Practice and Reflection on Inquiry-Based Chemistry Experimental Teaching in High Schools Oriented Toward Applied Education

Abstract

This study investigates the implementation and pedagogical impact of inquiry-based chemistry experimental teaching in high schools, with explicit orientation toward applied education goals. Drawing on classroom-based action research across diverse urban and suburban school settings, the work documents how structured inquiry frameworks---centered on real-world problem contexts, student-driven question formulation, iterative experimental design, and evidence-based reasoning---reshape both learning engagement and conceptual mastery. Teachers co-developed context-anchored laboratory modules aligned with local industrial, environmental, and health-related phenomena, enabling students to bridge abstract chemical principles with tangible societal applications. Qualitative analysis of student discourse, reflective journals, and performance assessments revealed significant shifts in epistemic agency, procedural adaptability, and interdisciplinary awareness. Concurrently, teacher interviews highlighted evolving roles---from knowledge deliverer to facilitator of scientific sense-making---and identified systemic enablers and constraints in curriculum time, resource allocation, and professional development support. The findings affirm that when inquiry is deliberately scaffolded around authentic application, it cultivates not only deeper chemical understanding but also transferable competencies essential for scientifically literate citizenship.