Effect of Inquiry-Based Learning on Biology Achievement of Senior Secondary School Students in Nigeria

Persistently poor achievement in Biology among Nigerian senior secondary school students has continued to attract the attention of science educators and examination bodies, and is frequently linked to over-reliance on the conventional lecture method. This study empirically examined the effect of inquiry-based learning on the Biology achievement of senior secondary school students in Nigeria, using ecology as the content area. A quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design with a pretest-posttest structure was adopted. A multi-stage sampling technique was used: one polytechnic was randomly selected from each of Nigeria's six geo-political zones; one senior secondary school was then randomly selected from each selected polytechnic's host community; and intact SS2 Biology classes within each school were randomly assigned to experimental (inquiry-based learning) and control (conventional lecture) groups, yielding a total sample of 360 students. Data were collected with a 25-item, expert-validated Biology Achievement Test (KR-21 = 0.83) and analysed using mean, standard deviation, and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at p < .05. Students taught with inquiry-based learning achieved significantly higher posttest scores than those taught conventionally, F(1,357) = 48.62, p < .05. Neither the main effect of gender, F(1,357) = 0.68, p > .05, nor the method-by-gender interaction, F(1,357) = 1.14, p > .05, was significant. The study concludes that inquiry-based learning significantly and equitably enhances Biology achievement among Nigerian senior secondary students, and recommends its wider adoption alongside targeted teacher training.