CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM

Background of the Study

The ever growing amount of scientific knowledge that humanity currently maintains has

been achieved through the process of inquiry and collaboration. The ability to think critically

and creatively is fundamental to all scientific advancements in the past, present and future. The

benefits of thinking critically and creatively to solve problems and gain knowledge are not

limited to science or even general academics. They extend into many aspects of daily life.

People who are capable of thinking critically and creatively are better equipped to respond to

the array of daily choices encountered by a person. It is crucial that all students be taught to

think critically and creatively in order to best equip them for independent everyday life.

Inquiry-based instruction is an excellent approach to teaching critical thinking skills and

creative problem solving while teaching content specific knowledge. Just the word inquiry

seems to mean many different things to many people but generally speaking, it is a student-

centered, constructivist approach to learning. Inquiry-based instruction is being adopted by

many teachers because it promotes higher levels of thinking and deeper understanding of the

curriculum. While traditional instructional methods have their value, inquiry-based instruction

is better suited to meet certain instructional goals. Some of the benefits of inquiry are that it

increases student engagement, improves critical thinking skills, promotes creative problem

solving, and allows for autonomy in the learning process. The need for an instructional shift

toward more inquiry-based strategies has become evident and many teachers are adopting

instructional practices to include higher levels of inquiry.

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 Tafoya, et. al. (1980) suggested four kinds of inquiry-based learning based on different

levels of student autonomy. The first level is the confirmation inquiry in which students are

provided with the question and procedure as well as the results, which are known in advance.

The second level is structured inquiry, where the learning goal is to introduce students to the

experience of conducting investigations or practicing a specific inquiry skill, such as collecting

and analyzing data. The third level is the guided inquiry, where the question and procedure are

still provided by the teacher. Students, however, generate an explanation supported by the

evidence they have collected. The teacher provides students with only the research question, and

students design the procedure to test their question and the resulting explanations with guidance

or mentoring support. The fourth and highest level of inquiry is open inquiry, where students

have the opportunity to act like scientists, deriving questions, designing and carrying out

investigations as well as communicating their results. This level requires experienced scientific

reasoning and domain competences from students.

Thus, the researchers were motivated to conduct this study which aimed to determine the

levels of inquiry of the activity sheets conducted by Junior High School Science Teachers in the

Schools Division of Ilocos Norte.

Statement of the Problem

This study primarily aimed to determine the levels of inquiry of the activity sheets

conducted by Junior High School Science Teachers in the Schools Division of Ilocos Norte.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

1. How frequent do Science teachers conduct laboratory based activity?

2. What are the levels of inquiry of the activity sheets used by Science teachers

in conducting laboratory based activity?

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Significance of the Study

This study is conducted to help teachers build better inquiry based laboratory activities.

While it is widely accepted that inquiry-based activities effectively promote higher levels of

thinking and deeper understanding, many teachers are unclear on how to modify their current

curriculum to include more effective inquiry based instruction.

For in service teachers and curriculum developers, in-service teacher will greatly

improve their practice by incorporating an understanding of levels of inquiry, and their students

will directly benefit from a more effective form of teaching practice. Instructional development

and curricular decision-making will likewise benefit from an understanding and application of

the continuum of pedagogical practices and inquiry processes. Failure to include due

consideration for the continuum at any level will in all likelihood result in a pedagogy that will

be less effective both in theory and practice. Failure to do so will leave teacher candidates, and

perhaps their future students, with an incomplete understanding of how to effectively teach

science as both product and process.

Scope and Delimitation

This study was delimited in two areas: the frequency of conducting laboratory based

activities and the levels of inquiry of the activity sheets used in conducting laboratory based

activities. The study involved activity sheets used by Junior High School Science teachers in the

Schools Division of Ilocos Norte. Hence, the findings and conclusions in this study were most

accurately applicable to Ilocos Norte schools and may deviate from the reality of different school

divisions. This study however, was delimited on the acquired responses using the researchers

made questionnaire and an interview.

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Locale of the Study

The result of the study was based on the data gathered via a survey and random sampling

interview from 100 teachers in the Schools Division of Ilocos Norte.

Definition of Terms

For the purpose of this study, the following terms hereunder shall mean as follows:

Inquiry - Learning by questioning, critically thinking and information synthesis.

Inquiry-Based Learning - Students build their own learning through meaningful

activities that are based on the investigation of questions, problems and /or scenarios.

Critical Thinking- Disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and

informed by evidence.

Laboratory - Hands on activities that allow students to develop content knowledge and

skills in science such as manipulating variables and analyzing data.

Facilitator - Teacher who is responsible to maintain the productive progression of

students through the content of an inquiry-based activity.

Problem Solving Skills - Logical thinking to assess a problem, consider resources, and

develop possible solutions.