Classroom Inquiry of Teachers from School of Science and Technology, Singapore
Ms Christine Lam, EL Teacher, first observed how her Lower Secondary students
found critical reading of literary texts challenging. They had difficulties
answering inferential and evaluation questions based on given texts. She
wanted to help them develop their critical reading skills. She was also
keen to enhance their awareness of the nuances of meaning-making through
the language used in literary texts. Ms Han Siu Yin, HOD/EL, was excited
over an opportunity to support Christine in helping her students. She encouraged
her colleagues from the EL Department, Ms Christine Lam and Ms Jasvindar
Pal Kaur, to embark on a classroom inquiry after attending the
Classroom Inquiry for English Language and Literature Teachers course
The three teachers, with support from Dr Caroline Ho, Lead Specialist/EL,
investigated how the use of selected reader roles from the Four Resources
Model (Freebody & Luke, 1999) affected their students’ critical reading
skills. The teachers were motivated to present their findings after seeing
the impact of the intervention on their students’ learning and worked with
Caroline to co-present their findings at the 2024 RELC International Conference.
Highlights of the teachers’ reflections on their learning:
Han Siu Yin: I value the collaborative learning CIELL
provided to learn from self, learn from others and also to learn with others.
We were encouraged to share our initial inquiry questions with each other.
This provided an opportunity for us to learn from one other as we provided
feedback to sharpen the inquiry questions. ELIS course facilitators provided
valuable input on our efforts and enhanced our understanding of the overall
Christine Lam: In verbalising my thinking as I engaged
with texts, I modelled strategic critical reading skills and demonstrated
how to navigate the complexities of language. Students developed a better
understanding of how to critically evaluate and analyse texts on their
own using the Reader Roles. The insights my students gained from my own
engagement with texts as I articulated my interpretations of word choice
and discussed the implications of different linguistic choices were invaluable
Jasvindar Pal Kaur: This classroom inquiry has reinforced
my conviction in inquiry as a means for teachers to develop specific competencies
and explore new strategies. Inquiry facilitates teachers’ professional
learning and growth as we examine our classroom practice and consider the
impact of what we do on our students’ learning. It is important to
identify a focus area for the inquiry that is aligned with our learners’
needs. This ensures the relevance of the inquiry in a specific teaching
and learning context.
Listen to podcast episodes to hear teachers’ personal accounts of conducting classroom inquiry.