Many primary teachers face challenges in teaching inquiry science, often because
they believe that they do not have the content knowledge or pedagogical skills to do so. This is
a concern given the emphasis attached to teaching science through inquiry where students do
not simply learn about science but also do science. This study reports on the reflections of nine
grade 6 teachers who taught two cooperative, inquiry science units once a term for two
consecutive school terms. The study focused on investigating their perceptions of teaching
inquiry science as well as the processes they employed, including the benefits and challenges
of this student-centred approach to teaching, with longer task structures that characterises
inquiry learning. Although the teachers reflected positively on their experiences teaching the
inquiry science units, they also expressed concerns about the challenges that arise when
teaching through inquiry. Implications for teacher education are discussed.