Design and validation of the scales of a Spanish-adapted questionnaire to measure pre-service teachers’ perceptions about inquiry-based science education

ABSTRACT

This research focused on the pre-service science teachers’ perceptions of Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) in Spanish-speaking contexts. Drawing on the PRIMAS questionnaire and extensive adaptations, the PTIP questionnaire, a 25-item instrument was developed to gauge pre-service teachers’ perspectives on IBSE. The questionnaire effectively measures four dimensions through rigorous statistical validation: IBSE teaching practice, IBSE students’ applicability, and internal and external difficulties associated with the inquiry approach. Employing K-means cluster analysis, three distinct profiles emerged, elucidating pre-service teachers’ varying perceptions and readiness to embrace IBSE. Profile A embodies fervent advocates of IBSE, while profile B and C showcases strong support with moderate reservations about its challenges and a more ambivalent stance, respectively. This research contributes a valuable tool for understanding and enhancing pre-service teacher education, fostering the adoption of IBSE.

KEYWORDS:

• Inquiry-based science education
• validity based on internal structure
• pre-service teachers

Acknowledgements

This work is part of the R+D+i Project ‘Development and monitoring of pre-service and novice science teachers’ teaching identity. Study of the influence of the inquiry processes, emotional and gender profiles’ reference PID2022-140001OA-I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE and the FSE+, and the research project B1-2020-23 funded by the Universidad de Malaga. Dr García-Ruiz thanks the RYC2020 programme, financed by the State Research Agency and the European Social Fund (reference: RYC2020- 029033-I/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). Mr Luque-Jiménez thanks to the reference project RYC2020-029033-I for the research contract received (CI-22-120), co-financed by the State Research Agency and the European Social Fund. We thank Prof. Oliva Martínez for the statistical advice and support in preparing the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the State Research Agency and the European Social Fund: [Grant Number RYC2020-029033-I/AEI/10.13039/501100011033]; MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER, UE: [Grant Number PID2022-140001OA-I00]; Universidad de Málaga: [Grant Number B1-2020-23].