Abstract
This study investigated Grade 11 Physical Sciences teachers' experiences of using Physics Education Technology (PhET) simulation-enhanced inquiry-based teaching of the chemical change concept. The focus on chemical change was motivated by recurring evidence from South African national diagnostic reports, which consistently indicate that learners struggle to explain chemical processes at a sub-microscopic level. Despite the ongoing global advocation of the inquiry-based teaching practices for science classrooms, its implementation still remains a challenge. The study sought to explore how teachers utilise PhET simulations to facilitate inquiry-based teaching of chemical change and to identify the contextual factors influencing their implementation of PhET simulation to support inquiry teaching of chemical change. Following the interpretivist paradigm, a qualitative case study design was adopted to conduct this inquiry on four purposively selected Grade 11 Physical Sciences teachers from four secondary schools in the Johannesburg North Circuit, Gauteng. The purposive selection criteria included their experience in teaching chemical change and use of PhET simulations to support inquiry-based teaching. Data was collected through classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. Classroom observations were guided by the FIT:COM framework which focuses on the integration of technology, pedagogy, and learner interaction. The findings revealed that Physical Sciences teachers used PhET simulations primarily to support the visualisation of abstract aspects of chemical change, such as particle rearrangement during reactions, and to structure inquiry-based activities, including Predict–Observe– Explain. Findings from both classroom observations and semi-structured interviews further revealed that simulations supported the identification and addressing of learners' misconceptions, particularly the distinction between physical and chemical change. However, teachers' use of simulations often conformed to teacher-centred instructional approaches, which limited opportunities for learner-centred inquiry and independent exploration. Moreover, contextual factors such as limited technological resources, overcrowded classrooms, unreliable internet, and insufficient training led teachers to adopt teacher-centred approaches. Therefore, the study concludes that while PhET simulations have the potential to support the teaching of chemical change, their effectiveness depends on how they are pedagogically integrated to achieve meaningful conceptual understanding of chemical processes. It is recommended that professional development programmes focus on subject-specific strategies for using simulations in inquiry-based teaching and that schools adopt context-responsive innovations, such as shared-device use and offline simulations, to support implementation in resource-constrained environments.