Effect of Model-Aided Inquiry-Based Learning on Academic Performance in Basic Science among Students with Varied Reasoning abilities in Benue State, Nigeria
Abstract
Persistent poor academic performance in Basic Science among Junior Secondary School students in Benue State, Nigeria, has been linked to the abstract nature of scientific concepts and continued reliance on teacher-centred instruction that limits active investigation. To address this problem, this study examined the effect of Model-Aided Inquiry-Based Learning (MAIBL) on the academic performance of students with varied reasoning abilities in Basic Science. The population comprised 18,420 JSS II students in 62 public co-educational schools in Zone B, Benue State, during the 2024/2025 session. A sample of 88 students was drawn from two intact classes in two co-educational schools in Makurdi Local Government Area using purposive sampling. A quasi-experimental, pre-test post-test non-equivalent control group design was adopted, with one school (n = 42) assigned to MAIBL and the other (n = 46) to the Conventional Discussion Method. Two research questions were answered, and two null hypotheses tested at 0.05 significance. Data were collected using the Basic Science Performance Test (BSPT) and Reasoning Ability Test (RAT), which classified students into high, moderate, and low reasoning categories. Both instruments were validated by three experts and yielded reliability coefficients of 0.82 and 0.79 respectively, using KR-20. Data were analysed using Mean, Standard Deviation, and ANCOVA. Results showed a significant difference in performance between students taught using MAIBL and CDM, F(1, 85) = 80.075, p < .001, partial η² = .485, favouring MAIBL. A significant difference was also found across reasoning ability levels under MAIBL, F(2, 39) = 10.033, p < .001, partial η² = .340, with high-reasoning students gaining most. It was recommended that Basic Science teachers integrate models into inquiry-based lessons to enhance performance across all reasoning levels.