry learning as it is a hands-on approach to learning. Inquiry learning is a very big part of HSIE.  Below is a table detailing the steps taken in inquiry learning and how it can be applied through the HSIE content (Murdoch & Wilson).