Abstract
The learning of science is widely perceived as challenging by many students, who struggle to develop a positive attitude and genuine interest in the subject, often resulting in unsatisfactory learning outcomes. On the other hand, teachers frequently lack both Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in science, particularly in physics and in relation to key concepts such as energy. This issue is further compounded by the absence of consensus in the research community regarding the definition of energy and the appropriate timing and methods for introducing it in science education. Engaging teachers with the Narrative and Imaginative Approach to Physics in Primary Education (NIFEP), which is characterized by a narrative orientation, within a Continuing Professional Learning (CPL) program, may offer a promising direction to address this critical situation. This study adopts an Educational Design Research (EDR) methodology with the practical aim of supporting teachers through the CPL program, and the theoretical aim—pursued through an instrumental collective case study—of investigating the impact of engagement with the NIFEP approach on participating teachers’ orientations toward science teaching and on their students’ learning outcomes. The findings indicate that, following their engagement with the NIFEP approach, the teachers developed a more nuanced orientation, coherently, consciously, and critically integrating their initial inquiry-based orientation with a narrative one. This integration was also accompanied by the reinforcement and consolidation of a meaningful, socio-constructivist conception of teaching and learning, as well as the adoption of an imaginative perspective by the teachers. Finally, the learning outcomes of the students in the participating teachers’ classrooms further confirm the positive impact of the intervention on the teachers’ science teaching orientations and, when considered independently, provide evidence of meaningful, socio-constructivist, and imaginative learning.