Scientia in educatione

The inquiry-based approach is the fundamental way of acquiring new knowledge in science. It is therefore essential to incorporate it into science education. A key principle is bridging the gap between asking questions and final answers, which requires an appropriate inquiry procedure. This study examined the planning skills of lower secondary school students when solving biology tasks based on an inquiry-based approach. Sets of solutions to six tasks from 51 Czech students were analysed. Closed and open coding based on research design aspects derived from the EDAT framework was used. The results show that most students recognized the need for an empirical approach and frequently identified observed variables and instruments. However, aspects of the inquiry process, such as controlling variables, replication, data analysis, and reducing uncertainty, were rarely included or were omitted. Differences were also found between tasks with descriptive and causal problems and across task contexts. The results suggest that inquiry-based learning needs more explicit support for the development of planning skills, with a focus on the complexity of research procedures. It also appears necessary to address these skills across various thematic units.