We examined a context in which novice pre-service teachers and a mentor teacher implemented inquiry-based science instruction to help students make sense of genetic engineering.
Teachers' conceptions of inquiry may affect how they implement inquiry in the science classroom (Breslyn & McGinnis, 2012; Crawford, 2007; Wallace & Kang, 2004).
Researchers have found that teachers' conceptions (Crawford, 2007) and beliefs (Fang, 1996; Richardson, 1996) strongly affect the way that they implement inquiry in the classroom.
In general, adequate understanding of NOS concepts is a necessary condition for science teachers to successfully implement inquiry learning in science classes.
To the credit of the Ministry of Education MOEE) in Singapore, it has sought to address many of the challenges faced by teachers in implementing inquiry lessons.
Long and Bae (2018) report on interviews with beginning primary school teachers where they discuss their conceptions of science inquiry and their challenges in implementing inquiry in their classes.
Some common constraints that teachers face when they implement inquiry lessons are: lack of collegial supervision (Brickhouse & Bodner, 1992), lack of pedagogical skills (Adams & Krockover, 1997), lack of time (Loughran, 1994), and insufficient guides for connecting curriculum and inquiry teaching (Adam & Krockover, 1997).
2) What are their challenges in implementing inquiry-based lessons?
In other words, understanding science teachers' conceptions is predictive of how they implement inquiry-based instruction.
The school was chosen based on its efforts to implement inquiry-based instruction.
Therefore, teachers are able to develop their understanding of inquiry and successfully implement inquiry-based learning approaches.
