Effects of Inquiry-Based Instruction on Interest among Senior Secondary School Biology Students in Lere Educational Zone, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

The objective of the research was to investigate the “Effects of Inquiry-Based Instruction on Interest towards Ecology among Senior Secondary School Biology Students in Lere Educational Zone, Kaduna State Nigeria: Implications for a Depressed Economy”. Two objectives, two research questions and two Hypothesis guided the research. The hypotheses were tested at p≤0.05 level of significance. Quasi-experimental and control groups were used for the study. The population comprised of all 1908 senior secondary school Biology students in Lere zone. A sample consisting of 118 students randomly selected from two coeducational schools in Lere Education Zone was used for the study. The experimental group was exposed to Ecology concepts using Inquiry-based Instructional strategy while the control group was taught with lecture method. Students Ecology Concept Interest Questionnaire (SECIQ) adapted by the researchers was validated by experts and pilot tested for reliability and was found to be 0.84. Wilcoxon and Mann-wittney statistics were used to analyze the data collected at p ≤ 0.05. The results of the study revealed that differences of 14.3 existed on Interest shown when students are exposed to inquiry-based instruction and lecture teaching method in favor of the experimental group. However, there was no such difference between male and female students exposed to inquiry-based instructional strategy. The implications of these findings for a depressed economy is discussed and, based on that, it is recommended that the use of inquiry-based instruction should be encouraged among teachers of Biology to raise the level of the dwindling Interest of students towards the study of Biology.