Causal layered analysis (CLA) is a technique that enables deeper critical inquiry through a structured exploration of four layers of causation. CLA's layers reach down from the surface litany of media understanding, through the layer of systemic causes identified by conventional research, to underpinning worldviews, ideologies and philosophies, and deep subconscious drivers that manifest in myth and metaphor. CLA applies equally to geographical research's socioculturally constructed situations and to the exploration of individual meta-cognition and motivation through pedagogic research. Outcomes, explored through reflective journals and term papers, suggest that CLA helps more, especially middle achievement, learners discover deeper structures within their studies.