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Introduction
The second edition of Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century provides the founda-
tion for understanding and implementing Guided Inquiry. In this book you will find a rationale
for implementing Guided Inquiry and a description of each of its components, along with a
complete curriculum for information literacy. The book also provides information on how to
assess learning in Guided Inquiry and about how to get started with Guided Inquiry and sustain
change in whatever learning environment you are in. This book and its companion, Guided
Inquiry Design: A Framework for Inquiry in Your School, provide a full description of how to
implement Guided Inquiry for learning in 21st-century schools.
How to Use This Book
This book is divided into three parts. Part I, “Theory, Research, and Design Framework,”
describes the important foundational research that underlies Guided Inquiry. Part II, “Infor-
mation Literacy: A Concepts Approach,” provides a full curriculum for Information Literacy.
Part III, “Teaching and Learning,” provides information on each of the components of Guided
Inquiry, how to assess learning in Guided Inquiry, and finally, how to get started in your school
and sustain change. The book is designed to be easy to read and refer back to as you are imple-
menting Guided Inquiry in your own context. It provides quotes from people who have seen
their teaching and learning be changed by this approach. There are also guiding questions in
each chapter to help you reflect on your own practice and how Guided Inquiry can serve your
learning community.
Part I—Theory, Research, and Design Framework
Guided Inquiry is based on constructivist educational theory and grounded in research.
It is unusual because it was developed by people who conducted research on how we learn
in a variety of situations. This research is well respected within its own sphere, but relatively
unknown outside of these circles. Guided Inquiry brings this research to education practi-
tioners in a way that can be immediately implemented. Chapter 1 provides the rationale for
Guided Inquiry and explains why it is the right approach for teaching and learning now. Chap-
ter 2 shows how Guided Inquiry is based on constructivist theory and identifies the theo-
rists who have been most influential in its development. Chapter 3 describes Leslie Maniotes’
research on Third Space, which is a key element of the success of Guided Inquiry. Chapter
4 describes Carol Kuhlthau’s research on the Information Search Process (ISP). This foun-
dational research model led to the development of the Guided Inquiry Design framework. In
chapter 5 we describe and explain each of the phases of the Guided Inquiry Design framework
and how they can be used to understand, plan, and assess student learning.
