The science education budget of many secondary schools has decreased, while shortages and environmental concerns linked to conventional Science Education Equipment and Materials (SEEMs) have emerged. Thus, in some schools, resourceful educators produce low-cost equipment from basic materials and use these so-called improvised SEEMs in practical work. However, scattered in the literature are diverse challenges linked to the production and/or use of improvised SEEMs. Thus, the purpose of the literature review presented here was to design a framework useful in the reduction of these challenges. In this regard, we systematically gathered, characterised and clarified the challenges, in addition to collecting and reflecting on ways of reducing them. This enabled us to design the framework which focuses on educator learning and practice in the improvisation of SEEMs under specified conditions. Regarding the implementation of the framework, we have discussed the role that stakeholders including professional development providers and researchers may play.

Since scientific literacy has become a key goal in science education, many people have argued in favor of the incorporation of inquiry in science education. However, scattered in the literature are extrinsic and intrinsic teaching challenges linked to the design and implementation of inquiry‐based practical work (IBPW) in secondary school science classrooms. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to characterize and clarify the intrinsic challenges. From an instructional design perspective, the characterization of the challenges yielded four primary categories. The categories consist of initiation‐phase challenges (such as unfavorable views regarding science and practical work), planning‐phase challenges (including difficulties involved in designing IBPW), implementation‐phase challenges (e.g., persuading learners to reflect on their experiences and findings), and summative evaluation‐phase challenges which include concerns linked to the grading of practical inquiry. In the different categories, the challenges are linked to gaps in various aspects of teacher competencies especially in the context of the TPACK framework. The aspects include content knowledge (CK) (such as science content and scientific inquiry); in addition to technological knowledge (TK) linked to standard technologies. Also included is pedagogic CK (including orientation toward science teaching). Moreover, some of the intrinsic challenges are linked to gaps in skills (including pervasive classroom management and practical skills); in addition to values (such as commitment). These results have theory‐, practice‐, and research‐based implications.

Inquiry-based science education has been incorporated in science curricula internationally. In this regard, however, many teachers encounter challenges. The challenges have been characterised into those linked to the personal characteristics of these teachers (intrinsic challenges) and others associated with contextual factors (extrinsic challenges). However, this level of characterisation is inadequate in terms of appreciating the complexity of the challenges, tracking of their development, and discovering knowledge within specific categories. Against this background, the purpose of the research presented here was to characterise extrinsic challenges linked to the design and implementation of inquiry-based practical work. In order to do so, we used a conceptual framework of teaching challenges based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory of human development. The data gathered using a multi-method case study of practical work in two South African high schools, was analysed by combining the data-driven inductive approach and the deductive a priori template of codes approach in thematic analysis. On this basis, the extrinsic challenges linked to the design and implementation of inquiry-based practical work that participants are confronted with, were found to consist of macrosystem challenges (such as a restrictive curriculum) and microsystem challenges. At the latter level, the challenges are material-related (e.g., lack of science education equipment and materials) or non-material-related (such as time constraints and the lack of access to interactive computer simulations). We have discussed the theory-, practice-and research-based implications of these results in relation to the design and implementation of inquiry-based practical work in South Africa and internationally.

Around the world, there have been curricula reforms involving the incorporation of the inquiry‐based teaching and learning strategy in secondary school science education in general and in practical work in particular. Research in inquiry‐based practical work (IBPW) has focused, for example, on aspects of the strategy itself, on teacher professional development, and on classroom teaching and learning based on the strategy. However, the question of the extent to which teaching practices linked to the implementation of practical work are actually inquiry‐based, was still to be answered. To draw on the answer to this question to inform professional development practice and research, we focused on the case of physical sciences classrooms in two resource‐constrained South African schools. In this regard, we used a conceptual framework based on the Interconnected Model of Teachers' Professional Growth and including a framework of teaching practices. In the data collection, we used a multimethod case study approach and to analyze the data, we combined the inductive and deductive approaches in thematic analysis. The results show that in the initiation, planning, and classroom implementation phases of practical work, many of the teaching practices of participants were inconsistent with inquiry‐based teaching and learning, although some other practices were consistent with this type of teaching and learning. At the same time, some of the consistent practices were at a rather low level of implementation. We have discussed the theory‐, practice‐, and research‐based implications of these results, in relation to the implementation of IBPW in resource‐constrained physical sciences classrooms in South Africa and internationally.

Dwindling learner interest in science is a threat to economic development and scientific research. While the inquiry-based teaching and learning strategy in science education can contribute in countering this threat, the required teacher professional development efforts are not always linked to the actual pedagogical experiences and needs of participants. With this in mind, we focussed on the case of two resource-constrained South African schools. The purpose was to identify gaps in teacher competencies linked to the routine implementation of Inquiry-Based Practical Work in physical sciences classrooms. In this regard, we used a conceptual framework incorporating the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. This was coupled with a multi-method data collection technique and the inductive technique in thematic analysis. The results consist of gaps in Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Knowledge, Technological Knowledge, Technological Pedagogical Knowledge, and certain professional values. These results have significant implications in relation to evidence-based teacher professional development practice and research in the study context and possibly beyond.