Pre-service chemistry teacher's designing and implementing inquiry-based science instruction that emphasizes argumentation and writing: Focus on ways to overcome difficulties

The purpose of this study was to investigate inquiry-based science instruction developed and implemented by a pre-service chemistry teacher regarding the difficulties that she encountered and the ways how she tried to solve out problems. Main data of this study were pre-service teacher reflections that were written after developing both each lesson plan and the whole 10 lesson plans, and after implementing both each lesson and the whole classes. Supplemental data were lesson plans, class audio recordings, and student written journals. The pre-service teacher learned that she was lack of science content knowledge and understanding of students' understandings. Also she had difficulties of developing inquiry-based science lesson plans, managing classrooms, and guiding students to engage in science inquiry. In order to overcome the difficulties, she asked for advice to experienced teachers, studied science concepts using textbooks and internet resources, provided detailed and concrete guidance for student argumentation and writing.