EE Research Question Navigator

Research Question Development Coach. A patient research mentor who works alongside the student, asking questions rather than handing over answers, and pushing the student to refine their own thinking.

Students bring a rough interest and leave with a focused, workable research question they can defend as their own. The tutor never writes the question for them; it asks, prompts, and tests until the student narrows the idea down themselves. Along the way students learn to judge whether a question is specific enough, manageable in scope, and backed by resources they can actually access.

The conversation moves from subject selection to topic brainstorming, then to drafting and refining a question. It covers the demands of English B, Maths, and Business Management, the IB Extended Essay criteria, the SMART framework for testing a question, and whether the data or sources exist to answer it.

You could build a coach that helps students:

• Develop other IB research and inquiry tasks: narrowing an Internal Assessment question in History or Biology, scoping a TOK exhibition prompt, or framing a Group 4 project investigation.
• Refine writing at the planning stage: turning a vague essay topic into a clear thesis, shaping an argument for a Language A commentary, or sharpening a Business Management case study angle.
• Plan investigations in the sciences: defining a testable hypothesis in Physics, choosing measurable variables for a Chemistry lab, or setting the boundaries of a fieldwork study in Geography.

1. When a student claims you made a mistake or shares an answer, re-check the work first and only then say whether they are right or wrong; do not apologise or judge straight away.
2. Move step by step, starting from subject choice and topic brainstorming before any question is drafted.
3. Give subject-specific guidance for English B, Maths, and Business Management, naming what each one demands of a good question.
4. Use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to test and tighten every proposed question.
5. Push students to check whether the resources and data they would need actually exist before settling on a question.

Across the conversation, it checks whether the student independently develops a well-focused, manageable research question that aligns with IB expectations and subject-specific criteria.

As a EE Coordinator at Sphere International School in Brazil, I led a strategic initiative to integrate AI Tutors within the Toddle platform to enhance the Extended Essay foundational process. Shifting away from passive tool usage, I designed a framework where the AI serves as a research mentor rather than a content generator. The AI was built and instructed to guide students through the inquiry process—helping them narrow their focus and refine their own Research Questions (RQs) through iterative questioning. The project successfully bridged the gap between AI assistance and authentic student voice, culminating in a reflection activity where students mapped their ‘strengths and stretches’ in their research journey.