On a global level, engaging students in inquiry-based pedagogy is seen currently as a means of cultivating learning especially in science (e.g. Abd-el-Khalick et al., 2004). On a European level, most educational documents, such as educational policy documents or curriculum guidelines, support and require an overview of inquiry-based pedagogy in initial teacher education (e.g. Dorier, 2010). According to the Rocard Report (Rocard et al., 2007), the European Union (EU) launched programs within the 7th framework programme, for example, PRIMAS (http://www.primas-project.eu/) and Fibonacci (http://fibonacci.uni-bayreuth.de/), to support the implementation of inquiry-based learning.

Similar to the European context, the new paradigm shift of Initial Science Teacher Education in Pakistan have identified the necessity of a renewed pedagogy in initial science teacher education that could transform the traditional teaching styles towards more constructive forms of learning. Inquiry-based pedagogy is therefore identified as the method of teaching in initial science teacher education that helps students in authentic learning and cultivates science literate thinking (e.g. Volkmann et al. 2005). Thus, Looking at aspirations in Pakistan (such as inadequacy of transmission style of teaching in deepening students’ learning of science, in Initial Science Teacher Education particularly in Pakistan) can offer insight into similar issues that also arise in Europe.

Inquiry-based pedagogy in science is considered a key means of deepening understanding of science.  The literature shows that inquiry-based learning not only has background in Dewey’s theory of inquiry (Dewey, 1938b), but also interconnects with the constructivism (Eick & Reed, 2000; Exline, 1995). However, inquiry-based learning incurs the controversies for its theoretical foundation resembling constructivism. Although inquiry is widely accepted as a means of authentic learning there is still no common understanding of inquiry. There are many different understandings of what inquiry means (Colburn, 2000) but certain features appear to be evident in most descriptions. These include an open-endedness of practical activity in science, authentic learning, and development of critical skills and positive learning outcomes. Although there is a general view that inquiry-based pedagogy endorsed in classrooms has alerted teacher-educators to its practice-based challenges.

In the light of key roles of inquiry-based pedagogy in initial science teacher education, it is necessary to collect empirical knowledge about the present situation in order to adapt the development of inquiry-based pedagogy to meet specific national needs, particular in Pakistan. Therefore, this study seeks to explore self-perceptions of teacher-educators in the University of Education, Lahore, as how they understand the process of multi-faceted inquiry-based pedagogy, and to what extent they encourage their students to develop inquiry-based pedagogy for their prospective teaching. This research is innovative in the context of exploring perceptions of teacher-educators of inquiry-based pedagogy and also in relation to how inquiry helps in developing scientific literacy and science procedural understanding of science.

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