Bibliography

Board of Studies (2006).HSIE Syllabus K-6. Sydney: Board of Studies

Miller, M., Linn, R., Gronlund, N. (2009) Measurement and Assessment in Teaching (10^th ed.). USA: Pearson Education.

Murdoch, K. & Wilson, J. (2004). Learning Links strategic teaching for the learner-centred classroom. Victoria: Curriculum Corporation

Reynolds, R. (2009). Teaching studies of society and environment in the primary school. Sydney: Oxford

The science fox. (September 15, 2008). Inquiry and Problem Based Learning. Retrieved 6 August, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MRo4c_Q7Fs

McLachlan. C., Fleer, M., & Edwards, S. (2010). Early childhood curriculum: planning. Assessment and implementation. Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

What I aim to achieve using inquiry learning in HSIE

Through the inquiry learning process I aim to provide children with practical experience and knowledge to apply within their own context. This in turn, enables children to develop a personal, community, national and global identity as they learn to be active citizens in their community (Board of Studies, 2006). Also this process, I aim to build each student’s skills which can also be transferred to future learning projects and other subjects. These skills form a basis to life skills that can be applied in future learning opportunities. As a teacher it is my responsibility to support and foster the skills so children can build on them and feel more confident applying them to other contexts.

-          Information processing= finding, sorting, evaluating and analysing information

-          Critical and Creative= Analysing information to find different viewpoints, validity and reliability and applying it in different ways

-          Communicating= using multiple ways to combine information and show others

-          Reflective and metacognitive= monitoring progress/evaluating final product and solving problems

Through the process of inquiry learning, I want each student to understand and apply the content of HSIE within their social and community context. Children should be:

-           guided to learn from their own knowledge base- developing this knowledge further through the use of challenging, in-depth questions

-          Engaged in meaningful field based activities- they can learn from  actual people and places to take their knowledge to a more practical area

-          Guided to learn about the future- students should think further than ‘what is’ to ‘what will happen’, analysing the effects/impacts/possibilities on the future

-          Using the information learnt to determine how it affects them- making responsible decisions as active citizens in social, economic, religious, civic and environmental issues.

-          Empathising with others and embracing the diverse society and cultures

(Board of Studies, 2006)

My personal understanding of what comprises effective teaching

Effective teaching requires a teacher who has a flexible pedagogical practice within their program. HSIE is a very broad subject, so varied teaching skills and strategies need to be implemented to best suit any particular component of the subject (Reynolds, 2009). Within the mode of inquiry learning, teachers should outline the steps used and guide the children through this learning journey by following steps to guide the children towards using a greater use in higher order thinking skills. According to Bloom’s Taxonomy (Miller, Linn & Gronlund, 2009) children should be guided to expand their skills within the cognitive domain of learning.

It is from these thinking skills that children progress through the inquiry learning process. Murdoch and Wilson (2004) suggests that teachers should create a progressive program to support such skills:

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).

Definition of Inquiry Learning

(Retrieved 6 August, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MRo4c_Q7Fs)

Inquiry learning is a continual process of learning. Within the subject of Human Societies and its Environment from the NSW K-6 Syllabus it is a vital tool for engaging children in what interests them, what they want to learn and how they can apply the knowledge to their own context. Reynolds (2009) outlines that inquiry learning enables children to understand the world in which they live through questioning and practical means. Inquiry learning has been created from the constructivist approach to learning (Reynolds, 2009). This approach outlines that the teacher helps the students move forward and develop their learning through a carefully arranged environment (McLachlan, Fleer & Edwards, 2010). Therefore, the children are given the resources to suit their level, but are encouraged to explore them independently. The teacher can also intervene to assist and further knowledge. This approach acknowledges the balance between a classroom that is directed by the teacher and a child-centred and directed approach to learning. Therefore, the teacher acts as a facilitator and develops the learning alongside the student- they learn together Inquiry learning aims to provide experiences that are meaningful for students through engaging them in issues and topics that they are present to (Board of Studies, 2006).