Exploring metaskills of knowledge-creating inquiry in higher education |
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Authors: | Hanni Muukkonen Minna Lakkala |
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Affiliation: | (1) Centre for Research on Networked Learning and Knowledge Building, Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 9, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland |
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Abstract: | The skills of knowledge-creating inquiry are explored as a challenge for higher education. The knowledge-creation approach
to learning provides a theoretical tool for addressing them: In addition to the individual and social aspects in regulation
of inquiry, the knowledge-creation approach focuses on aspects related to advancing shared objects of inquiry. The development
of corresponding metaskills is suggested as an important long-term goal for higher education; these pertain, simultaneously
to the individual, collective, and object-oriented aspects of monitoring inquiry. Taking part in collaborative inquiry toward
advancing a shared knowledge object is foreseen as a means to facilitate the development of metaskills; the present study
examines one undergraduate university course in psychology with that aim. The data consisted of a database discourse and students’
self-reflections after the course, examined by qualitative content analysis. Three analyses investigated discourse evolution,
knowledge advancement, and the challenge of the inquiry practices. The student-groups differed markedly in their engagement
in the inquiry efforts. The study gave insights concerning novel challenges evoked by knowledge-creating inquiry, relating
in particular to commitment, epistemic involvement, dealing with confusion, and the iterative nature of knowledge advancement.
We propose the following implication for educational practices: Although dealing with uncertainty and areas beyond one’s expertise,
as well as engaging in self-directed collaborative inquiry, may seem overly demanding for students, such experiences are decisive
for developing one’s skills in dealing with open-ended knowledge objects in a longer time frame. |
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Keywords: | Inquiry learning Knowledge-creation Higher education Metaskills Progressive inquiry model Trialogical learning framework Collaborative learning Epistemic objects |
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