Exploring Pre-service Chemistry Teachers’ Understanding of Scientific Inquiry Skills through the Chemistry Laboratory Course

Scientific inquiry is a process in which individuals pose questions, think critically and engage in problem-solving research and investigation. It enables the explanation of observable scientific phenomena, problems, or events based on evidence. Through this process, students not only find answers to their questions but also structure their knowledge, opening the door to scientific practice. Scientific inquiry skills consist of six process components: defining the question or problem, developing a model to answer the question or find a solution to the problem, planning and realizing the research, analyzing and interpreting data, making evidence-based explanations and producing solutions, and evaluating and sharing knowledge. The aim of this study is to determine the readiness of pre-service chemistry teachers for the competency-based curriculum. Conducted as action research, the study involved 16 pre-service chemistry teachers over 12 weeks during the chemistry laboratory course in the fall semester of the 2023-2024 academic year. Data collection tools included open-ended questionnaire items to gauge pre-service teachers’ perceptions of scientific inquiry skills, an activity sheet designed to foster these skills, and a rubric for evaluation. The study analysed the use of the components of scientific inquiry skills by pre-service teachers. The results indicated that the pre-service chemistry teachers most frequently utilized the components ‘defining the question or problem’ and ‘planning and conducting research,’ which are subcomponents of scientific inquiry. However, the components ‘making evidence-based explanations and producing solutions’ and ‘evaluating and sharing knowledge’ were used less frequently in the activities they designed.