Teachers’ perceptions of inquiry-based learning in urban, suburban, township and rural high schools: The context-specificity of science curriculum implementation in South Africa Umesh Dewnarain Ramnarain * Department of Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, Auckland Park Kingsway Campus, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, Gauteng 2006, South Africa highlights  Physical Sciences teachers’ perceptions of inquiry learning in South African high schools.  Positive perception of inquiry learning regardless of the teaching context.  Didactic method considered more effective for student learning in disadvantaged schools. article info Article history: Received 20 February 2013 Received in revised form 30 September 2013 Accepted 22 November 2013 Keywords: Inquiry-based learning Practical work School science curriculum Economically disadvantaged schools abstract This study investigated the perceptions of physical sciences (physics and chemistry) teachers on the implementation of inquiry-based learning at a diversity of high schools in South Africa. The findings show that teachers at all locations of school have a positive perception of inquiry-based learning, with benefits for learners that include the development of experimental skills and making science more enjoyable. However, with regard to inquiry facilitating conceptual understanding, teachers at township and rural schools believe a didactic approach to be more effective than learners doing inquiry, whilst teachers at suburban and urban schools favour an inquiry-based approach in this regard. The significance of this study is that the lack of resources, large classes, and the limited exposure to inquiry of learners at township and rural schools constrain the implementation of inquiry-based learning at these schools, and result in teachers at such schools resorting to a didactic pedagogy. Ó 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. 1. Introduction “Inquiry” has become a perennial and central term in the rhet- oric of past and present science education reforms (Abd-El-Khalick et al., 2004). According to the Inter-Academy Panel (IAP) (2012) Science Education Programme that promotes an inquiry-based science education approach, inquiry-based learning allows learners to develop “key scientific ideas through learning how to investigate and build their knowledge and understanding of the world” by using “skills employed by scientists such as raising questions, collecting data, reasoning and reviewing evidence in the light of what is already known, drawing conclusions and discussing results” (p.19). This conception of inquiry means that it is more encompassing than practical work where learners observe and/or handle objects or materials (Millar, 2009). A revised South African school science curriculum advocates an inquiry-based approach to learning that encourages learners to “explore objects, situations and events in their immediate envi- ronment, to collect data and record information and draw conclu- sions accurately” (Department of Education, 2002, p.34). This imperative is also expressed in the new Curriculum and Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS) document which states that physical sciences is a subject that “promotes knowledge and skills in sci- entific inquiry and problem solving; the construction and applica- tion of scientific and technological knowledge; an understanding of the nature of science and its relationships” (Department of Basic Education, 2011 , p.8). These developments in South Africa mirror the worldwide reform trends in science education. In the United Kingdom, Attainment Target 1 for Science in the National Curriculum has apportioned much priority to inquiry (Department for Education * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ27 011 5594384; fax: þ27 011 5592048. E-mail address: uramnarain@uj.ac.za. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Teaching and Teacher Education journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tate 0742-051X/$ e see front matter Ó 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2013.11.003 Teaching and Teacher Education 38 (2014) 65e75