Can “Issue Investigation” in social studies deliver both active citizenship and critical thinking skills?

What the Research Study Is About

This study explores Singapore secondary school teachers’ interpretations of “Issue Investigation” in social studies, revealing varied conceptions of inquiry learning – ranging from citizenship-focused to critical thinking approaches – while highlighting the challenges and strategies teachers employ in implementation.

Key Findings

Teachers’ Distinct Interpretations of Inquiry Learning

Singapore teachers understood Issue Investigation (II) in two primary ways:

• • • • Citizenship-focused approach: Viewing II as a vehicle for developing participative citizenship, where students identify societal problems and propose practical solutions aligned with national agendas.
      • Investigative approach: Treating II as open-ended social science inquiry prioritizing critical thinking development, with less emphasis on predetermined outcomes.

The approach adopted reflected teachers’ broader conception of the purpose of social studies education.

Implementation Challenges and Adaptive Strategies

Teachers faced significant obstacles:

• • • • • Perceived irrelevance of II to high-stakes examinations
        • Time constraints
        • Overwhelming scope and complexity
        • Skills deficits among students and teachers

In response, teachers demonstrated agency by:

• • • • • Simplifying the II process and activities to make them manageable
        • Piggybacking by making II serve multiple purposes (e.g., exam preparation, values education)

Implications for Teaching Practice

• • • Teachers have significant influence in shaping how inquiry learning is experienced.
    • Agency exists within curriculum constraints.
    • Adaptation strategies can make challenging curriculum components workable.
    • Teacher beliefs about subject purposes directly impact inquiry implementation.
    • Balancing critical thinking development with prescribed curriculum outcomes requires thoughtful navigation.

This research summary was generated by Coral AI and has been reviewed by the authors.