Co-framing shared epistemic objects of inquiry to support knowledge building over a whole school year

This study explores how fifth graders and their teacher co-constructed shared epistemic objects as collective directions of inquiry to sustain knowledge building about the human body system with Knowledge Forum over a whole school year. Qualitative analyses of observation notes, classroom videos, teacher reflective journal, and student artifacts elaborated the reflective processes and interactive roles of the teacher and her students to co-frame shared directions of inquiry as the knowledge building unfolded. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of students’ survey, interview, research journeys, and online discourse showed how the reflective structuration of epistemic objects helped to sustain and deepen their inquiry over time. These results, together with findings from our previous studies, shed light on agency-driven reflective structuration as a self-sustaining mechanism to guide and sustain principle-based knowledge building practices without extensive pre-scripting.