EFFECT OF INQUIRY- BASED LEARNING STRATEGIES ON STUDENTS' PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS IN MATHEMATICS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN AGUATA EDUCATION ZONE

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of inquiry-based learning strategies on students' problem-solving skills and academic achievement in Mathematics in public secondary schools in Aguata Education Zone, Anambra State. The study was guided by three research questions and three null hypotheses tested at the 0.05 level of significance. A quasi-experimental research design involving a pre-test and post-test non-equivalent control group was adopted. The population comprised 2893 Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) students in public secondary schools in Aguata Education Zone. A sample of 127 students was selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure. The instrument for data collection was the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and Problem-Solving Inventory (PSI), which was validated by two experts in Science Education and one from Measurement and Evaluation unit of Educational Foundation Department, Faculty of Education UNIZIK, Awka. The reliability of the instrument was established using kuder Richardson and Cronbach Alpha which yielded coefficient of internal consistency of .90 and .73. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that students exposed to inquiry-based learning strategies achieved significantly higher mean gain scores in academic achievement and problem-solving skills than those taught using the conventional lecture method. The results also showed no statistically significant difference in the academic achievement and problem-solving skills of male and female students. Furthermore, the interaction effect of teaching method and gender on students' academic achievement and problem-solving skills was not statistically significant. The study concluded that inquiry-based learning strategies are more effective than the conventional lecture method in improving students' academic achievement and problem-solving skills in Mathematics. It was recommended that Government and educational stakeholders should provide continuous professional development programmes for Mathematics teachers on innovative learner-centered instructional strategies.