Mathematics classrooms are often associated with procedures, formulas, and correct answers. However, mathematics can also be a space where students ask questions, explore patterns, justify ideas, discuss different strategies, and build deeper understanding. This vision of mathematics learning was the starting point for my paper, Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Inquiry-Based Teaching in Basic Education Schools in the Sultanate of Oman, published in Discover Education.
The study was motivated by an important question connected to everyday classroom practice: How do mathematics teachers in Oman perceive inquiry-based teaching, and to what extent do they report using it in their classrooms?
Inquiry-based teaching is a student-centered approach grounded in constructivist learning theory. In mathematics education, it encourages learners to move beyond memorizing steps and applying fixed procedures. Instead, students are invited to investigate mathematical situations, formulate ideas, test strategies, explain their reasoning, and engage in meaningful discussion. In this approach, the teacher’s role remains essential, but it shifts from simply delivering information to designing learning experiences, guiding exploration, and supporting mathematical thinking.
This topic is especially relevant in the Omani educational context, where recent educational directions have emphasized active learning, analytical reasoning, and the development of twenty-first-century skills. While these goals are widely valued, their classroom implementation depends greatly on teachers. Teachers are the ones who interpret educational reforms, adapt them to their students, and translate them into daily instructional decisions. For this reason, understanding teachers’ perceptions and reported practices is essential for supporting sustainable improvement in mathematics education.
The study used a descriptive–analytical cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from a stratified random sample of 365 mathematics teachers working in public basic education schools in the Sultanate of Oman. The study examined three main areas: teachers’ perceived effectiveness of inquiry-based teaching, their reported instructional practices, and the contextual challenges they perceived as affecting implementation. It also explored whether these dimensions differed according to gender, academic qualification, years of teaching experience, and school location.
One of the encouraging findings was that mathematics teachers reported a high level of perceived effectiveness of inquiry-based teaching. In particular, teachers strongly recognized its value in enhancing students’ engagement and motivation, supporting assessment-related outcomes, and developing critical and analytical thinking. This suggests that inquiry-based teaching is not viewed as an abstract or unfamiliar idea; rather, many teachers see it as pedagogically valuable for mathematics learning.
The findings also showed that teachers reported a high overall level of inquiry-based instructional practices. The strongest reported practices included using problem-solving activities that require independent investigation and guiding students to explore mathematical concepts before providing direct solutions. Inquiry-oriented questioning was also reported at a high level. However, two areas appeared more moderate: the regular implementation of inquiry activities and the use of modern technological tools to support inquiry-based learning. This distinction is important because it shows that positive perceptions do not always lead to consistent classroom implementation.
The study also highlighted several challenges. Teachers reported notable constraints related to limited resources and supporting technologies, lack of specialized training, and insufficient instructional time. These findings suggest that the issue is not simply whether teachers believe in inquiry-based teaching. Rather, effective implementation requires supportive conditions, professional preparation, adequate resources, and school environments that allow teachers to use inquiry approaches consistently.
Another important part of the study was the analysis of differences across teacher characteristics. Female teachers reported higher perceived effectiveness and slightly higher instructional practices than male teachers. Academic qualification was also associated with practice: postgraduate teachers reported substantially higher levels of implementation, although Bachelor’s degree holders reported slightly higher perceived effectiveness. School location was particularly important for instructional practices, with urban teachers reporting much higher implementation than rural teachers. Years of experience also mattered, especially for instructional practices, where teachers with more than ten years of experience reported the highest levels of implementation.
At the same time, perceived challenges did not significantly differ across gender, qualification, experience, or school location. This is a meaningful finding because it suggests that many implementation barriers are systemic rather than limited to one group of teachers. Challenges such as time, training, resources, and support may affect teachers broadly, even when their perceptions and reported practices differ.
For me, the most important message of this paper is that mathematics teachers in Oman appear conceptually ready to value inquiry-based teaching, but implementation remains uneven. This gap between positive perceptions and consistent practice should not be interpreted as teacher resistance. Instead, it points to the need for stronger professional and institutional support.
The findings have several practical implications. Professional development should move beyond introducing inquiry-based teaching as a general concept. It should provide teachers with practical models, classroom examples, inquiry tasks, strategies for managing discussion, and ways to assess students’ mathematical reasoning. Support should also be differentiated according to teachers’ experience and professional needs. In addition, equitable access to instructional resources and digital tools is important, particularly when differences appear between urban and rural school contexts.
School leadership also has a role to play. Inquiry-based teaching requires time for planning, opportunities for collaboration, instructional coaching, and a school culture that values exploration and student thinking. When teachers are supported through these structures, inquiry-based mathematics teaching becomes more sustainable.
This study is not the final word on inquiry-based teaching in Oman. Since the research relied on self-reported data, future studies could include classroom observations, interviews, student perspectives, and student learning outcomes. Longitudinal or mixed-method research could also provide deeper insight into how inquiry-based teaching develops over time and how teachers overcome implementation challenges in real classrooms.
Sharing this paper with the Research Communities is an opportunity to tell the story behind the research, not only the statistical results. At its heart, this study is about mathematics classrooms where students are encouraged to think, question, reason, and participate actively in learning. I hope the paper contributes to ongoing conversations about mathematics education in Oman and beyond, and supports efforts to create richer, more meaningful, and more inquiry-oriented learning experiences for students.
Related paper:
Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Inquiry-Based Teaching in Basic Education Schools in the Sultanate of Oman
Published in Discover Education
https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-026-01380-6