Pedagogy is slowly shifting from the traditional teacher- textbook centred dimensions of facts and information to the 21st Century student- centred construction of learning and knowledge. In this environment, students engage in inquiry based approaches to construct and incorporate new knowledge necessary to understand concepts and to build connections within their global communities. Therefore through engaging in an inquiry- based learning environment, students in HSIE construct knowledge about history, geography, economics, anthropology, archaeology, political science, environmental studies, Aboriginal studies, religious studies and sociology.
If we are truly educating 21st Century students, teachers must be explicit in their explanations as to the importance of learning to read about society. Students must have a deep understanding of reasons to write and talk and listen in HSIE. The study of HSIE provides an avenue for this authentic learning to take place in a colloborative classroom. It motivates learners to communicate with a wide audience through critical thinking and actively researching, putting their worlds in context and giving them an identity as a global citizen.
According to Reynolds (2010) Inquiry learning is a process where all learning is for a purpose that is all related in a way that matters.
Inquiry learning ca be seen as a sequence of activities which guides students into a meaningful social investigation. Murdoch and Wilson (2004) have developed a basic overview of these activities below:
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| Overview of the Inquiry Process |
Instead of teachers dictating the information, students need to locate information, allowing them to determine whay they know, want to know and need to know to solve the problem.
This process enables students to build understandings, values and attitudes and skills and knowledge that:
- develop a sense of personal, community, national and global identity that will equip them to participate as responsible citizens and
- enable them to maintain and improve the quality of their society and environment
