Examining Undergraduate Students' Inquiry Skills and Determining Predictors

The Developing students' research skills not only increases their academic success but also equips them with essential abilities to interact with society and meet challenges in life. This study aims to investigate the inquiry skills of undergraduate students and identify the factors influencing these skills. Employing a relational research design, a quantitative approach was employed, with a sample comprising 554 undergraduate students. Data were gathered through the administration of the "Inquiry Skills Scale." Statistical analyses including independent t tests, one-way analysis of variance, and stepwise multiple regression were conducted. Results revealed that participating students demonstrated a high level of inquiry skills. Moreover, those who perceived themselves as academically successful exhibited higher inquiry skills compared to their less successful counterparts. Students not considering post graduate education showed lower inquiry skills than those aiming for it or undecided students. The primary predictors of students' inquiry skills were identified as their perception of academic success, followed by their perception of partial success, and their level of willingness in their chosen departments. Based on these findings, it is recommended that targeted interventions be implemented, both within the classroom and through extracurricular activities, to support students with lower levels of questioning skills.