Some studies show scaffolded approaches to be beneficial (cf. Students are introduced to the inquiry process taking them by the hand, allowing more “give” to the lead as time progresses until they can go through the complete process self-directedly. by teaching with guided or structured inquiry settings ( Bell, Smetana, & Binns, 2005). Typically, an idealized inquiry process is suggested which students are faded into through scaffolded learning opportunities (cf. Inquiry, in science education, can be viewed from different perspectives: on behalf of the learners it can be considered a way of problem solving they need to be introduced to this way and, hence, the term “inquiry” can designate an instructional approach which enables students to use inquiry and to achieve scientific knowlege by it. Hmelo-Silver, Duncan, & Chinn, 2007 Kirschner, Sweller, & Clark, 2006). While most science educators agree that enabling students to inquire self-directedly into science issues is desirable, research is divided in how far this can be achieved (cf. “Teaching science as inquiry” ( Schwab, 1960) has been en vogue in science teaching for the past half century. Nor is this decision governed by faithfully adhering to a schematic sequence (confirmatory → structured → guided → open inquiry). An example from chemistry shows that the achieved degree of openness is derived from situated considerations and is not ruled by a priori decisions on openness. An alternative matrix for teaching inquiry is suggested that distinguishes five processes in four variations of openness. This is not justified by the situated character of pedagogical considerations that depend on learners’ needs and potentials, teachers’ strengths and insecurities, and potential constraints from content. Following a brief discussion of previous scaffolded inquiry teaching concepts developing students into “open inquiry”, it is argued that these have been interpreted too strictly in science classrooms: (i) restricting inquiry to too few processes (ii) delivering support to students in an all-or-nothing fashion (iii) understanding opening of inquiry as a one-way-street insensitive to needs of momentary closing. The efficiency of open approaches to learning has been criticized repeatedly in science education research. Recent teaching concepts have suggested fading students into a limited set of interconnected processes, mostly using backwards-fading techniques. It consists of several individual processes that need to be coordinated. Students are expected to learn scientific inquiry.
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