Physics teachers often consider the influence of their teaching methods and strategies on their students’ learning, motivations, and achievements. However, teachers often report that they lack the ability or time to systematically examine their own professional practice. The objective of this research is to support physics teachers in embracing an inquiry stance towards designing, facilitating and reflecting on classroom practices. This study presents data from 57 physics teachers, who were completing a teacher upskilling programme and discusses their understanding of the role Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) in physics education. The teachers identified several benefits from using IBL in physics education, e.g. positive influence on students’ attitudes, motivation and self-regulating skills, along with development of students’ scientific and experimental skills. However, teachers identified that using IBL requires more time for planning and were less confident about the role of IBL in developing students’ conceptual understanding.