<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Even though inquiry-based learning (IBL) has been a component of various curricula and standards for more than ten years and its implementation has been supported by several funding programs, it is still applied only rarely. The reasons for this are not only frequently mentioned obstacles, but also the teachers’ beliefs regarding IBL. In this article, it is exemplified what IBL means to five Austrian chemistry teachers and what contradictions between IBL and the curriculum emerge from this. For this purpose, a group discussion is analyzed to discern what teachers think IBL is. The results are contrasted with relevant literature as well as with the Austrian curriculum for chemistry. The findings are finally used to derive implications for designing an appropriate professional development program.</p>
</abstract>

Even though inquiry-based learning (IBL) has been a component of various curricula and standards for more than ten years and its implementation has been supported by several funding programs, it is still applied only rarely. The reasons for this are not only frequently mentioned obstacles, but also the teachers’ beliefs regarding IBL. In this article, it is exemplified what IBL means to five Austrian chemistry teachers and what contradictions between IBL and the curriculum emerge from this. For this purpose, a group discussion is analyzed to discern what teachers think IBL is. The results are contrasted with relevant literature as well as with the Austrian curriculum for chemistry. The findings are finally used to derive implications for designing an appropriate professional development program.

Inquiry-based learning and secondary chemistry education – a contradiction?

Research in Subject-matter Teaching and Learning (RISTAL)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Inquiry-based learning and secondary chemistry education \u2013 a contradiction?"}

Even though inquiry-based learning (IBL) has been a component of various curricula and standards for more than ten years and its implementation has been...

Inquiry-based learning and secondary chemistry education – a contradiction?

Published Online: Jul 11, 2022

Page range: 51 - 65

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23770/rt1811

Keywords
inquiry-based learning, chemistry education, curriculum, professional development, beliefs

© 2018 Elisabeth Hofer et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Inquiry-based learning and secondary chemistry education – a contradiction?

Published Online: Jul 11, 2022

Page range: 51 - 65

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23770/rt1811

Keywordsinquiry-based learning, chemistry education, curriculum, professional development, beliefs

© 2018 Elisabeth Hofer et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Keywords
inquiry-based learning, chemistry education, curriculum, professional development, beliefs