Understanding the relevant aspects of the construction of knowledge in science, as well as the elements that are an essential part of a scientific inquiry, need to be discussed in teacher training courses in the area of natural sciences. This study aimed to identify and classify investigative elements present in the conceptions of undergraduates from a university in Brazil and another in Portugal who will be working in basic education. This is a qualitative study using content analysis to identify categories based on the students' responses, and a quantitative approach using descriptive statistics to quantify the absolute frequency of each response. The data were obtained during a preparatory course on inquiry teaching given to 30 undergraduates from both countries in 2023 through the analysis of a problem situation involving forensic entomology. The results showed that the most frequent investigative elements present in the students' answers are the problem, the formulation of hypotheses, the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and the conclusion.