Australian teachers' perception of teaching science by inquiry

The framing paper for the Australian Curriculum of Science proposed there should be a change in approach to teaching science with less emphasis on a transmission model and more emphasis on student inquiry.  This paper reports on the results of a national survey of secondary science teachers designed to examine their perceptions of what it means to teach science through inquiry.

The result of the quantitative and qualitative components of the survey will be presented.  These will be compared to the responses of two sub-groups; (i) teachers who perceive they will not change their practice, and (ii) teachers who perceive they will change their practice. The implication of the finds of the survey for the planning of science teacher professional development and changes in teaching practice will be discussed.