Artificial Intelligence-Mediated Enhancement of Science Teachers’ Core Competencies for Implementing the Five-Step Scientific Inquiry Approach in Indonesian Classrooms

This study examined science teachers’ core competencies and implementation of the Five-Step Scientific Inquiry Approach in Indonesian classrooms and developed an instructional strategic model for AI-supported inquiry. A descriptive-correlational design involved 50 purposively selected science teachers and a modified survey questionnaire, supplemented by a focus group discussion with eight teachers. Means and standard deviations described competencies and inquiry implementation, and Pearson’s correlation examined their association. Teachers were rated Highly Competent overall (M = 3.82, SD = 0.13), while inquiry implementation was Highly Evident (M = 3.79, SD = 0.13). Ethical and responsible AI use received the highest competency mean (3.86), and inquiry-based teaching competence received the lowest (3.78). Questioning was the lowest-rated inquiry stage (M = 3.65, SD = 0.38). A statistically significant moderate inverse association emerged between AI-related competencies and reported inquiry implementation (r = −.373, p = .008). Focus group findings identified challenges in responsible AI integration, perceived instructional benefits, and needs for sustained professional support. Teachers emphasized verification, ethical use, appropriate resources, and preservation of scientific reasoning. The findings informed the nine-component SARSADIAZ Instructional Strategic Model. The results describe reported practices and associations; they do not establish causal enhancement, student achievement effects, or the model’s effectiveness, which requires further validation.