ABSTRACT

When students leave school, they need to put into practice the skills and knowledge that they have acquired during Citizenship lessons. Voting, shopping or looking for a job requires investigative skills and the use of knowledge to make sense of very different kinds of information. Investigation in school not only helps students to develop these skills but can also capture their imagination. It has specific advantages in managing information and perspectives, learning and transferring skills and helping students to become independent learners. These aspects are explored by looking at the outcomes of an investigation that schools carried out and the nature of assistance that can be given to non-expert teachers to help them guide students effectively.