6 Summary of Session 1

This session of the free course, An appreciative approach to inquiry, considered what inquiry in educational settings means, recognising that different people have different assumptions about the term and what it involves. It has acknowledged that many forms of educational inquiry start from a ‘problem-solving’ position, which is sometimes called a ‘deficit’ position, where there is always something ‘wrong’ with practices. While problem-solving inquiry based on a stimulus from critical reflection may be appropriate in some scenarios, an appreciative approach asks us to consider building from practices and experiences that are energising, exciting and which can generate new ideas, images, metaphors and stories for practices. Having considered the key aspects of an appreciative approach, including the appreciative cycle, the session began to think about what it means to enact an appreciative mindset and gaze, using all of our senses and being open to generating new ideas, using creative writing as a vehicle for playful explorations.

The next session will begin to explore how storytelling can help us re-see our contexts for professional learning inquiry.