A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF INQUIRY-BASED CHEMISTRY LEARNING ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND MOTIVATION OF GRADE 10 LEARNERS

This study investigated the effects of Inquiry-Based Chemistry Learning (IBCL) on the academic performance and perceived motivation of Grade 10 students, responding to the continuing demand for empirically supported instructional approaches that address the limitations of traditional, teacher-centered chemistry instruction. A quasi-experimental research design was employed, with purposive sampling used to select forty-four (44) Grade 10 learners from Mindanao State University–University Training Center. Data were gathered using a chemistry performance test administered as both pre-test and post-test, along with a structured motivation questionnaire designed to measure students’ motivational responses to the instructional intervention. Owing to the non-normal distribution of the data, nonparametric statistical techniques were applied, specifically the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and the Mann-Whitney U Test. Findings revealed that participants initially demonstrated a low level of academic performance (M = 8.93 out of 20) prior to the implementation of IBCL, while concurrently exhibiting a very high level of motivation toward inquiry-based learning activities (M = 3.90 out of 4.00). Post-intervention analysis indicated a statistically significant improvement in academic performance (W = 0.00, p < 0.001), accompanied by a perfect large effect size (rrb = −1.00), with the estimated mean score increasing to 16.43. Moreover, motivation levels remained consistently high across gender groups, with no statistically significant difference observed (p = 0.212). These results provide compelling evidence that Inquiry-Based Chemistry Learning is a highly effective and evidence-based pedagogical strategy capable of producing substantial gains in students’ conceptual understanding while sustaining uniformly high levels of motivation. The study therefore supports the systematic integration of IBCL into secondary chemistry curricula to promote deeper learning and inclusive student engagement.