<![CDATA[While the development of scientific competencies is foundational to scientific literacy, significant gaps persist between curricular goals and classroom realities. This qualitative study investigates the specific classroom practices and underlying dynamics that hinder the integration of these competencies into daily science instruction. Employing a qualitative case study design, we conducted 54 hours of non-participant observation and video-recorded 18 lessons in a lower-secondary science classroom. Data were analyzed using structured thematic analysis to identify recurrent patterns in instructional practice. Our analysis identified a central tension: teachers’ intended focus on inquiry was consistently displaced by systemic classroom demands. Three primary themes emerged: (1) the predominance of logistical and managerial tasks over engaged learning time; (2) fragmented instructional episodes that limited sustained inquiry; and (3) missed discursive opportunities to foster argumentation and modeling. The findings suggest that merely advocating for competency-based pedagogy is insufficient. Effective development of scientific literacy requires deliberate restructuring of the classroom ecosystem to protect and privilege time for investigative practices. This study contributes to the literature by framing classroom management not as a mere logistical skill, but as a fundamental pedagogical prerequisite for scientific literacy.]]>
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