DEVELOPING INQUIRY SKILLS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS THROUGH EXPLORATORY ACTION RESEARCH

This methodological article develops a model for supporting university students’ inquiry skills through Exploratory Action Research (EAR) within Fundamentals of Research. It examines how exploration before intervention can connect research concepts with justified methodological decisions. A focused narrative review of language teacher education informs pedagogical design, distinguishing reflective engagement with research, mentored inquiry and independent performance. The intended context is a three-ECTS online course for second-year bachelor’s students preparing to teach English as a foreign language (EFL) in wartime Ukraine. The model links EAR stages to original activities, academic products and formative assessment, as specified in an implementation table. A worked example explains how question narrowing and peer feedback require alignment between a claim, obtainable evidence and interpretation. Annotated models, downloadable guidance and asynchronous exchanges provide staged support for beginning researchers. The discussion examines mentoring, equitable access and the limits of inferring competence from assisted revision. A prospective evaluation would compare drafts and explanations and examine transfer to an independent activity. The contribution is a curricular framework rather than evidence of completed implementation or established learning gains.