Inquiry

Inquiry is the approach we take to teaching and learning at Mother of God school.

In this approach we:

• Encourage students to be active, curious and creative.

• Support the development of reflection and metacognition.

• Support and encourage the use of routines, tools and organisers to make thinking visible.

• Provide opportunities for demonstration of deep understanding.

• Enable transfer by applying knowledge and skills in new contexts.

‘Learning happens through thorough investigation which in itself is driven by powerful questions often framed by authentic contexts and real life problems and purposes. In an inquiry classroom, students move through processes that help them think beyond facts and come to understand deeper concepts.’ (Murdoch, K. The Power of Inquiry, 2014)

Integrated Inquiry at Mother of God school enables students to inquire into big ideas that are part of the Victorian curriculum in Science, Technology, Humanities and Health at the point where they intersect with big questions that matter to the students.

Inquiry is undertaken across the school in developmentally appropriate ways. In our Junior Learning Community, Inquiry is called Discovery and uses best practice approaches to engaging children’s natural curiosity about themselves and their world through a play based approach.

In MLC and SLC the children further develop their ability to investigate, research and inquire into areas of interest, and concern in increasingly more sophisticated ways.