Research Questions

My explicit teaching process to unpacking an inquiry question 

by Penelope Oliver-Sharp - Teacher Librarian @Ruse Public School

I came across the incredible set of 400 inquiry questions. This is a great tool if you want to explicitly teach how to unpack a research question. 

1. I have students highlights parts of the key/primary question, find definitions and synonyms. Break the question down into what we need to find out to answer the key question.

2. I then ask what other secondary questions/information we would need to research/find out to answer the key question and students record their ideas.

3. I then have them share those secondary ideas/questions with a partner and record anything they don't have on their page.

4. They then do the same with a small group, taking turns and adding any secondary research questions they did not already have.

5. We then share research questions/ideas from the whole class, this can be done using a digital document, Google Classroom etc.

By the end, we have 30 or more questions to investigate that will answer the key question. 

6. Then we group similar questions by topics- we are now forming the basis for a topic sentence and paragraphs.

Often this first step in research, if not done well or given sufficient time results in students struggling to meet learning outcomes. I have also found this process reinforces the importance of peer collaboration.

penelope.oliver-sharp1@det.nsw.edu.au

www.learningbyinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Inquiry-Questions-1.pdf