ABSTRACT
In reviewing the previous chapters, it becomes clear that there is much in common across African countries concerning the status of school science practical work and the challenges encountered by science teachers in their efforts to teach practical work. This chapter is a synopsis of such patterns and trends. In the nine African countries that formed the focus of this book, there have been waves of curriculum reform, with inquiry-based learning being a defining feature in driving the goals of scientific literacy. The success of curriculum reform is contingent upon teacher preparedness and contextual factors that enable such reform. These factors take on a special significance when it comes to inquiry learning, as is revealed in studies on classroom practices of teachers. This chapter evokes reflection on the core issues discussed in the other chapters, and attempts to plot a future direction for how inquiry may unfold in science classes.
