EFFECT OF INQUIRY-BASED TEACHING STRATEGY ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND RETENTION IN BASIC TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

This research sought to assess the effect of an inquiry-based teaching strategy on students' academic achievement and retention in basic technology. A quasi-experimental research design featuring a pre-test, post-test, and non-equivalent control group was utilized, comprising 122 subjects in total, with 63 individuals in the experimental group and 59 in the control group. The tool employed for gathering data was the Basic Technology Achievement Test (BTAT), which received validation from three specialists in the Department of Industrial and Technology Education at the Federal University of Technology Minna. A trial examination determined the reliability coefficient of the BTAT, resulting in a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient of.78. Average scores were computed to address the research questions, and ANCOVA was utilized to evaluate the hypotheses. The findings showed that students educated through conventional lecture techniques. Furthermore, the average score of male students instructed through inquiry-based learning exceeded that of female students receiving the same instruction, though the differences lacked statistical significance. As a result, it is advised that teachers incorporate inquiry based instructional strategies in suitable curriculum fields to enhance student learning outcomes, and businesses should provide essential materials to facilitate teaching in Basic Technology Keywords: inquiry-based, achievement, retention, Basic Technology.