The Effect of Using Coupled Inquiry Cycle in Development of Inquiry Skills among 8th Grade Basic Education Female Students

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of using
coupled inquiry cycle in acquiring inquiry skills among 8th grade
basic education female students. The sample consisted of (60) students
selected from one basic education school of Muscat Governorate. The
sample was divided into two groups; an experimental group (n= 30
students) taught the science content using coupled inquiry cycle and a
control group (n= 30 students) taught the science content using the
conventional method of teaching. The study lasted for two months in
the second semester of the 2009/2010 academic year. To achieve the
study's aim, the researchers designed a teacher manual in how to use
coupled inquiry teaching in teaching science and inquiry skills test.
The reliability of the reliability of inquiry skills test was (0.88). The
results of the study revealed that there were significant statistical
differences in the development of inquiry skills in two skills and in the
test as a whole in favour of the experimental group. Furthermore, the
results showed that there were significant statistical differences
between the pre-and post-test of the inquiry skill test in two skills and
in the whole test for the experimental group, but only in the test as a
whole for the control group. In the light of the above results, the study
proposes several recommendations such as conducting training
workshops for in-service science teachers on how to use the coupled
inquiry cycle in science classes. Finally, the study recommends that
further research in using coupled inquiry cycle in teaching science be
conductedand relate this to some educational variables.