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Comparing the effectiveness of an inquiry-based approach to that of conventional style of teaching in the development of students’ science process skills

This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of an inquiry-based approach on students’ scientific process skills development by comparing it with traditional or conventional style of teaching. The study used genetic as the case study to find out whether or not these two styles of teaching genetics would develop differently students’ science process skills. Inquiry-based approaches to science have been heavily emphasized by the newly adopted competence based curriculum in Tanzania. Two months (08weeks) were spent during the summer of 2015 in teaching themes within genetics at the selected schools in the vicinity of Morogoro Municipality. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design with pre and posttests. Eight (08) weeks genetics teaching courses were designed on the basis of both the inquiry based learning principles and conventional style. Form six classes were taught using conventional method while form five classes in these schools had enough time and were taught using inquiry approach. Both classes had never been exposed to advanced level genetics. An analysis of Biology Process Skills Test (BPST) posttest scores revealed that the experimental group students performed better in science process skills after undergoing treatments of inquiry constructivist activities as compared to their counterparts in the control group. An analysis of independent samples t-test based on type of instruction students received at (α) =0.05 produced a p of 0.047 and a t value of 0.633, hence rejecting the null hypothesis (Ho1). However repeated measures ANOVA found that regardless of the method of teaching, there were significant within-groups effects with regard to the development of science process skills.