Abstract

Strengthening science education processes is of utmost importance in order to address the emerging challenges of today's society. That said, the Chilean Ministry of Education has been promoting the Scientific Inquiry Program for Science Education (ICEC), which has been led by various universities in the country, including the University of Magallanes. In this context, the present study was conducted. It sought to explore the perceptions of teachers from the Magallanes region who participated in the ICEC program and to determine whether they experienced changes in their understanding and practice of science teaching. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews and a qualitative phenomenographic approach. Teachers' experiences and assessments of the implementation of the inquiry approach in school settings were collected. Overall, the results suggest that, for most participants, the program represented a significant training opportunity, associated with increased confidence in science teaching, the incorporation of new methodological strategies, and increased motivation to disseminate the approach among their colleagues. Similarly, positive perceptions of the program's contributions were identified, along with challenges primarily linked to the institutional conditions for implementing the inquiry approach in educational institutions. © The authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication. The texts will be published under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-NoDerivatives License