Exploratory Practice: Enhancing Learning Through Inquiry

Webinar on Exploratory Practice

Samatha Wilson delivered a webinar for MTS on Exploratory Practice, which you can watch here.

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, teachers may feel pressured to constantly seek innovative ways to improve their ways of teaching and increase classroom efficiency. However, finding and ‘fixing’ problems can put a great amount of pressure on the teacher, particularly if they look to solve them alone.

Exploratory Practice (EP) is an approach that aims to move away from the role of the teacher as a ‘problem-solver’ and students as passive recipients of information. It is a form of practitioner research that encourages teachers and students to investigate questions, or "puzzles," about their learning and teaching experiences. Unlike traditional research, which often seeks definitive answers, EP focuses on fostering deeper understanding and continuous reflection.

What Is Exploratory Practice?

Exploratory Practice involves teachers and students collaboratively exploring puzzles—questions about teaching and learning that arise from their daily experiences. Taking examples from Hanks (2015), a teacher may puzzle about why her students are bad at spelling, and a learner may puzzle about why he remembers curse words more easily than others.

EP is distinct from traditional action research because its goal is understanding rather than intervention. Puzzles are not problems to be solved. Instead of seeking immediate solutions, teachers and students engage in thoughtful inquiry, sharing perspectives, and reflecting on their learning experiences.

How Can Exploratory Practice Be Used in the Classroom?

EP can be seamlessly integrated into classroom activities, making it a practical approach for busy educators. One of the key principles of EP is to improve the quality of life of teachers and students in the classroom. This means that it should not create extra work for the teacher in order to use it. Instead, the activities that are already used in the language classroom, which are necessary to help students develop their communicative skills, can be used.

Allwright (2003), in an article which aimed to introduce EP to those who had not heard of it before, states that it is already the challenge of language teachers to find different ways to develop an understanding of language in their students, and for students to be able to express their understanding, often through the medium of the language learned.

Therefore, the beauty of EP is that activities like group discussions, interviews, or journal writing can be used to explore puzzles during class time.

Benefits of Exploratory Practice in Education

Exploratory Practice offers numerous advantages for both teachers and students. It encourages reflective learning by helping students become more aware of their learning processes and develop metacognitive skills that enhance their academic performance. It also promotes autonomy, as students take ownership of their learning by investigating their own puzzles, leading to greater motivation and engagement.

Additionally, EP fosters a collaborative learning environment where teachers and students work together as co-researchers, strengthening classroom relationships and encouraging mutual respect. Lastly, it enhances teaching strategies by providing teachers with valuable insights into their students' challenges, allowing them to adapt their teaching methods accordingly.

Conclusion

Exploratory Practice can be a powerful tool that transforms the classroom into a space for inquiry, reflection, and shared discovery. By encouraging students and teachers to explore meaningful questions together, it fosters a deeper understanding of learning and teaching. Whether used in language education, academic writing, IELTS preparation, or general classroom practice, EP is a valuable approach that enriches the educational experience for all involved.

References

Allwright, D. (2003) ‘Exploratory Practice: rethinking practitioner research in language teaching’, Language Teaching Research, 7(2), 113-141. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1191/1362168803lr118oa

Allwright, D. and Hanks, J. (2009) The Developing Language Learner: An Introduction to Exploratory Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Hanks, J.I. (2015) ‘Language teachers making sense of Exploratory Practice’, Language Teaching Research, 19(5). pp. 612-633. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168814567805