In this paper I present findings of an exploratory multiple case study from two UK secondary schools. Two teachers and their bottom set year 9 classes took part in a single lesson intervention in 2017. The intervention was designed according to the principles of inquiry based instruction (IBI), in which students explored a novel problem before receiving formal instruction. Through class questionnaires and follow-up interviews, I explore the perceptions of four students with mathematics difficulties (MD) towards IBI and whether mindset (growth versus fixed) moderates these perceptions in these students. Four themes emerge from the analysis: mathematics disaffection, inquiry as a form of neglect, inquiry as a form of empowerment, and teacher influence. Students with fixed mindsets expressed views of inquiry as a form of neglect more than those with growth mindsets, whereas students with growth mindsets expressed stronger views of inquiry as a form of empowerment.