Scientific literacy is essential for equipping students with critical thinking and problem-solving skills. However, under-resourced schools often rely on outdated instructional methods and lack inquiry-based learning materials. This study develops and qualitatively evaluates a Phenomenon-Based Learning Boxset, an innovative tool designed to nurture scientific literacy through hands-on, inquiry-driven activities. This study applies an Educational Design Research (EDR) framework based on three phases: (1) Analysis (2) Design and (3) Evaluation & Reflection: the Boxset undergoes expert review for content relevance and classroom-based qualitative evaluation across six weeks in three under-resourced schools, drawing on low-inference observations by two or more researchers, brief student focus groups, post-lesson teacher interviews, and learner notebooks. Findings show heightened student motivation, more frequent questioning and evidence use, and emergent scientific reasoning. Furthermore, teachers reported increased confidence in facilitating inquiry while noting challenges in curriculum alignment and resource accessibility. The findings also derive transferable design principles for STEM teaching in low-resource settings and offers practical implications for curriculum designers and policymakers.
Hemtasin et al. (Sat,) studied this question.