Effects of Inquiry Based Science Teaching on Junior Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievements: A Case Study in Hadejia Zonal Education Area of Jigawa state, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was to ascertain the extent to which Inquiry Based Science Teaching could be effective on the Junior Secondary School students achievement in science Randomized experimental and control group approach was employed with a view to enabling the researcher pin down the efficacy of the Inquiry Based Science Teaching Inquiry-Based Science Teaching Achievement Test (ISTAT) and the Students' Attitude Questionnaire on Inquiry Based Science Teaching were used as research tools. The study sample consists of 200 males and 100 females (totaling 300 subjects) junior secondary school third year students out of population of 2873 in Hadejia zone. T-test for independent samples and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient(r) using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) were used for data analysis.The major findings include: Firstly There is a significant difference in the achievement of experimental and the control groups in favor of experimental group showing that Inquiry-Based Science Teaching Approach is a more suitable method than the Lecture Method of teaching. Secondly there is a significant difference in the achievement of males and females students exposed to Inquiry-Based Science Teaching Method in favor of male students Thirdly there is no significant difference in relationship between academic achievement in science and attitudes towards science after exposure to Inquiry-Based Science Teaching.