English · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Research Question Formulation

Active learning works for research question formulation because students need to practice transforming vague ideas into precise questions through discussion and revision. Collaborative activities help them see different perspectives on what makes a question focused, answerable, and researchable.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E6LY01
• AC9E6LY02

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Question Refiners

Students receive a broad topic card and write an initial question individually. In pairs, they discuss clarity and scope, then share refined versions with the class for whole-group voting on the best. End with students justifying their final choice.

Design a research question that is both specific and open-ended.

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share, provide a timer so students practice concise question phrasing before sharing with the class.

What to look for

Present students with three broad topics (e.g., 'Australian Wildlife', 'Ancient Egypt', 'Renewable Energy'). Ask them to write one specific and open-ended research question for each topic on a worksheet. Review for clarity and focus.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Critique Circuit

Post sample research questions around the room on butcher paper. Small groups rotate, adding sticky notes with critiques on specificity, openness, and relevance. Debrief as a class to vote on improvements.

Critique a research question for its clarity and scope.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk, place a green and red sticky note at each station so students can leave specific feedback on question clarity and scope.

What to look for

Students bring a draft research question for their inquiry project. In pairs, they ask each other: 'Is the question clear? Is it too broad or too narrow? What information would I need to answer this?' Students provide one suggestion for improvement.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Question Types

Divide class into expert groups on question types: specific, open-ended, relevant. Each group analyses examples and creates models. Regroup to teach peers and co-create a class question for a unit topic.

Justify why a particular research question is relevant to a given topic.

Facilitation Tip

In Jigsaw Experts, assign each group a question type (e.g., 'how', 'why', 'compare') so they can analyze how different structures affect inquiry depth.

What to look for

Provide students with a sample research question (e.g., 'How do kangaroos survive in the Australian Outback?'). Ask them to write one sentence explaining why this question is a good research question and one sentence suggesting how it could be made more specific.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Inquiry Circle
• 25 min · Pairs

Individual Draft and Peer Polish

Students draft questions for a personal inquiry project. Swap with a partner for targeted feedback using a rubric on focus and answerability. Revise based on comments and present one strong question.

Design a research question that is both specific and open-ended.

Facilitation Tip

Have students use a colored pen when revising questions during Individual Draft and Peer Polish so you can track changes in focus.

What to look for

Present students with three broad topics (e.g., 'Australian Wildlife', 'Ancient Egypt', 'Renewable Energy'). Ask them to write one specific and open-ended research question for each topic on a worksheet. Review for clarity and focus.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach research question formulation by modeling your own thinking process aloud. Start with a broad topic, then ask students to help you narrow it step by step, showing how each revision leads to better researchability. Avoid providing ready-made questions; instead guide students to discover weaknesses in their own drafts through structured peer review. Research shows that students learn this skill best when they repeatedly test their questions against real source limitations and revise based on feedback.

Successful learning looks like students crafting specific, open-ended questions that can guide a full inquiry. They should confidently refine questions based on peer feedback and resource awareness, demonstrating clarity and purpose in their drafts.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Think-Pair-Share, watch for students who create yes/no questions, thinking they are simpler to research.

  During Think-Pair-Share, provide sentence stems like 'How does...' or 'What affects...' and ask students to justify why open-ended questions yield richer evidence during pair discussions.

• During Gallery Walk, watch for students who believe any interesting question will work for research.

  During Gallery Walk, have students mark overly broad questions with red sticky notes and suggest narrowing strategies, such as focusing on a specific time, place, or cause.

• During Jigsaw Experts, watch for students who think research questions only require copying facts from books.

  During Jigsaw Experts, give each group a set of sample sources and ask them to test if their assigned question type can be answered using those materials, discovering gaps through group analysis.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share
• Gallery Walk
• Jigsaw
• Inquiry Circle