As much as we wish that the current education system is a place free of systemic injustices, that is not the reality. Our current education system has been described as “… not neutral. Rather, it is political, designed to advance the interests of the groups in power and privilege” (Steinberg & Kirylo, 2013). Many students are unaware of this fact and how it will affect their own beliefs (Beach, Thein, & Webb, 2016). To change this, implementing Critical Inquiry can address the injustices in society and prepare students to take action. To adopt this within my classroom, I must take classroom environment, Social Studies content, and literacy skills into consideration.
Creating a safe and comfortable classroom environment is crucial for implementing Critical-Inquiry. To accomplish creating this classroom environment, several things could be taken into consideration. Firstly, aspects of Critical Inquiry is inheritance distressing, including discussions of racism, prejudice, and hatred throughout the world. While the inherit discomfort these topics can be beneficial to encouraging student engagement, students feeling safe is important for the student well-being and learning (Beach, Thein, & Webb, 2016). Relatedly, studies have compared how a positive classroom environment can affect positively affect student questioning skills. One study recommends that students can direct the conversation and that positive-relationships with the students is beneficial for having classrooms where student input and discussions is prominent (Reznitskaya & Glina, 2013). Additionally, taking in student and teacher demographics is vital for creating a safe and responsibly classroom for critical inquiry. I am a white, middle-class educated woman and this is fairly typical for teachers in the United States. The teacher demographics does not correlate with the growing diverse demographics of children in our country (United States Department of Education, 2016). Students will have backgrounds and experiences that can relate to our Critical-Inquiry questions that I will never experience. While discussing racism and prejudice, I can only discuss this from an outsider-perspective while my students might have experienced it themselves. With this in consideration, I must be prepared to let the students assist with the discussion and curriculum building. With the growing diverse demographics in the United States, most of the students will have seldom seen their group identity, history, and culture represented in the curriculum (Beach, Thein, & Webb, 2016). With these considerations, I must be an active-listener to the students experiences and perspectives and ready to plan the Critical-Inquiry with the students.
Implementing Critical Inquiry in the the classroom demands that students have Social Studies skills and content. The current Social Studies framework, C3, compliments implementing Critical Inquiry in the classroom and provides a framework for students to effectively pursue their own questions. The 4-level inquiry arc begins with students creating their own questions, applying interdisciplinary information, researching and evaluating sources, and then taking informed action. This directly aligns with the implementation of Critical Inquiry where students are able to examine societal norms with a critical eye and take action on injustices (Beach, Thein, & Webb, 2016). There are many opportunities to help students with creating their own Critical-Inquiry questions with Social Studies content. For example, during a history course, I will teach about the Civil War during an 8th grade history course or U.S. History in High School. I often hear students say how ‘Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves’ and it is a great opportunity to introduce students perspectives and questions in a Critical-Inquiry question. Students must question the perspectives of of the Civil War in the past and present. Students must understand what ‘freed’ in our society actually means. Students must know about antebellum United States and the various faces discrimination has. Students must know the facts of sharecropping, Jim Crow laws, and the fight for Civil Rights. While implementing this in my classroom, however, I must ensure that students are prepared to make their own questions. The emotional engagement is important for encouraging students to question, such as wondering aspects of American society could possibly view lynching as public entertainment and worthy of postcards. However, we must be sure to provide further guidance in questioning. Several studies have indicated that students require support to create engaging and thoughtful question. Teachers must be capable of scaffolding the inquiry and question-making process while still being able to balance to allow students to have ownership of their questions (Hsin‐Kai & Chou‐En, 2006). There are several methods for achieving this, such as apprenticeship-like guidance or explicit teaching of questioning strategies (Harris, Phillips, & Penuel, 2012). With the Social Studies content and Social Studies questioning skills, students will be prepared to effectively begin the process of Critical Inquiry.
Additionally, to properly approach Critical Inquiry in my classroom, I must prepare students for the research and literacy skills that are necessary. Critical Inquiry demands that students are able to read through multiple sources and as they read them, identify the different perspectives that the authors might have. This directly aligns with the Social Studies Common Core standard “CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6 Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts” (Common Core Standards). There are several strategies that I use to implement this while I use expository or narrative texts in my classroom. Since I aim to teach middle-school students, a kid friendly mnemonic device “MAAPP” (Main Idea, Author, Audience, Purpose, Place” is a device to help assist students use this necessary skill for Critical Inquiry. For example, while focusing on the Civil War, students “MAAPP” out the Sullivan Ballou Letter or evaluate a contract by a 9-year old girl agreeing to be an Indentured Servant. Using this variety of sources will help students have a deeper understanding and have a connection to the topic at hand. Relatedly, people select sources that will only confirm their preconceived notions of what they believe to be true (Beach, Thein, & Webb, 2016). Whether it is a student using Infowars, or OccupyDemocrats as their sole sources for political news, it is damaging to students engaging in Critical Inquiry. To be responsible and informed citizens engaging in Critical Inquiry, students be prepared to challenge the sources that they read and seek alternative sources (Beach, Thein, & Webb, 2016). To foster this in my classroom, I must explicitly teach and supply texts that vary in different ways. Additionally, activities such as debate or Structured Controversy are beneficial for encouraging students to analyze arguments and texts critically. Activities like this encourage students to utilize sources to find evidence for claims and arguments.This skill will undeniably transfer to their future educational and work careers.
Critical Inquiry can be a beneficial educational method in Language Arts and Social Studies classes alike. Not only will it further the content and skills in the classroom, it will prepare them to be informed and engaged citizens to further our democratic society.
References
Beach, R., Thein, A. H., & Webb, A. (2016). Teaching to exceed the English language arts common core state standards: A literacy practices approach for 6-12 classrooms. London: Routledge.
Common Core Standards (2010). English Language Arts Standards » History/Social Studies. Washington D.C: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers.
National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History (Silver Spring, MD: NCSS, 2013)
Harris, C. Phillips, R., & Penuel, W. (2012). Examining teachers’ instructional moves aimed at developing students’ ideas and questions in learner-centered science classrooms. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 23(7), 769–788. https://doi- org.ecsu.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10972-011-9237-0
Hsin‐Kai W., Chou‐En H. (2006) Developing sixth graders’ inquiry skills to construct explanations in inquiry‐based learning environments. International Journal of Science Education (28)11, 1289-1313.
Reznitskaya, A., & Glina, M. (2013). Comparing Student Experiences with Story Discussions in Dialogic Versus Traditional Settings. Journal of Educational Research, 106(1), 49. https://doi-org.ecsu.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/00220671.2012.658458
Steinberg, S., & Kirylo, J. (2013). A Critical Pedagogy of Resistance 34 Pedagogues We Need to Know (Transgressions, Cultural Studies and Education).
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies Service. (2016). the State of Racial Diversity in the Educator Workforce. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/highered/racial-diversity/state-racial-diversity-workfor
ce.pdf