An educational Theory of Inquiry

The paper is grounded on the idea, widely diffused in Dewey’s work, that any process of inquiry – from the simplest process to the more and more complex one- brings about growth and development for individuals, communities, and societies. This occurs as a more and more diffused mastery of methods, tools and forms of knowledge, which help us to develop a wider awareness and understanding of problems arising from human experience. On the basis of this premise, it is very clear that, from a pedagogical point of view, inquiry develops into an educational process and can therefore be considered an educational device in itself. It thus becomes extremely significant to reflect on what the principles for an educational theory of inquiry could be according to a Deweyan perspective in today’s educational scenarios, considering that education itself is the outcome of a continuous and reflective process of inquiry into educational situations and problems.