The purpose of this study was to improve teaching scientific inquiry in the elementary school science education. Analysis of 107 inquiry activities in the 5th and the 6th grade science textbooks under the 2007 revised curriculum showed that there were twice as many basic science process skills (50.0%)as integrated process skills (25.3%). To examine elementary students’ awareness of inquiry processes and science process skills (SPSs), a tool with two sections was developed: The first part asked students about their experience and proficiency with 13 inquiry processes and the second part tested their competence in the SPSs. The tool was given to 367 elementary students (188 fifth and 179 sixth graders). The results of the first part showed the students’ experience with SPSs increased (5th graders 58.9%, 6th graders 69.3%). However, their self-assessed understanding of SPSs decreased (5th graders 50.1%, 6th graders 44.0%). The results of the second part showed that significant improvements were found in SPSs between the 5th and the 6th graders; measuring U=14,764.5, p=.027; predicting U=13700.0, p=.001; and controlling variables U=14,410.0, p=.005. Nevertheless, several SPSs had no difference between the 5th and the 6th graders, such as hypothesizing χ2 (3, N=374)=2.8, p=.417; transforming data χ2 (3, N=374)=2.7, p=.443; and drawing conclusions χ2 (3, N=374)=2.8, p=.428. Moreover, students’ abilities for interpreting data remained low (5th graders Mdn=1.7, 6th graders Mdn=1.8).