Teaching Science through Inquiry: Lived Experiences of Grade 4 Special Science Elementary School Teachers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55687/ste.v5i4.642Keywords:
inquiry-based science teaching; lived experiences; elementary science; Special Science Elementary School; phenomenology; Grade 4 teachersAbstract
Inquiry-based science teaching is widely recognized as an effective pedagogical approach for engaging elementary learners in questioning, investigating, interpreting evidence, and constructing scientific explanations. However, implementing inquiry in actual classrooms requires teachers to negotiate curriculum expectations, learner diversity, resource availability, time limitations, and the developmental characteristics of young learners. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Grade 4 Special Science Elementary School (SSES) teachers in teaching Science through inquiry at Cauayan South Central School, Cauayan City, Isabela, Philippines. Specifically, it examined how teachers experienced inquiry-based instruction, the challenges they encountered, the strategies they employed, and the meanings they attributed to inquiry as part of their professional practice. Guided by constructivist learning theory and Dewey's conception of experiential inquiry, the study employed a phenomenological research design. Participants were purposively selected Grade 4 teachers with direct experience in teaching Science within the SSES program. Data were generated through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and analyzed through systematic phenomenological thematic analysis involving significant statements, meaning units, thematic clustering, and synthesis of the essence of the phenomenon. The analytical framework identified five central experiential domains: transforming the classroom from a site of information delivery into a space for discovery; negotiating the gap between inquiry ideals and classroom realities; scaffolding learners from curiosity toward evidence-based explanation; improvising and adapting amid resource and time constraints; and experiencing professional transformation through inquiry teaching. The study underscores that inquiry-based teaching is not simply a collection of science activities but an adaptive pedagogical process shaped by teacher judgment, learner agency, and contextual conditions. The findings have implications for professional development, instructional leadership, resource provision, and the continued implementation of inquiry-centered elementary science education.
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