Abstract: A common thread in contemporary research on school effectiveness and school improvement is inter alia, the continuous introduction of new and relevant strategies to promote teaching and learning in schools. One of the more recent strategies to be introduced in South African schools is that of “inquiry-based” learning. The use of inquiry as a tool to strengthen teaching and learning in schools has been documented and discussed extensively in the research literature but very little has been done or written on this concept locally. This study raises issues that South African schools face as they engage in inquiry-based learning. The paper begins by describing what inquiry-based learning entails and distinguishes inquiry-based learning from other teaching and learning activities. The study highlights the rise of inquiry-based learning as a potentially useful and meaningful way to improve learning outcomes and concludes with qualitative evidence that inquiry-based learning can assure more effective schools.