Ramberg, M. (2006). Questions? [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/40021607@N00/185508448
Disclaimer:
Oh no! I wrote out this rather lengthy post in response to a prompt in Module 5. However, it’s only now that I realise I was supposed to use my TL hat in doing so. But my hat is only in the design stage at the moment, as I’m such a newbie and always seem to revert to my classroom teacher space. I’m sorry Liz, I don’t want to delete it so here it is:
The subjects closest to my heart are MYP Individuals & Societies (I&S) and DP History. Both have heavy research components. As I have taught vertically through the MYP and DP, I notice that those students who have not grasped effective research skills really struggle in DP History, particularly in their Internal Assessment papers and their Extended Essays. MYP I&S’s Criterion B (Thinking Critically) provides the rubric we use for assessment. By the end of Year 10, students should be able to:
- Formulate a clear and focused research question and justify its relevance
- Formulate and follow and action plan to investigate a research question
- Use research methods to collect and record appropriate, varied and relevant information
- Evaluate the process and results of the investigation (Individuals & Societies Guide, p. 38)
Criterion B was pretty daunting to teach towards when I first started in the MYP. It seemed like a mountain to climb – how to provide the steps? I was in an IB MYP workshop when a fellow delegate shared a document with processes he had put together in order to reach the above listed goals. I took this document, thanked him profusely and after many modifications, still use it. It’s called the Research Booklet (yes, I know, scintillating title). I’m pretty attached to it by now! The best thing is that it keeps all of the student processes (including the evaluation) in ONE document. It’s then easy to check up on where kids are at, without having to sort through many papers (physical and digital) per student.
After reading through Module 5 about Information LIteracy Models (ILM), I had a bit of a revelation. I was trying to scaffold kids into better research skills with my humble booklet. Great, but without any framework or base to guide me.
I have just started reading about the Information Search Process / Guided Inquiry Design Process (ISP/GID). I absolutely love the fact that the GID is embedded in the research of the ISP, giving it a very strong evidence based practice leaning. The stages of Kuhlthau’s ISP make total sense to me – I have seen it over and over again in students (and myself!) without ever putting a name to it. It was so refreshing to read about the ISP – because it acknowledges the affective component of researching – which if the frustration becomes overwhelming – stops the research process altogether. To see student’s thoughts, feelings and actions captured in one model and how they “interplay across time within the context of a traditional research assignment” (Kuhlthau & Maniotes, 2014, p. 10) was very powerful. Finally, someone was listening to the kids and trying to see and understand the process through their eyes!
I obviously need to read deeper about GID. My initial thoughts in regards to it include an appreciation that the GID stages are thoughtful and don’t skip straight to formulating questions. Too often I have seen this with students as they rush to ‘nail’ their research question – often having to revise it later (and not due to further deeper research, but due to the rush at the start!)
I could definitely adapt my booklet to reflect the steps provided by GID. I feel then that I would have a solid research base behind me for the sorts of questions others ask – why are you doing it like that? For me, I can see an easy switch. The challenge would be to convince others. This wouldn’t be too hard in my own subject area (especially if I did all the work to prep a unit based on GID as an example!) BUT introducing this across the whole middle school or high school would be much more difficult. I’m not sure how I would even start to do that. Maybe here is where the role of the TL could come in? Would a presentation/information/invitations to Heads of Departments and the Principals be effective? It would definitely have to involve the MYP and DP coordinators, although I think they would be very much on board. We are a very inquiry orientated school, but we lack consistency in our approaches. So why hasn’t this already been done? For years we have struggled with some subjects teaching research skills, and others not, and the ones that do – all do it differently. I’d love to see a consistent approach, with the TL driving this supported by a well researched ILM.
References
FitzGerald, L. (2001). The twin purposes of guided inquiry: Guiding students inquiry and evidence based practice. Scan, 30(1), 26-41.
International Baccalaureate. (2013). Individuals and Societies Guide. International Baccalaureate Organization. https://resources.ibo.org/myp/subject-group/Individuals-and-societies/resource/11162-32902/?lang=en
Maniotes, L.K., Kuhlthau, C.C. (2014). Making the shift. Knowledge Quest. 43(2), 8-17.