Inspiring Inquiries
A course on inquiry-based learning for ELT teachers
The Inspiring Inquiries Training Pathway is a comprehensive six-week online course designed specifically for ELT teachers working in the English language classroom. The course is hybrid, containing video content and activities that you can access in your own time, together with live workshops that provide an opportunity to consolidate learning and exchange ideas with other teachers.
NEXT COURSE START DATE: TBA
The Training Pathway
Perhaps you’ve used a couple of resource packs with your class and now you’re ready to delve deeper into inquiry-based learning. Or you’ve decided you want to design your own inquiry for your students based on their interests and needs. After all, that’s our real aim. The best way to achieve the highest levels of engagement is by tapping into those topics that our students are really interested in, whether it’s Minecraft or mechanics or makeup (yes, even in primary – YouTube and TikTok have a lot to answer for!)
With the Inspiring Inquiries pathway, you’ll find everything you need to become a successful inquiry-based teacher. Starting with the core course, you’ll cover the fundamentals of inquiry-based learning and begin putting this approach into practice with your learners. The extended pathway offers additional training in areas that all teachers will find relevant.
Each week, practical tasks are assigned to further reinforce new concepts and to encourage you to try out inquiry-based learning step by step in your classroom. You’ll also have access to a dedicated Facebook group, enabling you to share experiences and support each other collaboratively. To facilitate self-reflection and progress tracking, a reflection journal is provided, helping you analyse your experiences and choose actionable next steps. This comprehensive package ensures that teachers can create a supportive and inclusive classroom environment that fosters student engagement and promotes effective classroom management.
Course Programme
Inspiring Inquiries is a six-week online course on inquiry-based learning for teachers working with young learners in the English language (EFL/ESL) classroom.
The course includes:
- Input videos with activities
- 6 live workshops
- Weekly practical tasks for you to carry out in the classroom
- A small online community with tutor support
- A reflection journal to help you record your progress
Unit 1 Universal Design for Learning & inclusion
We’ll start the course by exploring Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how it helps create an inclusive classroom. We’ll also look at the inclusion principles and consider the importance of our teaching approach.
Unit 2 What is inquiry-based learning?
After being introduced to inquiry-based learning and its key features, you’ll discover how it can be used in the EFL classroom.
Unit 3 Planning an inquiry
Now you know the basics, we’ll explore the inquiry cycle and examine the different stages in an inquiry. You’ll start to plan an inquiry for a specific group of students.
Unit 4 Carrying out an inquiry
Here you’ll explore the practicalities of setting up an inquiry in the classroom. You’ll also start thinking about resources and tools that might be suitable for each stage.
Unit 5 Making thinking visible
How do we know that students are learning? By making thinking visible. We’ll explore different strategies for documenting learning and you’ll analyse an example inquiry resource pack.
Unit 6 Designing your own inquiry
In this end-of-course project, you’ll put everything you’ve learned into practice as you design an inquiry for your students. Includes personalised feedback.
Michelle Worgan
Course Tutor
As a lifelong learner with a natural curiosity, I’ve spent a lot of my career reading, attending webinars and talks, and trying to discover new approaches for ELT teaching and language learning. I’m a published ELT author and I run regular training sessions and workshops at conferences and events.
I signed up for Inspiring Inquiries because I wanted to take my after-school English curriculum to the next level. I’d heard of inquiry-based learning, and it sounded like the ideal way to make my classes more rigorous yet also fun and interesting for my learners. The course did not disappoint! Under Michelle’s expert guidance, I explored different models of inquiry-based learning and developed an inquiry unit to use in the classroom. My cohort met for a live session once a week, which was a great opportunity to ask questions and to hear the ideas and perspectives of other teachers. I also learned a lot from the videos and writing activities included in the weekly homework. I really appreciated having everything in one place so I could study the material at any time. I highly recommend this course to primary language teachers who would like to start using inquiry-based learning in their teaching.
What will I learn?
At the end of the course, you will have a thorough understanding of how inquiry-based learning works and its benefits. You will feel confident in planning, leading and carrying out an inquiry and will have designed your own inquiry for your classroom. Finally, you will be able to reflect on the inquiry process carried out and identify potential issues and areas for improvement.
If you follow the complete Inspiring Inquiries pathway, you will be equipped to carry out effective inquiry-based learning in the classroom and beyond. With the Infinite programme, you’ll also get personalised feedback on your teaching after the course ends.
There are three options for the Inspiring Inquiries Training Pathway: Flexible, Pathway and Infinite so you can choose the programme that works best for you in terms of time, finances and the amount of support required.
Flexible
Core course plus optional add-ons- The core six-week course
- Payment plans (2 instalments)
- Mini-courses (1 x mini-course 49€ / 3 x mini-courses 109€ / 6 x mini-courses 179€)
- Inquiry Implementation
- *Price includes VAT at 21%. Payment plans may include surcharges
Pathway
Core course plus mini-courses- The core six-week course
- 6 x mini-courses
- Payment plans (3 x instalments*)
- Inquiry Implementation Observation & Feedback (available as an add-on at 220€)
- *Price includes VAT at 21%. Payment plans may include surcharges
Infinite
All-inclusive- The core six-week course
- 6 x mini-courses
- Inquiry Implementation Personalised Observation & Feedback
- Payment plans* (3 instalments)
- *Price includes VAT at 21%. Payment plans may include surcharges
Are you a school?
The prices above are for individuals. If you’d like to run this training course for a closed group of teachers, please email me for a quote at michelle@michelleworgan.com. Face-to-face training is also available.
FAQ
I’ve signed up for the course. What will happen next?
You’ll receive a welcome email from me confirming your place on the course. I’ll also send you a questionnaire to help me learn a little more about you and your teaching experience.
Where will the course take place?
The course will be 100% online. Live sessions will be held in Butter (an online web conferencing tool). There will also be a community where you’ll be asked to share your homework tasks. You’ll receive a link to the community the week before the course starts.
How many people will there be on the course?
Normally there will be a maximum of twelve people on the course. For the live workshop sessions, you will be in smaller groups of approximately six.
You’re in Europe but I’m in a different time zone. Will I be able to attend the live sessions?
The time of the live sessions will be chosen according to the needs of the majority of participants and I will endeavour to choose a time that works for everyone. However, if you are not able to attend any of the sessions, they will be recorded for you to watch later.
How much does the course cost?
The current price for the core course (Flexible pricing option) is 369€. Mini-courses will be individually priced at 49€ each. The Inspiring Inquiries Pathway fee is 489€ which includes access to all mini-courses as they become available. The all-inclusive (Infinite) option is priced at 649€.
* All prices are inclusive of tax. For business customers overseas, VAT is not charged. Please contact me directly at michelle@michelleworgan.com if you require this option.
What is the Inquiry Implementation?
Inquiry implementation is a personalised observation package. It includes video observation* of either 3 x 60 minute lessons or 6 x 30 minute lesson extracts on which you will be provided with feedback and suggestions on how to improve as an inquiry teacher.
*You will be required to film your lessons and share videos with me. More detailed guidance will be provided if you purchase this package.
Extended Pathway
These additional mini-courses form part of the Inspiring Inquiries Pathway but are also available separately as individual purchases. While the focus is on inquiry-based learning, these mini-courses include more general information about each topic as well as practical ideas to help you develop an inquiry-based classroom.
Mini-course A The Curriculum Match your inquiry-based projects to your syllabus or design your own.
Mini-course B: Differentiation Explore strategies to adapt the level of your inquiry to your students.
Mini-course C: Teaching Language for Inquiry Ensure students are learning English in inquiry-based lessons.
Mini-course D: Assessment Learn how to evaluate your students’ learning through formative assessment.
Mini-course E: Classroom Management Learn to manage students effectively during each stage of an inquiry.
Mini-course F: Personalised Learning Discover how to offer more autonomy with a free inquiry. (TBC)
OK, but what is inquiry-based learning?
Inquiry-based learning is a flexible and powerful learner-centred approach. It develops thinking skills and it can help children become socially responsible citizens as they grow up. Inquiry-based learning can blend seamlessly with other types of learning –project, play or nature-based learning along with direct instruction.
To find out more about this and other inclusive approaches, sign up to my newsletter. You’ll get one weekly email and you’ll be the first to hear about courses updates and resources as they go live.
You can also read more about Inquiry-based learning on this blog post I wrote for Cambridge English.
Want to try before you buy?
Why not try out one of the Inspiring Inquiries Resource Packs first?
Each pack gives you a step-by-step plan for the themed inquiry that will allow you to see how inquiry-based learning works with your learners.
Each pack also comes with the Quick Guide to Inquiry which provides a useful overview of inquiry-based learning.
