Using collaborative inquiry to examine equity-linked problems of practice

The focus on teacher inquiry to enhance student learning is a key feature of The New Zealand Curriculum and in New Zealand’s approach to teacher professional learning. This article examines how a collaborative inquiry team comprising two teachers (one each from two Auckland primary schools) and a teacher educator used inquiry to address equity-linked problems of practice. The findings showed that working collaboratively on practice problems was more than sharing examples or ideas. Rather, it involved systematic, intentional, iterative data gathering and analysis, and critical discussions about how the data could be used to change practice to improve learner outcomes.