Exploring Middle School Science Teachers’ Self-Efficacy with Inquiry-Based Learning: A Case Study

Abstract

Inquiry-based learning provides students opportunities to develop their scientific research skills and positive attitudes toward science. Middle school science teachers face challenges with implementing inquiry-based instruction. Teachers' level of self-efficacy influences the quality of inquiry-based instruction in the middle school classroom. Inquiry-based instruction plays a pivotal role in narrowing the science achievement gap, yet surveyed teachers avoid using inquiry-based learning as a pedagogical approach. This qualitative study examined how teachers' self-efficacy level impacts how they implement inquiry-based instruction in the middle school classroom. This study explored ten middle school science teachers from the eastern region of the United States perception of how their self-efficacy with inquiry-based learning influenced how they implement inquiry-based instruction. The findings of this study answered three research questions. Data collected through individual Zoom interviews and lesson plans revealed factors that influenced teachers' self-efficacy levels: their role as facilitators, effective classroom management, components of the inquiry-based lesson plan, attitudes toward inquiry-based pedagogical practices, and exposure to inquiry-based learning during their teacher internship. The significance of this research points to the need for science teachers to identify how their level of self-efficacy with inquiry-based learning influences its implementation to meet the academic science state standards and close the achievement gaps in the middle school science classroom. The study generated findings that confirm and support that middle school science teachers' level of self-efficacy with inquiry learning influences how they implement instruction. Recommendations included an inquiry-based learning curriculum that incorporates classroom management and reflective practices to evaluate self-efficacy levels with inquiry-based learning and internship training programs that engage preservice teachers in authentic scientific investigations that support teaching using inquiry-based learning and reflective practices.