Inquiry #6: Summarising your key findings about the nature and extent of the student problem.

Some of the key points I have looked at after profiling my learners is:

1. That 70% of my year 12’s were not confident writers
2. The shift from level 1 (year 11) writing of ‘Identifying’ and ‘develop ideas’ to the level 2 (year 12) writing of ‘describing, analysing and explaining’ is a struggle for some of the students
3. Students need to think more deeply with more opportunities of scaffolding in they’re writing to achieve.

This coupled with the data I collected on the students level 1 English results from the previous year 2022, I have made some observations and can recognise in my classroom which students display more confidence in their writing and which students need more support.

After synthesising some of the information I have collected as while as using my own teacher observations, I noticed that students weren't thinking deeply or had the skills do think 'critically' about the learning.  I wondered if they were asking questions, unpacking the language to make more meaning of it and I wondered if they had the will and the confidence to go for the merit and excellence answers.

The wondered if the idea of developing more critical thinkers would perhaps lead to more confident, critical writers.  This would then allow them to ask questions, think more deeply and critically so that they are prepared for the analytical and explanatory types of writing needed at level 2.  

I like to write ideas down on paper and try and connect them that way first.  Here's my sketch:

To show critical thinking in Social Studies, we look at how students respond to social issues and should analyse, justify and comprehensively aspects relevant to their learning.  As described by the Head of Learning for English, they find the same challenges when students move from level 1 to level 2.

Some of the data I will use to build a profile of the students’ learning as baseline data at the end of the year will be:

• A analysis of the comparative writing use an asttle testing framework
• Student voice surveys
• Teacher observations during guided writing

To narrow down my focus more deeply, I want to look at how to focus on writing by making the learning more culturally responsive through a critical thinking lense.

Can we teach writers to think critically through a culturally responsive lense?

After having some thought on the wording of my inquiry, I have a few attempts below:

Will a focus on critical thinking skills enable akōnga to be better writers in a culturally responsive environment?

Would teaching in a culturally responsive way enhance critical thinking skills that will enable akōnga to be better writers?

Would teaching in a culturally responsive way enable akōnga to use critical thinking skills to become better writers?

I've decided on:

"Would teaching in a culturally responsive way enhance critical thinking skills to enable students to become better writers?"