In this study we explore the effect of a professional development (PD) program on four science teachers’ views and practices nearly a year after its completion, regarding inquiry implementation in everyday school practice. The PD program aimed to familiarize participants with current trends in science education (SE), putting emphasis on the inquiry approach. The basic research question guiding this study is whether science teachers’ inquiry practices and views changed, and to which extent, long after their participation in the PD program. Teachers’ practices were recorded, both during and after the PD, through non-participatory observation and were analysed through a semi-quantitative method. Teachers’ views were also recorded both during and after PD through structured questionnaires and reflective interviews, producing qualitative data that were analysed. Findings are encouraging concerning the preservation of guided inquiry practices obtained during the program, while more open inquiry practices proved to be limited. Teachers’ views concerning inquiry remained positive, also maintaining their innovative character.

In the last 30 years, there has been an ongoing discussion about the effectiveness of Professional Development (PD) programs, which aims to promote reform-based Science Education (SE). Among the many, different trends of reform-based science teaching, inquiry-based approaches hold a dominant role. This study shows how teachers’ practices were affected by a PD program that aimed to familiarize them with reform-based teaching through gradual instructional design, with the main focus on inquiry. The PD program had a duration of 12 months and involved four science teachers (two primary and two secondary) who were trained in both in and out of school teaching settings. The changes in teachers’ practices were recorded through an observation protocol containing predefined categories in eight domains, one of which––that of inquiry––is discussed in this paper. A semi-quantitative method was used for data analysis. Results indicate that all the teachers had an overall improvement in the domains of guided inquiry practices and student-centered teaching approaches. However, there did not appear to be any substantial progress in open inquiry practices. Restrictions of the present study are presented, and suggestions for improving future PD programs promoting sustainable inquiry implementation are also discussed.

This study presents a professional development (PD) program designed within the “SciArt—Promoting 21st-century skills through an inclusive STEAM approach to Cultural Heritage” project, which aims to prepare teachers to implement an inclusive, inquiry-based STEAM approach in their classrooms. The approach, developed collaboratively by academics from the arts, sciences, and cultural sectors across Cyprus, Greece, and Portugal, integrates archaeometric methods with cultural heritage to support identity exploration and inclusive pedagogy. The study explores how participating teachers evaluated the PD program, how it influenced their self-efficacy in applying inclusive, inquiry-based STEAM approaches, and how teacher trainers experienced its implementation across different national contexts. The study utilizes both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection, comprising questionnaires and a focus group. Results show high teacher satisfaction and increased self-efficacy across four thematic areas: inquiry-based learning, science-heritage integration, cultural identity exploration, and use of multimodality for inclusion. Teacher trainers described the process as demanding but professionally enriching, emphasizing the role of interdisciplinary collaboration. These findings highlight the potential of well-supported, theoretically grounded PD programs to build capacity for inclusive STEAM education, while also revealing structural barriers that must be addressed for wider implementation.

Το έργο SciArt θα αναπτύξει το θεωρητικό πλαίσιο της προσέγγισης SciArt σε ένα ηλεκτρονικό βιβλίο - επεκτείνοντας την υπάρχουσα βιβλιογραφία και τις τρέχουσες πρακτικές STEAM, με ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στην Πολιτιστική Κληρονομιά, την εθνική και ευρωπαϊκή ταυτότητα, τη σύνδεση μεταξύ των αρχαιομετρικών μεθόδων και της σχολικής επιστήμης, τη χρήση των τέχνεργων για την κατασκευή αφηγήσεων ταυτότητας και την ένταξη. Στο πλαίσιο του έργου θα αναπτυχθεί ένα ηλεκτρονικό βιβλίο που θα απευθύνεται σε εκπαιδευτικούς και θα περιλαμβάνει εκπαιδευτικούς πόρους με τη μορφή προτεινόμενων δραστηριοτήτων καθώς και μια διαδικτυακή πλατφόρμα με στόχο τη διευκόλυνση της εφαρμογής των δραστηριοτήτων. Στη συνέχεια, θα πραγματοποιηθεί κατάρτιση εκπαιδευτικών Πρωτοβάθμιας και Δευτεροβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης στην Κύπρο, στην Ελλάδα και στην Πορτογαλία, οι οποίοι θα κληθούν να εφαρμόσουν την πρόταση στα σχολεία τους. Τέλος, μεγάλος αριθμός εκπαιδευτικών θα ενημερωθεί για την προσέγγιση SciArt, σε συνεργασία με τα Μουσεία που συμμετέχουν στο έργο ως εταίροι.