Links between different models of guided inquiry, I-Search and

Year 7 Critical and Creative Thinking skills targets of the

General Capabilities (Australian Curriculum)

Phases of
inquiry
Identifying,
exploring and
organising
information and
ideas

Generating ideas,
possibilities and
actions

I-Search
(Macrorie, K., 1988)

What I know
Students write about
what they know,
relating this to
personal experience,
reflecting on why they
chose to research this
topic.

What I want to know

Extensive writing in
the lead-up to
formulating a research
question.

Guided Inquiry
(Kuhlthau,
Maniotes, Caspari,
2012)
Open
Initiating the
research project.
Invitation to inquiry.
Open minds.
Stimulate curiosity
Immerse
Selecting the topic.
Build background
knowledge.
Connect to content.
Discover interesting
ideas.
Explore
Exploring
information. Explore
interesting ideas.
Look around/dip in.
Identify
Formulating a focus.
Pause and ponder.
Identify inquiry
question.
Decide direction.

Integrated Inquiry
(Murdoch, K., 2007)

Year 7 Critical and Creative

Thinking
(General Capabilities, Australian
Curriculum)

Selection of topic
Importantly, the focus
for the unit should be
selected with a big
picture in mind. School
and state curriculum
documents may assist.
Foci will often be
modified through
negotiation with
students or in
conjunction with events
or issues arising in the
local or global
community.

Students develop critical and creative

thinking capability as they learn how to
build discipline-specific knowledge
about history, geography, civics and
citizenship (HASS)
Critical and creative thinking are
essential to developing analytical and
evaluative skills and understandings
(English)

Generative questions
Whats the inquiry really
about? What is the key
idea? What big
question/s will we
explore? This question

Students identify, explore and

determine questions to clarify social
issues and events, and apply
reasoning, interpretation and analytical
skills to data and information.
Creative thinking is important in

Research
Journey/Source
Notes
Students write
extensively about
information gathered
from six different
sources. These need
to include at least one
interview/conversation,
one article or book and
one website.

Gather
Collecting
information on focus
and seeking
meaning. Gather
important
information. Go
broad. Go deep

has generative potential

- it is open and often
provocative.
The question may be
framed as a problem, a
provocation, a
wondering.
Understandings, skills
and values
What do we want
students to understand
more deeply by the end
of the inquiry? What is
important to know about
this? (Link to big ideas)
What key skills,
strategies, qualities and
values will be enriched
through this inquiry?
Link skills to generic
areas: thinking,
communication, selfmanagement, social,
ICTs.
Tuning in
Engagement and
gathering prior
knowledge, pre
assessment, questions
for inquiry, goal setting.
Sometimes, students
will require some early
immersion or front
loading in the topic if
little is
known/experienced.
Some questions may
emerge from students

developing creative questions,

speculation and interpretations during
inquiry. Students are encouraged to be
curious and imaginative in
investigations and fieldwork, and to
explore relevant imaginative texts.
(HASS)

Analysing,
synthesising and
evaluating
reasoning and
procedures

at this stage. What

theories do we have?
How do we already
understand this?
Finding out
Experiences and texts
that add to knowledge
base emphasis on
gathering data first
hand and in a range of
ways (usually shared
experiences) linked
to understanding goals.
Data gathering through
engaging with experts,
surveys, interviews,
film, experiments,
observations, field
work
Sorting out
Organising, analysing
and communicating the
information gathered
using a range of
learning areas e.g.:
through Maths, arts,
English, drama, music,
technology, etc.
Reflective thinking work
- revising original
theories and
propositions. Reviewing
the big questionWhat
meaning can we make
of this data? What are
we learning?

Students learn to critically evaluate

texts about people, places, events,
processes and issues, for shades of
meaning, feeling and opinion, by
identifying subjective language, bias,
fact and opinion, and how language
and images can be used to manipulate
meaning. (HASS)
Through close analysis of text and
through reading, viewing and listening,
students critically analyse the opinions,
points of view and unstated
assumptions embedded in texts. In
discussion, students develop critical
thinking as they share personal
responses and express preferences for
specific texts, state and justify their
points of view and respond to the
views of others. (English)

Create
Getting ready to
present. Reflect on
learning. Go beyond
facts to make
meaning. Create to
communicate
Going further
Raising or revisiting
questions.
Opportunity for students
to pursue questions or
issues/interests of their
own or in small groups.
These questions may
be picked up from
earlier in the inquiry or
have emerged from the
shared inquiry.

Reflecting on
thinking and
processes
This phase is
woven through all
stages throughout
the inquiry process

Share
Learn from each
other.
Share learning.
Tell your story.
Reflection
Evaluate
Students write a
Assessing the
personal reflection on process and the
their project, including product. Evaluate
thoughts about the
achievement of
journey, how they
learning goals.
have grow as a learner Reflect on content.
and researcher
Reflect on process.
through this process

Drawing conclusions
Stating understandings
what do we think and
know now? How do we
feel? High level thinking
about the topic.
Identifying avenues for
action and application.
Generalising (should be
done throughout)

Critical and creative thinking is

essential for imagining probable,
possible and preferred futures in
relation to social, environmental,
economic and civic sustainability and
issues. Students think creatively about
appropriate courses of action and
develop plans for personal and
collective action. They develop
enterprising behaviours and
capabilities to imagine possibilities,
consider alternatives, test hypotheses,

Reflecting and acting

Now what? Taking
action.
Reflecting on the unit
what how and why
learning has come
about? What did I learn
about this topic? What
did I learn about
myself? What should I
do now?

and seek and create innovative

solutions, and think creatively about
the impact of issues on their own lives
and the lives of others (HASS)