Science inquiry instruction and direct instruction in authentic primary and secondary classroom contexts

This study provides a contemporary perspective on how teachers implement inquiry-based instruction and direct instruction in everyday science lessons. While science education researchers have historically positioned these instructional approaches as flowing from epistemological opposites, this research examines how teachers pragmatically combine inquiry-based and direct instruction by investigating how teachers integrate these instructional approaches, including the timing, duration, and contextual factors that shape instructional decisions in authentic classroom settings. Systematic and structured observations and interviews were conducted with 8 upper primary teachers and 11 lower secondary teachers. Results showed primary teachers implemented more inquiry-based instruction (48%) than secondary teachers (18%) who relied predominantly on direct instruction. Both groups combined approaches within individual lessons, though primary teachers alternated between inquiry and direct instruction episodes more frequently than secondary teachers. Secondary teachers typically began lessons with direct instruction before transitioning to practical activities, a pattern driven by institutional requirements that overrode teachers’ pedagogical beliefs. The marked reduction in inquiry instruction at the secondary level creates a pedagogical disconnect that contradicts research-based expectations for increased inquiry as students develop scientific capabilities. This study establishes that contemporary science teaching pragmatically integrates both inquiry and direct instruction, though implementation differs considerably between primary and secondary settings.