Inquiry-Based Learning in Secondary School: in-service and pre-service teachers’ believes

Abstract

Instruction at school is deeply influenced by teachers’ epistemological and pedagogical beliefs, and is somehow dependent on teachers’ previous experiences and education. The present work focuses on the study of pre-service and in-service teachers’ beliefs about Inquiry Based Learning (IBL), a pedagogy which has been shown to have a positive impact on science learning. Therefore, beliefs about what IBL is, how it should be implemented at school and the training and support required by teachers to use it are analysed. For this purpose, adaptations of questionnaires from the European PRIMAS project have been used. The study reveals significant differences between in-service and pre-service teachers and offers useful information for better supporting innovation in science education.