Effects of Inquiry-Based Biology Instruction on Advanced-Level Secondary Students’ Understanding in Rwanda: A Quasi-Experimental Pre-Post Study

Abstract

The effect of inquiry-based instruction (IBI) on understanding of biology subject content remains understudied in the Rwandan context. This study investigates the effects of the IBI approach on students’ understanding of biology at the advanced secondary school level in Rwanda. A total of 75 students and three teachers participated in the study. Classroom observations, interviews with teachers, and the administration of pre- and post-tests to Senior Five students were used to collect data. Teachers were trained in the use of inquiry-based teaching and learning. Afterwards, each teacher prepared the improved lesson according to the scheme of work. Furthermore, a post-test was administered to students to assess their understanding of the biology content. The results of classroom observations and interviews showed that the teachers have improved their application of IBI after intervention. Similarly, the statistical analysis results from the analysis of variance (ANOVA) of repeated measures showed a statistically significant main effect of test, F(1, 72) = 30.19, p = .00, with a large partial eta squared of .30, indicating the overall students’ performance from pre- to post-test scores. Also, the interaction between test and school was statistically significant, F(2, 72) = 4.30, p = .02, with a partial eta squared of .11, indicating the improvement from pre-test to post-test among students from Schools A, B, and C. However, the school variable was not statistically significant (F = 2.5, p = .089), with an effect size (partial eta squared) of .065, indicating a small learning gain. The study concludes that inquiry-based teaching significantly improved advanced-level students’ biology performance and teacher pedagogical practice within the schools (A, B, and C). The results demonstrate that IBI is an effective and scalable method for enhancing conceptual understanding across diverse school environments. Keywords: Biology conceptual understanding, biology teaching practices, inquiry-based teaching and learning, senior Five students, teaching and learning of biology