This website was originally developed by Andrew Corney for the Inquiry Learning programme at Tauranga Boys' College. Inquiry Learning classes have two teachers, instead of four, to cover the core curriculum areas of English, Maths, Science and Social Studies. The class has a student-centered, project-based approach for students to develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity and problem solving.

"Critical inquiry is an umbrella term that signals the importance of students being active participators in knowledge-building. When students take an active part in authentic inquiry practices they build their awareness of how new knowledge claims are made and justified in different learning areas. They are acting like ‘junior’ scientists, mathematicians, social scientists, literary critics, and so on."

Hipkins, Rose. “Weaving a coherent curriculum: How the idea of 'capabilities' can help.” New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Accessed 10 April 2023.

Developing Critical Inquiry (adapted from Rose Hipkins)

1. Look and know:  learn to give their opinions, make simple predictions, and actively search for answers

2. Thinking and explaining: learn to shape explanations, support them with evidence, and give reasons for choices and actions

3. Knowledge testing: students test alternatives against available evidence, think critically about their own ideas, and discriminate between fact and opinion and question the reliability of evidence

4. Open-minded reasoning:  recognise and address disconfirming evidence (considering and eliminating alternative explanations), identify bias and errors in arguments, predict likely consequences, and evaluate outcomes from a range of perspectives