Effect of guided inquiry-based experiments on students’ acquisition of physics practical skills in ordinary level secondary schools in Tanzania

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of Guided Inquiry-Based Experiments (GIBE) on students’ acquisition of Physics practical skills in Ordinary-level secondary schools in Tanzania. The study applied a quasi-experimental design and involved 82 participants. Data were collected by using the observation rubric and analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics techniques. Results indicate a significant difference in the mean scores with a large effect size for the acquisition of Physics practical skills in the domain of design, execution, analysis and evaluation between students in the experimental school and the control school.  These findings suggest that GIBE is superior to Traditional-Based Experiments (TBE) in enhancing students’ acquisition of practical skills in Physics. Therefore, Physics teachers should be encouraged to integrate laboratory practical activities in the form of GIBE in Physics lessons to enhance students’ acquisition of practical skills which are essential attributes for effective learning of Physics.