ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING METHOD IN TEACHING PHOTOSYNTHESIS AMONG STUDENTS OF GOVERNMENT DAY SECONDARY SCHOOL GADAU

The teaching of photosynthesis in senior secondary schools is often dominated by traditional instructional methods, which tend to limit students’ active participation and deep understanding of the subject. This study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of the inquiry-based learning (IBL) method in enhancing students’ understanding and performance in the topic of photosynthesis. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design involving a total of 51 Senior Secondary School Two (SSII) students from Government Day Senior Secondary School, Gadau. The students were divided into experimental and control groups. A Biology Achievement Test (BAT), comprising 25 structured objective questions, was used as the research instrument. Pre-test and post-test scores were collected and analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and independent sample t-test to determine the effect of the intervention. The findings revealed that students taught using the inquiry-based learning method performed significantly better than those taught with the conventional lecture method. The study concluded that the inquiry-based learning method enhances students’ academic achievement and promotes better understanding of biological concepts such as photosynthesis. It is therefore recommended that Biology teachers adopt inquirybased instructional strategies to improve students' learning outcomes and foster scientific thinking in secondary schools.