Teacher inquiry

HomeSchool resourcesTeacher inquiry
type here...
School
Thought leadership
Early childhood

Teacher inquiry

HomeSchool resourcesTeacher inquiry

Topic summary

Teacher inquiry is a powerful form of professional learning. We have developed a series of resources to help teachers get the most out of the inquiry process.

Teacher inquiry, sometimes referred to as Teaching as Inquiry, is an approach to teaching in which teachers continuously inquire into the impact of their teaching actions on student learning, make informed changes to improve their teaching practice in order to enhance student learning, and measure the impact that these changes have on their students’ learning. Teacher inquiry is conceptualised as a cyclical rather than linear process, and can take specific forms such as Timperley, Kaser and Halbert’s Spiral of Inquiry.

Teacher inquiry is considered to be one of the most powerful forms of teacher learning and a vital strategy for enhancing student learning and outcomes by improving teacher practice. Teachers involved in inquiry report that it is a highly satisfying and energising form of professional learning and development that supports their self-reflection and critical examination of practice, and encourages them to try new challenges and explore different ways of teaching.

There is evidence to suggest that teacher inquiry, when undertaken effectively, can be a powerful learning activity for teachers. However, currently there is limited evidence examining the relationship between teachers undertaking inquiry and improved student outcomes.

While teacher inquiry is about teachers’ learning, it is important to emphasise that the key objective is to improve teaching practice in order to better meet the needs of students. Inquiry should stem from an issue, question or challenge that teachers have about their students’ learning. Once teachers have decided on their focus, it is important to look beyond their own practice and school and to engage with research on the topic. Inquiry is a process rather than a one-off event, and it is helpful to see inquiry not as an individual activity but rather as a collaborative enterprise with other teachers.

  • What is happening for my students and how can I improve my teaching in order to strengthen student outcomes?
  • What information can I draw on to inform the new approaches that I want to trial in my practice?
  • What measures will I use to know if what I am doing is actually making a difference?

Overview

How to engage in teacher inquiry using the spiral of inquiry

An introduction to teacher inquiry and its role in improving teacher practice and student outcomes.

Stage 1: scanning

The spiral of inquiry: An introduction to scanning

A brief introduction to the scanning phase of the spiral of inquiry and some tools to use for data collection and reflection during this phase.

Scanning tools

This template is designed to help teachers develop a sense of what is happening for students in their classroom. The tool equips you to collect observational data, as well as student perspectives on the learning programme and their progress during the lesson. There is also space to plot student progress and achievement. This tool is a starting point, so any findings would need to be explored in a broader context and further evidence collected prior to moving onto the focusing phase. 

PDF file or Word .docx file

This tool has been designed for use by a colleague or critical friend to observe a lesson or part of a lesson and collect observational data. It also provides a tool to collect data on your interactions with students, student voice and measure student progress during the lesson. Teachers could also use this template when watching a video of their own practice.

PDF file or Word .docx file

This tool is designed to help you bring all your data together to assess its quality and thoroughness, and to look for emerging patterns, categories and trends that are worthy of attention in the subsequent stages of inquiry.

PDF file or Word .docx file

This tool is designed to help you bring all your data together to assess its quality and thoroughness, and to look for emerging patterns, categories and trends that are worthy of attention in the subsequent stages of inquiry.

PDF file or Word .docx file

This survey tool is designed to allow you to collect student voice across a range of academic and socio-emotional factors.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Stage 2: focusing

The spiral of inquiry: An introduction to focusing

An overview of the focusing stage of the spiral of inquiry and some tools to help narrow and refine the focus of inquiry.

Focusing tools

This tool has been designed to help teachers list things that emerged during the scanning phase, to evaluate what’s working well and what’s not, and to consider the amount and quality of data collected prior to selecting an area of focus. It is useful for helping to narrow your focus and identify any areas where you might need to collect a bit more evidence.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Use this tool to help you to select an area to focus on. It will help you rate potential areas to address against the level of need, your capacity to make changes, your strengths, challenges, your interest in it, potential to collaborate and ease of assessing progress and change. It’s a very quick tool to use to help you keep moving through the inquiry process.

PDF file or Word .docx file

If you have a general area in need of improvement, use this tool to narrow your focus by identifying the who, what, how and why of your key observations, and what the learning should look like. You can also use it to speculate possible causes of the problem or challenges. A narrow focus will enable you to conduct a tighter and deeper inquiry.

PDF file or Word .docx file

The 5 Whys analysis method is useful for identifying and defining the problem. It can be very difficult to clearly identify the root problem or issue, and this tool helps you to get past symptoms or factors, such as poor student attendance, that may affect a student’s behaviour and motivation in class but are not the true cause of the problem.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Stage 3: developing a hunch

The spiral of inquiry: An introduction to developing a hunch

How to go about developing a hunch as part of the spiral of inquiry

Developing a hunch tools

Use this tool to develop a clear picture of a problem, understand why this problem occurs, and to begin to generate potential ways to address it. This tool works well following on from the 5 Whys Analysis from the focusing phase.Brainstorm possible causes and group them into categories. Some categories could be people, curriculum, methods, policies, procedures, equipment, materials, and the environment. Identify the effects that the causes have on students, staff, the school, and the community. You need a good understanding of the causes and effects of the problem to begin come up with some improvement actions. Try to decide what changes you would like to see, so that in the checking phase you can assess whether your actions have made a difference.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Use this tool to help you to select an area to focus on. It will help you rate potential areas to address against the level of need, your capacity to make changes, your strengths, challenges, your interest in it, potential to collaborate and ease of assessing progress and change. It’s a very quick tool to use to help you keep moving through the inquiry process.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Use this tool to formulate ‘if, then’ statements and to consider what evidence you will need to collect in order to test your hunch and what further information and professional learning you will need in order to take action.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Stage 4: professional learning

The spiral of inquiry: An introduction to professional learning

A brief introduction to the professional learning phase of the spiral of inquiry and some useful tools for identifying the focus and possible sources of professional learning.

Professional learning tools

Use this tool to identify what you want to learn in this phase of inquiry and to set a SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-driven, Time-bound). A SMART goal will enable you to clarify what you are researching, focus your efforts, and use your time and resources more productively.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Use this tool to brainstorm potential resources you could access, and to plan the learning strategies you will use.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Stage 5: taking action

The spiral of inquiry: An introduction to taking action

How to go about taking action by trying new approaches and practices and recording their impact.

Taking action tools

Use this detailed chart to record iterative cycles of planning throughout the inquiry.

PDF file or Word .docx file

This simple tool provides the space to list and monitor the progress of actions you are planning to take and/or strategies you are planning to trial.

PDF file or Word .docx file

This tool has been designed for teams to monitor progress in a group inquiry. There is space to identify where team members are feeling stuck and tweaks to be made, and to list next steps.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Stage 6: checking

The spiral of inquiry: An introduction to checking

An overview of the checking stage of the spiral of inquiry and some tools for recording and evaluating evidence of the impact of changed practices and new approaches.

Checking tools

Evaluate and measure the impact of your inquiry.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Use this table to collate and compare the data from the beginning of the inquiry in the scanning and focusing phases and in the checking phase.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Use this table to collate and critically interrogate your data for this inquiry. This tool includes some critical questions to help you evaluate the impact your actions has had on your teaching practice and student learning.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Use the same data collection methods as you did in the scanning phase in order to measure the effectiveness of your actions.

PDF file or Word .docx file

Revisit your Detailed Action Plan from the taking action phase to examine your findings, reflect, and set a new SMART goal for the next cycle of your inquiry.

Research reviews

Using student voice for assessment and inquiry

How teachers and schools can utilise student voice to support assessment and inquiry

Student voice collection tool

A tool to support teachers and schools to think about how well they currently are supporting their students and their learning and to identify areas for improvement

Teaching as Inquiry Workbook

A workbook that takes teachers through each step of the Teaching as Inquiry process.

Webinars

Infographics

Snapshots

Insights from the research behind the Great Teaching Toolkit

Insights from a webinar with Professor Rob Coe.

A whole school approach to teaching as inquiry

Alison Taylor, Deputy Principal at Pakuranga College, discusses the six-year journey her school has been on to embed teaching as inquiry into the practice and mindset of teachers and the change in culture she has observed as teachers become more open to change and talking about their learning

Onehunga High School’s journey to use evidence

Principal Deidre Shea and Associate Principal Gareth Leadbeater explain how Onehunga High School has shown powerful improvements in student progress as a result of getting better at collecting and learning from data over the last four years

Student voice for relationship building, identifying gaps, and modifying teaching practice

Heath, a Year 2/3 teacher at Stonefields School, uses student voice across a range of learning areas to help him to gain a better understanding of how engaged his students are in their learning, to modify his practice, and to build relationships with his students
“Thanks for the opportunity. This was without doubt amongst the best professional development I have done in many years.”
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“I've just started and it's incredible! Best professional learning course I have participated in in a long time. I've just completed Part 2 – so inspiring!”
Course participant
Visual Arts in ECE
"I loved how the course was laid out. It was easy to leave and pick up where I had left off. The site was easy to navigate and I liked the videos that backed up the reading."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Continue with your excellent work. I get feedback that student teachers love it too.”
Educator
Martinborough
“I have found all your webinars to be of incredible value to myself and my team. Thank you.”
Centre Leader
Auckland
“You guys are doing a FABULOUS job - keep up the great work. And thank-you for offering free webinars; readings etc - in this current climate it is so hard to find money for extra things and PD is usually the first thing that gets a budget cut. Having access to your webinars means that there is no excuse for my teachers not keep professionally ahead of the game. My team and I certainly appreciate it.”
Early childhood teacher
Wellington
“I LOVE your work. It is super useful as an AST in a large COL, The Education Hub is a springboard for my own self-driven PD and a good resource for the spectrum of needs in our Kahui Ako. Thank you for the epic work you do!”
Advanced Skills Teacher
New Zealand
“Appreciate the diverse range of resources on offer!”
Intermediate school teacher
New Zealand
“The Education Hub is a gem and I recommend it to all schools I work with.”
Education consultant
New Zealand
“The resources and support provided by The Education Hub are greatly appreciated. As an HOD in a small school, in a small department usually made up of beginning teachers, it often falls on my shoulders alone to try and be up to date with ensuring our programmes are founded on sound pedagogical practices in terms of teaching in general and our particular curriculum area ... so I'm like a sponge when it comes to what you provide.”
Head of Department
“The Hub articles have been really useful and provided conversations for staff meetings and provocations for teachers. Thank you - great work and food for thought.”
School leader
Dunedin
“Articles are always well considered and written. I enjoy the content; it’s a superb resources for teachers”
Teacher (primary)
Tauranga
"I love this site!! I love everything you do for us educators, professional leaders and whanau. I loved this site during my studies last year when I upgraded to a Degree. Love it – thank you!"
New entrant teacher
Wellington
“I really value the Education Hub as a non-partisan (and non-reactionary) force for building consensus around what works and what matters in (New Zealand) education. There's nothing like it, and without it we'd be at the mercy of the more vociferous at both ends of the spectrum (progressive vs conservative).”
Deputy Principal
Christchurch
“Keep up the great mahi, I would struggle to have conversations with teachers about current pedagogy without you!”
Professional development provider
Auckland
“Having discovered The Education Hub this year, it has been timely as I navigate the teaching of structured literacy. The content has been so relevant and reliable, I come away wanting more.”
Primary teacher
Nelson
“The information I have gained from the webinars I have watched this year has been so enlightening and it has fueled my desire to further my own knowledge. We are lucky to have such a great resource.”
Preschool teacher
Palmerston North
“Thank you for providing high quality professional learning that is easily accessible.”
High school teacher
Napier
“I really appreciate the quality and range of the webinars you provide. I love that I can access them later if I don't get to watch them at the time.”
Teacher
Bay of Plenty
"Thank you! This course has renewed my passion for writing meaningful learning stories that are backed up with intentional teaching and show progression of learning and development."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Thank you to those of you who are working hard to keep this resource relevant and accessible for all of us in the education sector. More specifically, I appreciate the balanced approach taken by your team to specific topic”
School leader
Manukau
"I liked the mix of different aspects that kept things interesting, I enjoyed sharing my new learning with my colleagues and I loved learning new practical aspects of story writing."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Thank you so much for the valuable service you provide. We are so lucky to have access to this quality of resources.”
Graduate teacher
Blenheim
"I loved how the course was laid out. It was easy to leave and pick up where I had left off. The site was easy to navigate and I liked the videos that backed up the reading."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching

Get unlimited access to all our webinars

Buy a webinar subscription for yourself, your school or centre and enjoy savings of up to 25%

The Education Hub webinars provide high-quality research-based content for teachers. A webinar subscription costs just NZ$60+GST per person (with discounts of up to 25% available for groups) and provides access to all our live webinars for 12 months, plus all the recordings in our archive.
Find out more

12-MONTH WEBINAR SUBSCRIPTION

NZ$ 60 per person +GST
  • All live webinars for 12 months
  • Access to our library of over 100 webinars
  • Personalised certificates
  • Group savings of up to 25%
Buy now

About The Education Hub

The Education Hub’s mission is to bridge the gap between research and practice in education. We want to empower educators to find, use and share research to improve their teaching practice, and then share their innovations. We are building the online and offline infrastructure to support this to improve opportunities and outcomes for students.

New Zealand registered charity number: CC54471

Find out more

We’ll keep you updated

Follow us on social media

Like what we do? Please support us

Donate now to show your appreciation

© The Education Hub 2025 All rights reserved | Site design: KOPARA

Close popup
Message from The Education Hub Choose how you stay up to date

Early childhood education
School

Your details:

Already have an account? Login here

* Required fields

By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. The data you provide on this form will be used to keep you informed about our latest news, updates, and promotional offers. Rest assured, your information will be handled in strict accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your data will be stored securely, and you have the right to access, correct, or delete your information at any time. For more details, please review our Privacy Policy or Terms of Service.