Inquiry-based science instruction (IBSI) has the potential to contribute to social justice through widening participation and success in science. However, teachers struggle to implement IBSI because of contextual factors. The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of agency as a framework for understanding teachers’ decision-making, by asking the question: what was the agency of six science teachers in their social-justice aspirations and use of IBSI? An agency framework recognizes that teachers’ decisions are informed by their internal conversations at the intersection of personal aspects (their history, repertoire, and aspirations) with the cultural and structural constraints and resources of their contexts. However, research on IBSI has focussed on teachers’ personal aspects or their perceptions of contextual factors. The sample had learnt IBSI through service learning in the context of a science fair. From teacher interviews, it emerged that these teachers had strong social-justice aspirations to serve disadvantaged students. The teachers linked their social-justice aspirations to their choice of school rather than their use of IBSI. The teachers at better-resourced schools initiated participation in science fairs at their schools, whilst the rest judged that science fairs were not appropriate for their students. The results suggest that, rather than prescribing particular pedagogies, teacher education programmes should aim to increase teachers’ pedagogical repertoires, in order to enrich their agency in whatever contexts they teach.

基于探究的科学教学 (IBSI) 有可能通过扩大科学的参与和成功来促进社会正义。然而，由于情境因素，教师难以实施 IBSI。本文的目的是探索使用代理作为理解教师决策的框架，提出以下问题：六位科学教师在社会正义愿望和 IBSI 使用中的代理是什么？一个机构框架承认教师的决定是通过他们在个人方面（他们的历史、曲目和愿望）与文化和结构限制以及他们环境的资源交叉处的内部对话来决定的。然而，IBSI 的研究侧重于教师的个人方面或他们对情境因素的看法。该样本在科学博览会的背景下通过服务学习学习了 IBSI。从教师访谈中可以看出，这些教师具有为弱势学生服务的强烈社会正义愿望。教师将他们的社会正义愿望与他们选择的学校联系起来，而不是他们对 IBSI 的使用。资源较好学校的教师开始参加他们学校的科学展，而其余的则认为科学展不适合他们的学生。结果表明，教师教育计划不应规定特定的教学法，而应以增加教师的教学法为目标，以丰富他们在任何教学环境中的能动性。事实证明，这些教师具有为弱势学生服务的强烈社会正义愿望。教师将他们的社会正义愿望与他们选择的学校联系起来，而不是他们对 IBSI 的使用。资源较好学校的教师开始参加他们学校的科学展，而其余的则认为科学展不适合他们的学生。结果表明，教师教育计划不应规定特定的教学法，而应以增加教师的教学法为目标，以丰富他们在任何教学环境中的能动性。事实证明，这些教师具有为弱势学生服务的强烈社会正义愿望。教师将他们的社会正义愿望与他们选择的学校联系起来，而不是他们对 IBSI 的使用。资源较好学校的教师开始参加他们学校的科学展，而其余的则认为科学展不适合他们的学生。结果表明，教师教育计划不应规定特定的教学法，而应以增加教师的教学法为目标，以丰富他们在任何教学环境中的能动性。资源较好学校的教师开始参加他们学校的科学展，而其余的则认为科学展不适合他们的学生。结果表明，教师教育计划不应规定特定的教学法，而应以增加教师的教学法为目标，以丰富他们在任何教学环境中的能动性。资源较好学校的教师开始参加他们学校的科学展，而其余的则认为科学展不适合他们的学生。结果表明，教师教育计划不应规定特定的教学法，而应以增加教师的教学法为目标，以丰富他们在任何教学环境中的能动性。