Investigating inquiry pedagogy: cracking the code of learning

Embracing a humanistic view, it is recognised that students have a natural desire for learning and educators have a similar desire to provide an environment that facilitates this learning to enhance student potential. However, it is acknowledged there are pedagogical practices that thwart or support student learning. This is the motivational challenge confronting teachers as they enact strategies for learning to be transformed across a range of real life contexts. This chapter recounts the authors’ journey as reflective classroom teachers, in a middle school context, as they conceptualise and customise a pedagogical approach of inquiry learning, assembled upon a motivational foundation. Emanating from classroom observation through reflection in and on action, it was recognised that students lacked self-regulation during investigation activities, which was necessary to interpret, strategise, represent and review their learning. This had an adverse effect on their desire to engage in multi-stepped, problem or question based tasks layered with opportunities for exploration. Synthesising elements of the theories underpinning inquiry learning, the participatory researchers critically identified the attributes essential for an inquiry process to be practical in design and user friendly for students. Linking student prior knowledge and scaffolding them through the stages of the inquiry process within authentic contexts, promoted independent curiosity, shifted their extrinsic reliance to self-regulated learning and increased metacognition. Evidence guided the construction of The Code of Learning, as a powerful inquiry pedagogical model that promoted an autonomy supportive environment, enhancing self-determination. The inquiry approach empowered students to ‘buy into’ their learning and afforded freedom to monitor and respond to their cognitive processes and affective states, which enabled transformation of learning