Legal Studies 2013

Teaching and learning resources

Inquiry-based learning
Inquiry-based learning is central to learning in Legal Studies.
An inquiry-based learning approach should underpin teaching and learning of Legal Studies, and
therefore the skills of inquiry require explicit teaching. Figure 1 shows how inquiry-based learning
is implemented in Legal Studies. An A4-version is available in the syllabus and in the resource
named Inquiry-based learning diagram.
The guiding principles for inquiry-based learning are:
• effective inquiry is a skill that requires explicit teaching
• inquiry-based learning is not a linear process
− students often revisit stages of the inquiry-based investigation following periods of reflection
and critical thinking
− attending to one stage in the process may prompt students to return to a previous stage
(e.g. inquiry-based investigations may give rise to further research questions)
• inquiry occurs within a context for learning that is authentic and relevant.

Figure 1: Inquiry-based learning in Legal Studies

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 Planning using inquiry
Table 1 provides a template for use by teachers to plan units of work or by students to record
their thinking when developing a response to an inquiry. The table has been developed from
Figure 1 and could be used by students and/or teachers.

Table 1: Planning a legal inquiry investigation

Phase of Key questions Notes

inquiry-based
learning

Define Establish, refine, frame the inquiry-based investigation by

determining:
• What is the legal issue to be investigated?
• What are the underpinning facts, law, concepts and processes
of the inquiry?

Investigate Conduct research to determine:

• What are the primary and/or secondary sources of legal
information?
• Is the information complete, relevant and accurate?
• What information will I select?
• How will I organise the information?

Analyse/ Dissect to ascertain and examine constituent parts and make

apply meaning of relationships through determining:
• What are the legal issues?
• Does the information I have gathered address the legal issue/s?
• How is the current law applied?
• Who are the stakeholders and how are they impacted?
• What are the conflicting arguments concerning the issue/s?
• How do the legal concepts, processes and legal issues relate to
determine legal outcomes?

Evaluate/ Assign merit according to criteria (just and equitable outcomes) /

justify provide sound reasons or evidence to support a statement.
• Is the law just and equitable?
• Are the stakeholder responses just and equitable?
• What alternative legal approaches could be used to
• achieve an outcome?
• What are the possible decisions or
• recommendations?
• How will I justify the decisions or recommendations,
• using evidence and reasoning?

Communicate Communicate a response considering:

• Who is my audience?
• What is my intended purpose?
• How will I present my response? (e.g. report, essay,
oral presentation)
• Is my response logical and well-structured?
• Have I included appropriate legal terminology?
• Have I referenced effectively?

Reflect Re-examine the question, the research method and the outcomes
considering these questions:
• Do new questions arise?
• Where to from here?
• What have I learnt that can inform future learning?

Legal Studies 2013 Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority

Inquiry-based learning February 2015
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