This article addresses the challenges and importance of integrating discussions on race and social justice into the classroom. Considering recent legislative actions in various states aimed at restricting such discussions, the article presents an empowering framework designed to support educators in facilitating these conversations. This…

One of the most effective forms of professional learning happens when teachers conduct collaborative inquiry in their own classrooms around difficult and challenging topics -- even topics that are potentially divisive. In this article, the authors describe how they have seen this powerful process at work in their district in Pitt County, North…

This paper responds to the need to support complexities of literacy instruction by identifying and illustrating teaching strategies used by a practicing special education teacher rooted in a multi-theoretical approach to teaching literacy. We argue the importance of teaching from multiple theoretical standpoints and utilizing student-centered,…

This article details how a team of fourth-grade teachers in Rockingham County, Virginia used the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) to deepen student understanding of Barbara Johns and the Moton Student Strike's fight for racial justice in Virginia and to reframe their overall approach to Black history in general. Although Rockingham County Schools are…

To spur agency and critical thinking, educators can take steps to position students as knowledge builders rather than just consumers. Drawing on Indigenous pedagogy and her own work on the value of "street data" in education, author and consultant Shane Safir discusses the importance of creating more space for student voice in…

Much has been written in recent years about research methods used when conducting research with and about children, with many approaches taking cognizance of the children's rights agenda. This article proposes adopting a philosophical approach, through Community of Philosophical Inquiry (CoPI), as a research method that pays attention to…

High school instructional leaders describe how they reframed professional learning around autonomy with structured support. The new system, guided by trust and teacher inquiry, sparked innovation that proved critical during the pandemic.

Advocacy is an ongoing imperative for school librarians. This article examines the role of inquiry in empowering students to learn critical skills in literacy and inquiry and develop their own agency. It also outlines advocacy strategies to share the impact of inquiry-based learning.

Self-directed learning (SDL) has been recognised as an imperative skill for students. To meet the demands in today's educational atmosphere, SDL is indispensable. Numerous higher education institutions (HEIs) have made SDL a part of the curriculum. The main persistence of education for students must be to cultivate the skills of inquiry, and more…

In this article, we highlight the affordances of agency that is not merely individual, but rather emerges in and through collectivities. We take up these issues within the context of our own work in the field of sociocultural perspectives on literacy and through the methodological vantage point of community-based and participatory research. First,…

While beneficial to student engagement and learning outcomes, student-created research questions require a shift in thinking for the teaching team, which is made up of the school librarian, classroom teacher(s), and other specialists designing the inquiry learning experience. For librarians leading inquiry learning, this shift can seem difficult…

The challenges of contemporary society require pupils to make informed decisions and take responsible actions on problems related to science and technology. This work provides guidelines to support teachers in the design of learning scenarios that enable achievement of these goals. Two classroom examples based on contemporary news events explain…

When COVID-19 appeared on international radar this year and began its march around the globe, it revealed to any who might have previously denied it that the work to eliminate educational inequities is far from done. During this pandemic, more than ever, many educators are keeping these inequities top of mind. Rather than move online with what…

"Place: it's where we're from; it's where we're going. . . . It asks for our attention and care. If we pay attention, place has much to teach us." With this belief as a foundation, "The Power of Place" offers a comprehensive and compelling case for making communities the locus of learning for students of all ages and…

In classroom spaces on a daily basis, students are encouraged to express who they are as learners and demonstrate their own understanding of their learning. Students' ability to contribute to their own learning is an essential characteristic of an engaging classroom space and supports high academic achievement. The authors' work highlights one…