ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Teacher Education
Bridging the Gap Between Intention and Enactment: A Bayesian Analysis of Pre-service Teachers' Implementation of Inquiry-Based Practical Work in STEM (Science-Led) Classrooms
Provisionally accepted
- University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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The alignment between pre-service teachers' instructional intentions and their actual classroom enactment is a critical yet underexplored aspect of STEM teacher education. In this study, STEM education is operationalised through science-led inquiry-based practical work, which integrates scientific reasoning, mathematical thinking, and problem-solving practices characteristic of integrated STEM pedagogy. This study examines the intention–enactment gap during practicum, focusing on implementing inquiry-based practical work in STEM classrooms. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from a cohort of pre-service teachers, and analysed through Bayesian statistical modelling to estimate (i) the average gap between intended and enacted practical work, (ii) variations across demographic subgroups, and (iii) associations with educational and program-related factors. Results indicated that, on average, pre-service teachers reported intending to engage in significantly more inquiry-based practical work than they could implement during practicum. Age-related differences were evident, with younger pre-service teachers exhibiting larger gaps, while gender differences were minimal and uncertain. Engagement in peer or learning communities emerged as the strongest predictor of alignment: pre-service teachers who actively participated in collaborative structures demonstrated substantially smaller gaps, underscoring the importance of social support networks in bridging theory and practice. Conversely, higher communication skills were unexpectedly associated with larger gaps, potentially reflecting heightened aspirations or specialised practicum roles that limit hands-on engagement. These findings highlight the complexity of moving from planning to practice and emphasise that individual competencies alone are insufficient for closing the intention–enactment gap. The study concludes that deliberately designed, feedback-rich, collaborative environments help pre-service teachers transform aspirations into tangible classroom practice, offering theoretical insights and actionable guidance for strengthening STEM teacher preparation.
Keywords: Bayesian Analysis, inquiry-based practical work, Intention–enactment gap, pre-service teachers, Professional learning communities, stem education
Received: 06 Oct 2025; Accepted: 22 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tsakeni, Mosia, Egara and Nwafor. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Felix O. Egara
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