Considerations for Formulating and Revising Historical Inquiry Questions -A Critical Review of Teacher Community Practices-

Given the crucial role of questions in inquiry-based history teaching, this study examines the characteristics of inquiry questions and their development through a literature review and case study. The findings highlight that effective inquiry questions engage students in historical inquiry while cultivating historical thinking rather than providing answers. These questions are crafted for both instructional significance in history and relevance to students’ lives, and should be constantly evolving to reflect advances in historical research. Teachers must design and revise them to ensure alignment with lesson objectives and active student engagement. This process requires the collaboration of a community of teachers and the empowerment of teachers to design and support lessons centered around inquiry questions. Above all, it is important to recognize that teachers’ ability to write inquiry questions is a key factor in fostering students’ historical inquiry and deeper understanding.