International Baccalaureate - Professional Learning in the Preparatory School & Tudor House

International Baccalaureate Professional Learning at the Preparatory School & Tudor House

Analysing a Program of Inquiry

The Prep Staff spent time understanding how and why a program of inquiry is a powerful structure for organising knowledge and skills through the primary years. The Prep Staff explored the work of Ernest Boyer, who identified eight commonalities of human experience that help students to understand the connectedness of content in an academic curriculum.

From Boyer’s (1995) work, we then explored how the six transdisciplinary themes of the PYP are developed to connect content across disciplines. We explored the work of Montouri (2013) and Augsburg (2014), to consider how a well-designed program of inquiry can result in learning that is globally significant, authentic and engaging, deep, connected, relevant and current. We discussed the role of PYP teachers as curriculum designers who are challenged to plan creative inquiries into enduring themes, rather than reproductive lessons about topics.

We also considered the nature of transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary learning. We discussed the power of integrating subjects when the learning is enhanced by conceptual connections, when transfer can be achieved, and when understanding of the Central Idea can be deepened by exploring related concepts in multiple contexts (Erickson, 1998). However, we also considered the role of deep, disciplinary learning in our curriculum.

We examined the essence and integrity of each subject, and considered examples of integration that are contrived, and result in superficial learning rather than deep understanding.

Finally, we undertook a vertical analysis of the Prep School program of inquiry. Each group of 6-8 teachers (from multiple grades and specialist areas), analysed one transdisciplinary theme vertically, from Pre-K to Year 6. Using a self-assessment rubric, the teachers analysed the balance of subjects, concepts, and skills. They looked for coherence through the year levels, and repetition or redundancy in lines of inquiry. They analysed the effectiveness of Central Ideas, and rewrote some weak Central Ideas to be more conceptual, globally significant or ripe for inquiry. They also considered new opportunities for transdisciplinary integration and new community resources to enrich some units.

“They looked for coherence through the year levels, and repetition or redundancy in lines of inquiry. They analysed the effectiveness of Central Ideas, and re-wrote some weak Central Ideas to be more conceptual, globally significant or ripe for inquiry.”

For the final session, the teachers regrouped into year level teams, with each specialist working as a consultant to plan transdisciplinary learning opportunities in the 2021 program of inquiry. The teams discussed how key and related concepts could be explored through multiple subjects to enhance understanding of the Central Idea. They identified syllabus outcomes that would be integrated within the transdisciplinary program of inquiry, and those that would stand alone to be taught as disciplinary inquiries.

On this professional development day, Prep Staff analysed the program of inquiry in great depth, removing repetition and deepening conceptual integration. They worked collaboratively to design stronger central ideas and more powerful transdisciplinary experiences for 2021. The work from this day will be used to continue refining our program in horizontal planning meetings for greater coherence and conceptual integration.

Shannon O’Dwyer Deputy Head (Academics) The King’s School Preparatory School