Practicing to sing in chorus: Challenges and opportunities of collaborative inquiry-based learning in an Iranian EFL secondary school context

Not dissimilar to many other English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts, inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning English appear to be both under-implemented and under-researched in Iranian English education settings, particularly in the public sector. In this study, the researchers explored the challenges and opportunities of teaching English based on collaborative inquiry-based learning (IBL) in an Iranian EFL secondary school context. To that end, supplementary teaching materials and classroom practices were developed for one of the national English textbooks, drawing upon inquiry phases of engagement in the topic of inquiry, exploring various sources, explaining the collected information collaboratively, and extending understanding. The participants of the study were 60 students taking English, as a compulsory school subject, in a vocational high school. The data for the study were collected through multiple sources including a semester-long class observation, teacher reflective journals, student-generated documents, and focus group interviews. The analysis of the data revealed that the students initially faced several challenges in their shift of paradigm from conventional to IBL practices, chiefly among which was their lack of tendency to sing in tune as community members. Notwithstanding the challenges, the practices also provided them with several learning opportunities like developing a searching spirit, practicing autonomy, creativity, team working, as well as voicing the self in a foreign language. We hope the research findings and classroom practices will be inspirational for curriculum designers, materials developers, and English teachers both in the Iranian context of English education and other EFL contexts worldwide.