South African Science Teachers’ Experiences of Inquiry-Based Teaching at Disadvantaged Schools

Inquiry-based science education has been advocated as a goal in the South African school science curriculum. Despite this goal, the implementation of inquiry in this country has been largely fragmented due to contextual factors that exert an influence on its traction in the classroom. This phenomenologically orientated study reports on the experiences of 9 South African science teachers of inquiry-based teaching at disadvantaged schools. The study draws on interview data to understand teachers’ challenges and successes in inquiry-based teaching. The following 5 themes emerged from an analysis of interview transcripts: (a) equity and quality; (b) a double-edged sword; (c) wicked solutions to wicked problems; (d) learner motivation; and (e) school commitment to inquiry. Despite tremendous obstacles at disadvantaged schools, the teachers were able to demonstrate resilience in implementing an adaptive form of inquiry that enable their learners to have experiences that supported authentic and autonomous learning that addressed higher-order thinking. This finding invites future research on the classroom practices of teachers who are able to enact inquiry-based teaching in overcoming contextual factors.