Final Reflection

My initial post reflected my decision to title this blog ‘into the i of inquiry’ using the analogy of inquiry being like a storm, a process that generates some uncertainty and can turn in many directions, but that when worked through, can bring about a deeper understanding (which could be seen as a calmness).  

In using Carol Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process (ISP) model to reflect on my research process, there are clear connections between the model and my experiences.

On beginning my inquiry, known in Kuhlthau’s model as initiation, I worked through the process of thinking through what I already knew about inquiry and then the areas that I felt I did not fully understand, or in the case, have appropriate resources to support. Whilst this initially felt a little overwhelming, it became apparent to me that in my role as a teacher and teacher leader, that what was essential at this time, was a deeper understanding of inquiry skills, and therefore in the selection process, my search narrowed to this area.  Whilst I use a model of inquiry with skills implied in the purposes, I saw this as an opportunity to research this area and reflect on this, in light of current research. As I began the phase that Kuhlthau describes as the exploration phases, my research resulted in such a range of material that it was initially difficult for me to comprehend given the breath. I needed to find a way to move forward and find a way to synthize my work, in order to be able to make sense of it, and to ensure that I had enough research to address my question.  At this point I started to look for patterns and trends in the material that would serve as ties to bring it all together and help me to filter which materials I would focus on in more depth and begin to curate for my work.  This stage of my work clearly aligns with the formulation stage of Kuhlthau’s ISP model and then very naturally led me into an effective collection stage by looking at the general categories of skills, for example ‘thinking skills’ and then use this as a filter, selecting resources that drew upon similar categories. Throughout this process my question and research path changed as a result of many articles and resources I found.  In my searches I was somewhat reassured by the inquiry skills that I was currently considering as appropriate, however I was able to add to this with some meaningful ideas about digital citizenship and digital literacy.  Further to this the results began to influence me to think more deeply and questions not only what skills were valuable to inquiry, but also meaningful ways that these can be taught across the border curriculum, assessed and made explicit to students. This resulted in the range of resources represented in my curation covering each of these areas.

References:

Kuhlthau, C.C. (1993a). Seeking meaning: A process approach to library and information services. Norwood, NJ. Ablex.