Sustainable Change in Primary Science Education: From Transmissive to Guided Inquiry-Based Teaching

Abstract

Here, we present a professional development plan to achieve lasting and coherent change in science education, from conventional teaching to guided inquiry-based teaching, covering the entire primary stage. This plan is based on a review of the literature on professional development programs and on the theory of critical mass for the achievement of complex social changes. We justify the different phases of the plan with empirical indicators to assess its success. We show the results obtained in a primary school from teachers, the principal, and families. These results, together with those obtained by the students, show the success of the plan and make it possible to identify crucial aspects to achieve sustainable changes in science teaching at the primary stage.