For many years, the International School of Islamabad has been attempting to assess intellectual curiosity, a key component of our school's mission. The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) invited us to use its Sustaining Excellence accreditation protocol, which is based upon action research, as a means of furthering this inquiry.
This protocol provided a framework and opportunity for us to conduct our continued assessment of this skill. We discovered a growing abundance of articles examining and analyzing intellectual curiosity. Our understanding of this literature was enhanced by the invaluable advice of Dr. Thomas Guskey and Dr. Teresa Arpin.
As we continue our journey, we have developed a deeper understanding of the meaning of this enigmatic but essential skill. We hope to find additional ways to recognize and foster intellectual curiosity in our students and staff.
We are also learning how to navigate the difficulties of assessing this "soft skill" with the hope that the methodology we develop will be applicable to other soft skills essential to our students reaching their potential.
