Enhancing Learning Through Collaborative Inquiry and Action

Abstract

A social constructivist view of learning places particular emphasis on collaboration, interpersonal skills and
social aspects of learning. The emphasis of this research study is on children’s learning and learning
enhancement through cognitive conflict, social construction and metacognition during collaborative design and technology problem solving. The work evolved from the author’s involvement with a Comenius 2.1 European project entitled DIAL:Connect (using dialogue to connect learning minds). Pupils worked in groups to develop a solution to a design and technology challenge that originated from within a story context. The children were encouraged to use dialogue as a tool for thinking in their collaboration: questioning, clarifying, challenging, reviewing and reflecting. The nature of the teacher intervention during the collaboration and reflective inquiry became a main focus of this research. The same teacher was involved with each of the three groups in the research study, but to a greater or lesser extent. The hypothesis that quality of learning and learning outcome are dependent on the quality of communication; the reasoning and creativity embedded within the collaborative dialogues, was tested. Three composite groups, two girls and two boys, engaged with the same technology challenge, but at different times. Whilst the pupils were from the same year group of 11 yr olds, they were more used to working independently than interdependently. Having agreed the ground rules beforehand they were encouraged to work collaboratively and be reflective in action. Video and audio recordings of each group facilitated analysis of the verbal interaction and group dynamics. A qualitative content analysis of the transcripts showed interpersonal relationships and the language of thinking, action and productive activity to be better managed by the third group. This group appeared to be better coordinated, more cohesive, and more
productively engaged than the other two. There was greater goal conformity, tolerance of different viewpoints and the teacher adopted a key role in the orchestration and mediation of learning. All of this
seemed to impact significantly on the quality of learning and learning outcomes.