Inquiry and discourse takes place when the staff conducts conversations about students and teaching and learning, identifying related issues and problems. Griffin (cited by Sergiovanni, 1994a, p. 154) referred to these activities as inquiry and
"believes that as principals and teachers inquire together they create community. Inquiry helps them to overcome chasms caused by various specializations of grade level and subject matter. Inquiry forces debate among teachers about what is important. Inquiry promotes understanding and appreciation for the work of others. . . And inquiry helps principals and teachers create the ties that bind them together as a special group and that bind them to a shared set of ideals. Inquiry, in other words, helps principals and teachers become a community of learners."

Participants in such conversations learn to apply new ideas and information to problem solving. Key tools in this process are shared vision; supportive physical, temporal, and social conditions; and a shared personal practice. As participants collaborate about student learning through inquiry and discourse, they continually seek out evidence about the success or failure of their pedagogy. Bernhardt (2002) identifies four types of data (demographic, perceptual, student learning, and school process data) that can help us monitor and assess progress. Professional learning communities utilize data-driven decision making strategies, set SMART goals, and take advantage of data’s capacity to promote collaborative dialogue (Schmoker, 1999).