PREPARATORY SCHOOL Spiral of inquiry – from research to practice By Preparatory School Teachers, Miss Emily Boyd and Mrs Katie Barten
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owards the end of 2017, three teachers from the Preparatory School – Miss Emily Boyd, Mrs Katie Barten and Miss Amanda Smith – successfully applied to take part in an AISNSW Research to Practice project with a specific focus on the teaching of Science and Technology within the early years. The Spiral of Inquiry model is an inquiryorientated, evidence-based approach to teaching and learning. ”
Through the Research to Practice initiative, the Association of Independent Schools (AISNSW) gives teachers the opportunity to use high-impact techniques in classroom practice and be on the front foot with the new NSW Syllabus for the Australian curriculum: Science and Technology K-6. This grant facilitates a yearlong partnership between AISNSW and Primary school teams to transform the teaching and learning of Science and Technology through a framework called the Spiral of Inquiry. For more information, see https://www.aisnsw.edu.au/ EducationalResearch/Pages/ research-to-practiceinitiative.aspx
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Illuminate EDITION 2 2019
Research tells us that many Primary teachers are not confident in their ability to teach Science and Technology. This project was designed to support teachers’ skills by examining ways that Science and Technology are taught in the Preparatory School and comparing this with literature outlining effective practices in the area. This project used a specific teacher-action research model called the Spiral of Inquiry. First developed by Dr Judy Halbert and Dr Linda Kaser, this model has proven to be very effective with positive outcomes for students. The Spiral of Inquiry model is an inquiry-orientated, evidence-based approach to teaching and learning. It comprises six stages, and throughout the year, our team worked its way through these stages, examining current strengths and reflecting on how these correspond with best practice in the field. We used research to make changes to our practice where our analysis revealed gaps.
We began the year with a fullday training session during which the model was outlined in detail. We were provided with a range of documents commissioned by AISNSW outlining effective practice in Science and Technology. We also had an opportunity to hear from a participant at another school, to help us understand the extent of the project, and its results. AISNSW consultant, Sue Pike, was then allocated to work with our team, helping us throughout the year as we navigated the stages of the Spiral of Inquiry. SPIRAL OF INQUIRY The first stage of the spiral required us to scan the current status of the area of interest with three key questions in mind: What is going on for our learners? How do we know? Why does this matter? Drawing upon the effective practices outlined in the research, we developed a range of tools to gather data to help us understand the current nature of Science and Technology teaching and compare this with research evidence. These tools included a survey for teachers, a survey for students, and, given that we were working with Preparatoryaged students, it also included
Preparatory School teachers’ professional learning meeting
Pymble Ladies’ College
