<p>There is a growing understanding that contemporary education needs to prepare young people for the significant challenges of the Anthropocene. In science, this implies an expansion of the traditional focus on delivered knowledge to include engagement with the wider societal settings of science that involves critical thinking and complex decision making. In this paper we present the findings from two independent schools in Melbourne, Victoria, where we worked with two senior secondary biology teachers and their students to explore the co-design of a guided inquiry approach to a contemporary concern with bioethics. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews with teachers, classroom observations and recordings of activities, student focus group discussions, and the collection of student/teacher artefacts and field notes. All of this was then collated and thematically analysed. The findings evidence that co-designed guided inquiry pedagogies can be effective when teachers are supported to adapt the approach to the learning needs of their students, and to the challenges presented by school cultural norms, including student expectations. The significance of teacher agency and enthusiasm for the approach, combined with enhanced students’ conceptual engagement, evidence the effectiveness of guided inquiry pedagogies to support learning of complex concepts. We recommend directions for further research in learning and knowledge needed by students to navigate challenges implicated in complex futures.</p>