IASL's Reviews of Professional Materials

Kuhlthau, Carol C., Leslie K. Maniotes, and Ann K. Caspari. Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century. Westport: Libraries Unlimited, 2007. 170 p. ISBN-13: 978-1-59158-435-3. US $40

This book is a rich and multilayered blend of theory and practice in effective teaching and learning that is built on Carol Kuhlthau’s longitudinal research on the information seeking behaviors of learners. The work is a collaborative initiative that brings together not only Kuhlthau’s widely respected research, but also the expertise of Maniotes, a literacy specialist, and Caspari, a museum educator.

The authors present a wealth of theoretical and practical information centered on what students in this new century desperately need to survive and thrive, i.e., the development of critical skills and dispositions to become self-regulated, self-motivated, and responsible learners. They make a solid case for building these skills and dispositions through guided inquiry, which promotes the notion of facilitating learning in a community of learners.

They maintain that reform in today’s schools demands a hard look at how we have traditionally taught. Collaboration among all specialists and teachers and the support of administrators are not options but requirements for the type of deep and integrative learning promoted in this book. While each school is unique, innovation requires that educators move away from teaching in silos to collaborative instructional design and implementation that leverages the collective talents and strengths of teams. Community experts also assume an important role in this vision of 21st century schools. They provide a bridge between the school and the larger community and enable the application of curriculum content to real-world issues. Importantly, school librarians play a potentially pivotal role on teams by bringing to the table knowledge of appropriate and timely resources, skills in teaching information literacy, and the ability to work effectively in groups.

Readers, who are familiar with Kuhlthau’s model of the Information Search Process, will appreciate the succinct review of her research and its implications for working with students in an environment of guided inquiry. The authors also introduce the concept of third space that focuses on the intersection of the student’s realm of experiences (first space) and the body of school knowledge (second space). The convergence of the two creates a third space that capitalizes on the students’ worldview to generate relevant and transferable school learning.

In various chapters of this well-organized text, the authors address a spectrum of critical ideas and concepts in fostering guided inquiry, including:

  • The notion of five types of learning inherent in the inquiry process: curriculum content (interpretation and synthesis of factual knowledge), information literacy (location, evaluation, and use of information), learning how to learn (information search process), literacy competence (reading, writing, speaking, and listening), and social skills (interaction, cooperation, and collaboration).
  • The importance of assessment as an integral and continuous aspect of the inquiry process.
  • The re-imagining of the school library as a learning laboratory and a flexible space for experimentation and exploration rather than simply a storage facility for books.
  • The incorporation of an object-based approach in teaching, which uses physical artifacts or objects to creatively integrate disciplines ranging from history and science to literature and the fine arts.
  • The understanding that guided inquiry promotes the teaching of various content standards in ways demanding deep and substantive demonstrations of learning.

The book is a thoughtfully crafted example of research-based scholarship by this educator team of mother and daughters. It is highly recommended for all readers, who share a passion for learning and a desire to light the same fire in students of all ages.

Reviewed by Violet H. Harada, Professor, Library and Information Science Program, Department of Information and Computer Sciences, University of Hawaii.

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Last Updated 2 April 2008 (KSB)