Teacher perceptions of classroom composition and instructional strategies in primary school science education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22168485 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Doris Neubauer-Hametner (University of Graz, corresponding author), Heike Wendt (0000-0001-5255-1806, University of Graz), Daniel Kasper (0000-0002-2804-1256, Universität Hamburg) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-10 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2504-284X • E-ISSN: 2504-284X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/feduc.2025.1490875 |
| OpenAlex | W4415031250 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 86 |
Teachers constantly need to make decisions about which instructional strategies to apply in their classrooms, in particular in the context of so-called adaptive teaching. Research, therefore, needs to explore how such decisions are informed and chosen. Using teacher and student data from the Austrian 2019 TIMS study, the present cross-sectional empirical study addressed three issues. First, we explored the frequency of use of inquiry-based instructional strategies (IQIS) by Austrian primary school science teachers. Second, we asked whether there was a potential relationship between this frequency of use and science teachers’ perceived challenges in terms of heterogeneity, achievement and motivation? Finally, we examined potential associations between the frequency of use of specific IQIS and science teachers’ characteristics. Using an IRT-approach and multiple regressions we managed to identify the four inquiry-based instructional strategies: Demonstrating, Connecting, Involving and Cognitively Activating. Our results show a significant association between teachers’ perceptions, teachers’ characteristics and the frequency of use of IQIS. This suggests that primary school science teachers’ perceptions of their class composition directly influence their choice of IQIS and that this perception is co-determined by certain teacher characteristics. The results are discussed in relation to educational equity, implications for pre-service training, and further training for primary school teachers but also regarding inquiry-based instruction, as our results contrast with numerous studies that examine student ratings as a basis for instructional quality
Educational science · Perception · Science education · Diverse Educational Innovations Studies · Education and Technology Integration · Science Education and Pedagogy
Mathematics Teacher Noticing
Teachers’ perception, interpretation, and decision-making
Searching for a common ground – A literature review of empirical research on scientific inquiry activities
Student and teacher ratings of instructional quality
A Rasch Model for Partial Credit Scoring
On Teaching Adaptively
Can Instructional and Emotional Support in the First-Grade Classroom Make a Difference for Children at Risk of School Failure?
Assessing the impact of learning environments
Teaching Effectiveness Research in the Past Decade
Should There Be a Three-Strikes Rule Against Pure Discovery Learning?
The role of perception, interpretation, and decision making in the development of beginning teachers’ competence
Quality of geometry instruction and its short-term impact on students' understanding of the Pythagorean Theorem
Beyond Dichotomies
Inquiry‐based science instruction—what is it and does it matter? Results from a research synthesis years 1984 to 2002
Student ratings of teaching quality in primary school
Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Studies of Inquiry-Based Science Teaching
Reforming Science Teaching
Opening up the black box
Effects of Student Gender and Socioeconomic Status on Teacher Perceptions
Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work
Cognitive Load During Problem Solving
Effective Teacher Professional Development
The reflective practitioner
Forms of inquiry-based science instruction and their relations with learning outcomes
Profiles of instructional quality in primary and secondary education
Multiple Imputation for Nonresponse in Surveys
Elementary Teachers' Commitment Declines
The impact of student perception surveys on teachers’ practice
Consistency of results regarding teacher effects across subjects, school levels, outcomes and countries
The effects of teacher competence on student outcomes in elementary science education
An examination of teachers’ perceptions and practice when teaching large and reduced-size classes
Elementary school teachers' self-efficacy, student-perceived support and students’ mathematics interest
Teachers’ perceptions of students’ mathematics proficiency may exacerbate early gender gaps in achievement
The Carroll Model
Accuracy and Inaccuracy in Teachers’ Perceptions of Young Children’s Cognitive Abilities
Handbuch Didaktik des Sachunterrichts
Phases of inquiry-based learning
Inquiry in science education
Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge, Cognitive Activation in the Classroom, and Student Progress
Accurate, inaccurate, or biased teacher expectations
| Highly cited | No |
|---|