ABSTRACT
The study examined the effects of guided Inquiry method on
academic performance of chemistry students in selected senior secondary schools
in Kaduna state. The study used a quasi-experimental research design.A sample
of 120 senior secondary 11 (SS2) chemistry students were selected by random
sampling from 2 urban and 2 rural schools which comprised both boys and girls
with 30 students each in experimental and control groups respectively. The
research instruments comprised of chemistry Achievement Test (CAT). The CAT
contained 30 multiple choice questions with four options (A-D) and 5 essay
questions. The students were divided into two groups; Experimental and control
groups which were subjected to inquiry method and traditional methods of
teaching respectively. The t-test statistics was used to analyze the data.
Major findings revealed that Chemistry students taught using inquiry teaching
method performed significantly better than their counterparts taught using
traditional teaching method. Hence the study concluded that the inquiry
teaching method produced students with significantly higher academic
performance inChemistry. The study therefore recommend among others that the
use of Inquiry teaching method should be encouraged in all Secondary Schools
that offer Chemistry to its students in Kaduna State and other states in
Nigeria, also Government should sponsor teachers to attend various workshops
and seminars on appropriate and effective use of the inquiry teaching method.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Chemistry is the scientific study of interaction of chemical
substances that constitute atoms or the subatomic particles; protons, electrons
and neutrons. It is an integral part of the science curriculum both at the
senior secondary school as well as higher institutions. At this level, it is
often called “general chemistry” which is an introduction to a wide variety of
fundamental concepts that enables students to acquire tools and basic skills
useful at the advanced level. One of the objectives of science education is to
develop students’ interest towards science and technology. The development of
any nation today depends greatly on its technological and scientific
advancement. Teachers are expected to device ways of motivating their students
to develop positive attitudes towards science and science related disciplines
(Sola and Ojo, 2007). Chemistry, in particular is central to many of the
scientific fields of human endeavors; therefore, teaching of chemistry should be
given serious attention.
Science teachers have always recognized the importance of practical
work as a means of introducing learners to the scientific process of
experimentation.To this end, the United Nations Educational Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Union of pure and Applied
Chemistry (IUPAC) have participated in numerous international meetings to promote
inexpensive experimental based teaching in chemistry. Inquiry teaching method
is a style or method of teaching where the learner is seeking to discover and
create answers to recognized problems through procedure of making a diligent
search, some time with minimum guidance from the teacher (Callahan, et al
1995). Science process skills are based on scientific inquiry and teaching
science by inquiry involves teaching students science process skills, critical
thinking, scientific reasoning skills used by scientists (Pratt and
Hackett, 1998) and inquiry is defined as an approach to
teaching, the acts scientists use in doing science and it can be a highly
effective teaching method that helps students to understand concepts and use of
process skills (Yagger and Akcay, 2010). Inquiry teaching method is also a term
used in science teaching that refers to a way of questioning, seeking
knowledge, information or finding out about phenomena, it involves
investigating data and arriving at a conclusion (Sola and Ojo, 2007). In
inquiry situation students learn not only concept but also self-direction,
responsibility and social communication. It also permits students to assimilate
and accommodate information. It is the way people learn when they are left
alone.
Cheval and Hart
(2005), classify inquiry teaching method into three (3) classes,
namely:
structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry. All these types of inquiry
can be useful to
students to learn science when taught appropriately. Structured inquiry
is the most
teacher-centered of the three types of inquiry. This type of inquiry is
commonly seen in
science classrooms in the form of laboratory exercises. The teacher
provides fairly
structured procedures for the inquiry activity, and students carry out the
investigations.
Structured inquiry could be described as the most traditional approach to
inquiry (Cheval
and Hart, 2005). The open inquiry on the other side is a type of inquiry
which requires
the least amount of teacher intervention and is student centered.
Students, in this
case, often work in groups and plan all phases of their investigations,
while guided
inquiry falls in the middle of the inquiry instructional spectrum. This type of
inquiry is
commonly used when students are asked to make tools or develop a process
that results in a
desired outcome. For example, a science teacher gives his seventh grade
middle school
students materials to create a rocket but no instructions for designing the
rocket. The
students must use their own knowledge and creativity to design the rocket
so that it will
launch properly, fly a certain distance, and land without becoming
disassembled. The
teacher provides the problem and materials and the students develop the rocket using their own scientific
process or procedure (Cheval and Hart, 2005). In this
study, guided inquiry will be used. Students will be given a set of topic and
materials to develop method to find answers to the given problem. The lecture
method is used primarily to introduce students to a new subject, but is also a
valuable method for summarizing ideas, showing relationships between theory and
practice, and re-emphasizing main points.Chemistry activities deals with
telling and showing, therefore, a lecture-demonstration method is a teaching
technique that combines oral explanation with “doing” to communicate processes,
concepts and facts. It is particularly effective in teaching a skill that can
be observed.
Demonstration is usually accompanied by a thorough explanation, which
is essentially a lecture. Lecture method according to Garba(1996), is a
traditional method of transmission of knowledge; it is essentially a one-way
process. The current Nigerian classroom whether primary, secondary or tertiary
institutions level, tends to resemble a one-person show with a captain but
often comatose audience. Classes are usually driven by “teacher-talk” and
depend heavily on textbooks for the structure of the courses. Teachers serve as
pipelines and seek to transfer their thoughts and meanings to passive students.
There is little room for student-initiated questions, independent thought or
interaction between students. Therefore, the study is aimed at determining the
effect of guided inquiry teaching strategy and the traditional methods on
students’ academic performance in chemistry at the senior secondary school
level. Guided Inquiry teaching method is chosen in this study due to its
scientific nature and it is student-centered and it involves all scientific
process.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Students’
persistent poor performance in chemistry has been partly ascribed to inadequate
teaching and instructional methods adopted by teachers. In supporting this
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of
this study are to:
1.
determine the
effects of guided inquiry method and traditional method on the performance of
chemistry students in senior secondary schools in Kaduna state;
2.
determine the
effects of guided inquiry method on the performance of students in chemistry in
Kaduna state;
3.
determine the
effects of guided inquiry method on the performance of male and female students
in chemistry in Kaduna state; and
4.
determine the
difference in the performance between urban and rural students
in chemistry taught with guided inquiry teaching method in
Kaduna state.
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