Teachers’ readiness to use inquiry-based Science : a professional development project

Abstract

Rapid changes in the world have redefined the skill sets that students need as citizens of today and tomorrow. It is for this reason that local and international educational reforms have called for a paradigm shift in science education pedagogy, promoting inquiry-based learning (IBL), which can provide students with the scientific knowledge and understanding necessary to be successful in a dynamic world. This research is a case study in one primary school and aims to explore: i) Year 3 primary teachers’ beliefs and practices with regards to IBL in science; ii) whether teachers’ sense of efficacy is related to their attitudes toward IBL; iii) if support systems can impact teacher efficacy and attitudes toward inquiry and if so in which areas is it more pronounced; and iv) the extent to which the school’s support system facilitates the development of a community of inquiry. The participants in this study include two year 3 teachers, an assistant head of school and a science peripatetic teacher. Interviews with all participants provided a needs analysis on which the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) program was developed. The CPD involved three training sessions in which both year 3 teachers and the researcher explored IBL, experienced a 5E inquiry-based science (IBS) lesson and collaboratively planned a science lesson based on the 5Es, which was then delivered to their respective classes. A post-training interview was conducted with all participants to analyse the successfulness of the CPD. The Research findings indicate that teachers need both time and practice to develop their self-efficacy with respect to using IBL when teaching science. They highlight the importance of practical training, collaborative planning and reflection upon practices while emphasising the role of support systems in the effective implementation of IBL.