Thematic Inquiry

Students at Four Directions Secondary are enrolled in individualized, self-paced core academic courses. Each year the teaching team selects one or more courses from the BC Curriculum and develops these as a thematic focus for the year. In addition, we create inquiry questions that provide students with the opportunities to think critically and creatively as the examine, analyze, and explore the theme throughout their courses and experiential learning opportunities. The theme and inquiry questions guide and connect all of our experiential learning opportunities, trips, activities, and guest speakers. The thematic focus is a key component of ensuring a sense of belonging for our students - and our goal of creating a community in the absence of community, particularly for those students who are living away from their own territories. The theme connects all aspects of their academic work, encourages attendance and engagement in experiential learning, and allows for a richer, more holistic learner-centered approach.

Our thematic structure is unique at the secondary level and demonstrates a systemic shift in alternate settings, where self-paced academics can remove opportunities for collective learning. The theme drives art, field trips, cultural activities, gatherings, and cross-curricular, student-driven inquiry projects. The projects are tied to a linear elective which is in addition to individual, self-paced academics. The cross curricular connections create positive peer pressure, encouraging students to be present and engaged, while self-paced academics allow space for students for whom required attendance is a barrier.

Each consecutive year, the theme is critically and creatively chosen to build upon and interconnect with themes from previous years. In this way, student who are connected to our program over multiple years have the opportunity to continue to develop and expand their previous knowledge in a meaningful and holistic way.

Connecting to the Research

Through an experimental research study of 140 elementary students, Nurlaela et al. concluded that using a "thematic instructional model was more effective than conventional instruction and thematic instructional model had a capacity in accommodating different learning styles and reading abilities" (Nurlaela et al., 2017).

Connecting to the research of Nurlaela et al. (2018) on the success of thematic instructional models. Levy et al. (2013) highlight the importance of inquiry-based learning. "Providing learners with opportunities to inquire into authentic problems can substantially enhance their understanding [of] how to integrate and synthesize knowledge in an interdisciplinary fashion among several fields at once " (Levy et al., 2013).

Research on the outcomes and impacts of thematic inquiry at the secondary level has largely been unexplored. Future analysis of how thematic inquiry can enhance student connections and sense of belonging, while developing competencies and skills across disciplines would be a positive contribution to the education field.