Epistemology, Pedagogy, and Inquiry-Based Learning in Science Education: Linking Theory, Practice, and Policy

This paper examines the relationship between epistemology, pedagogy, and inquiry-based learning in contemporary science education. It asserts that understanding the formulation, validation, and dissemination of scientific information is essential for developing instructional strategies that reflect authentic scientific practice. The study describes science learning as participation in epistemic practices, such as inquiry, modeling, and argumentation, through the use of constructivist and sociocultural frameworks, in conjunction with contemporary theories of epistemic cognition. Inquiry-based learning is emphasized as a core educational approach in which students formulate questions, collect and analyze data, and develop and evaluate scientific responses, engaging in authentic scientific practices such as investigation, explanation, and evidence-based reasoning. This perspective has progressively evolved toward an approach centered on scientific practices, shifting the focus from inquiry as a method to participation in epistemic practices such as modeling, argumentation, and explanation. The study illustrates how these methods promote epistemic awareness, enabling learners to understand the provisional, evidence-based, and socially constructed nature of scientific knowledge. The analysis highlights the importance of structured scaffolding, dialogic interaction, and formative assessment in promoting epistemically focused instruction in the classroom. It underscores the imperative for competence-based frameworks at the curricular and policy levels that foster practical knowledge, critical reasoning, and informed decision-making. The paper concludes that aligning epistemology, pedagogy, and inquiry-based learning creates a cohesive framework for science education that integrates theory, practice, and policy, fostering scientifically literate individuals capable of critically and responsibly addressing complex socio-scientific issues.