Situating Inquiry Pedagogical Practices in the Classroom to Foster a High-Impact Research-Minded Learning Experience

Abstract

Undergraduate programmes should provide students with meaningful learning opportunities to acquire a range of knowledge, skills, and attributes. Within the current, fast, and ever-changing environments of learning, a student’s acquisition of self-reflection, problem-solving and critical thinking skills – and ultimately the ability to undertake an independent academic inquiry – is more evident than ever before. In this article, the authors imagine a shift in the traditional notion of the classroom as a space of knowledge dissemination, to the classroom becoming a space of knowledge creation It is within this space that differences intersect, influence each other, and hybridize in pursuit of inquiry-minded (and meaningful) learning experiences. The authors argue that adopting a reflexive pedagogic approach, underscored by the notion of inquiry-based learning, best aids the development of a student’s required skill set. In the reflexive context, lecturers and students are collaborators in the learning and teaching process through mutual inquiry. Based on Paulo Freire’s notion of critical pedagogy and supported by undergraduate research as a high-impact practice, reflexive pedagogical practices stimulate students’ agency, interest and performance – creating opportunities to establish baseline research skills on undergraduate level. This article is a conceptual exploration positioning inquiry-based learning, through reflexive practices, as part of the undergraduate curriculum at all three levels of undergraduate progression. Progression and the development of inquiry skills are proposed through structured inquiry in the first year, guided inquiry during the second year, and open inquiry at the third-year level.