Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to teach students with the guided enquiry approach
to enhance the academic performance of Physics students at Nafana Presby Senior
High School in the Bono Region of Ghana. The Researcher taught scientific process
skills such as manipulating and observing through guided inquiry methods as well as
the specific science process skills to students in some classes. The study was a case
study design using an Action Research methodology. Thirty-eight students in Form 2
constituted the sample for the study. Class observational checklists and learning
packages were used to collect the study's data. The science process skills displayed by
the students during the lesson sessions were recorded using the observational
checklist. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were done on the data using
tables and graphs. The study's findings demonstrated that after being exposed to the
guided inquiry approach, the students was able to demonstrate skills of manipulating,
holding, measuring, and observing. There was an improvement on their previous
skills of communicating and drawing. This study showed that employing guidedinquiry
methods to teaching helped students to investigate problems and also learn
how to use scientific method to solve a problem. The study method employed had
added benefit of giving students the chance to develop their science process skills.
The implications of the results of the study for teaching and learning science are that
the guided inquiry method makes the science classroom more real as students are
actively involved in all activities prescribed by the teacher.
Description:
A Dissertation in the Department of Science Education,
Faculty of Science Education, submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy
(Science Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba