Concept-based Inquiry

Take the next step beyond Inquiry-based Learning, helping learners understand the world around them through the use of Concepts.

Concept-based Inquiry

Download our paper and discover how to:

  • Guide learners to build connections between different ideas and experiences, preparing them to apply their learning to new situations in our ever-changing world.
  • Nurture learners’ curiosity, creativity, and sense of discovery by encouraging them to explore and question the world around them using an inquiry-based approach.
  • Nurture tomorrow’s changemakers by equipping learners with the skills, attitudes, and agency to engage with global issues and become active members of society.
  • Foster an atmosphere of collaboration and shared discovery by encouraging learners to build on each other’s ideas and draw collective conclusions as part of a learning community.

Download our free paper

Tookit sample

Everyone who downloads our position papers will also receive a toolkit of practical resources to help them implement the advice of our experts. Try out this sample resource from our Global Skills paper, designed to improve your learners’ collaboration skills and help them communicate more effectively.

Download the toolkit (PDF, 1.5MB)

Expert Toolkit

Meet our Expert Panel

We collaborate with an Expert Panel of world-leading academics and educators in English Language Teaching. Why does this matter to you? The Expert Panel ensures that research-based support informs our products and services, meeting your needs and the needs of your students in the best possible way.

Carla Marschall

Carla Marschall

Carla Marschall brings a distinguished career as an educator and school leader and is currently serving in the role of Director at Dresden International School. Prior, she acted as Director of Teaching and Learning at UWC South East Asia, East Campus in Singapore. During her seven years at UWC South East Asia, she co-authored two books, Concept-based inquiry in action (2018) and Worldwise learning: A teacher’s guide to shaping a just, sustainable future (2021), which focus on concept-based learning and issues-based learning across the K-12 continuum. Carla has held other international school leadership roles in Switzerland, Hong Kong and Germany and served as a classroom teacher both in the United States and Germany. Fluent in English and German, Carla is a multilingual leader, who values and models the importance of language learning. Carla holds a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Management from the Institute of Education, University of London.

Rachel French

Rachel French

Director of Professional Learning International and certified Independent Concept-Based Consultant, workshop facilitator, trainer, and author Rachel French, MA Ed. has led innovative curriculum design and transformed how educators teach and students learn for over 12 years.

Mentored by the founders of Concept-Based Curriculum, Dr. H Lynn Erickson and Dr. Lois A. Lanning, Rachel was entrusted with the exclusive worldwide rights to be the sole provider of the Erickson and Lanning Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction (CBCI) Trainer Certification Institute. This certification kick-started her journey into Concept-Based Inquiry and inspired her own approach to the pedagogy.

Rachel French, Dr. Lynn Erickson, and Dr. Lois Lanning have co-authored the second edition of ‘Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking Classroom,’ 2017, and Carla Marschall and Rachel French co-authored ‘Concept-Based Inquiry in Action’ (2018).

Rachel has presented numerous workshops and conferences on Concept-Based Learning globally. She now hosts the bi-annual Concept-Based Inquiry Learning Labs Conference, a conference dedicated to bringing together passionate CBI educators from around the globe.

Rachel’s mission is to help other educators transform their classrooms and schools by accessing leading professional development, planning and implementing Concept-Based units, and adopting a Concept-Based curriculum development approach.

Kathleen Kampa

Kathleen Kampa

Kathleen Kampa has been involved in young learner English language education for over 35 years as a teacher, teacher-trainer, author, and songwriter. As a PYP (Primary Years Programme) teacher in Tokyo, Japan, she used a globally minded, inquiry-based teaching approach to build conceptual understandings. Kathleen continues to explore new methodologies to nurture 21st century skills in her young learners’ classrooms.

Kathleen and her husband Charles Vilina are co-authors of several ELT primary courses published by Oxford University Press, including Little blue dot, Magic time, Everybody up, Oxford discover, Beehive and Buzz. In addition, Kathleen supports the development of English language by creating songs, chants, and movement activities targeted to young learners. She has produced two albums for children and a blog for teachers. Kathleen is a consultant on this paper.