A Case Study of Science Teachers' Understanding and Practice of Inquiry-Based Instruction

Abstract

     This study was a qualitative research which was conducted according to an interpretive paradigm. A case study method was employed in order to probe teachers' understanding and practice of inquiry-based instruction (IBI). The subjects were three science teachers purposefully selected from lower secondary schools governed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Data were obtained from classroom observations, interviews, lesson plans, and teacher's reflective journals. The data were then analyzed using a within-case analysis. The illustrative case study showed that the teachers' understanding primarily complied with IBI. However, their IBI teaching practices did not relate students' interests or curiosities to scientific oriented questions. In addition, students did not involve in planning and decision making of learning activities and they did not have enough chance to communicate and evaluate their explanations among each other. The teachers' instruction focused mainly on the hands-on activities rather than the minds-on activities.