Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) Approach in Science Teaching: Assessing the Academic Performance of Students

Abstract

Beyond foundational knowledge, there is now an urgent need to equip learners with life skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication—competencies essential for navigating complex real-world challenges. These life skills are cultivated not only through curriculum content but, more significantly, through how learning is facilitated in classrooms and how outcomes are assessed. The study aimed to assess the Inquiry-Based Learning Approach in teaching Science. It was conducted in the Science class of Grade VI pupils of Mote Elementary School, Mote, Pinalpalan, Malita, Davao Occidental, in the second quarter of the school year 2023-2024. The study used a quasi-experimental research design. Forty-eight (48) pupils were used as subjects of the study. Mean scores were calculated to describe the information, and a t-test was used to test the hypothesis outlined in this study. Results showed that the academic performance of pupils of both the control and experimental groups during the pretest was satisfactory. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the pretest scores of the pupils between the control and experimental groups. However, the results of the posttest revealed a significant difference in the performance of pupils between the control and experimental groups. The experimental group, which was given the Inquiry-Based Learning Approach, performed better than the control group, which was provided with the Conventional Teaching Method. On the other hand, a significant difference was observed between the pretest and posttest results of the Grade VI pupils taught using the Conventional Teaching Method. Furthermore, a significant difference was found between the pretest and posttest scores of the pupils exposed to the Inquiry-Based Learning Approach. Generally, the findings of the present study suggest that the Inquiry-Based Learning Approach was significantly more effective than the other method used in the study, as it substantially improved the academic performance of the Grade VI pupils in Science. This study confirmed the positive impact of learner-centred, inquiry-driven instruction on developing deeper understanding and critical thinking skills among Grade 6 pupils.