Analogy and Guided Inquiry Instructional Strategies and Students’ Achievement in Basic Science in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria: Way Forward for Effective Science Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Effective teaching of science brings about meaningful learning of science and unless concepts in science are learnt meaningfully, they cannot be applied to solve real- life-problems. In the quest to solve these real life-problems, scientific knowledge should be effectively utilized. This study, therefore, examined the main effects of analogy and guided inquiry instructional strategies on students’ achievement in basic science. One hypothesis was generated and tested at 0.05 levels of significance. The study adopted a Pretest-Posttest Control Group Quasi-experimental research design. The experimental groups were exposed to analogy and guided inquiry instructional strategies and the control group was exposed to the modified conventional lecture method. The participants for the study were 202 (115 males and 87 females) junior secondary school (JSS II) or Basic 8 Basic Science Students selected from six secondary schools. The treatments were found to have significant effects on students’ achievement in basic science. The result obtained showed that analogy instructional strategy contributed most to students’ achievement in basic science. It was concluded that analogy instructional strategy improved students’ achievement in basic science and is therefore recommended for use by basic science teachers in secondary schools.