Effects of Inquiry-Based Instruction on Civic Knowledge, Critical-Thinking-Skills and Classroom Engagement in Social Studies Concept among Secondary School Students in Lagos State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64348/zije.2026289Abstract
This study examined the effects of inquiry-based instruction on civic knowledge, critical thinking skills, and classroom engagement among upper basic Social Studies students in Lagos State, Nigeria, with results structured according to specific research questions and corresponding hypotheses. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test control group design was adopted, involving 120 Junior Secondary School students drawn from two comparable public schools. One intact class was exposed to inquiry-based instructional strategies, while the control group received conventional lecture-based instruction over a six-week period. Three validated and reliable instruments including a Civic Knowledge Test (α = 0.78), a Critical Thinking Test (α = 0.81), and a Classroom Engagement Scale (α = 0.84) were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were employed to answer the research questions by comparing pre-test, post-test, and mean gain scores, while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level, controlling for pre-test scores. The findings revealed that students in the inquiry-based group achieved substantially higher post-test mean scores and nearly double the mean gains across all variables compared to the control group. ANCOVA results indicated statistically significant differences in civic knowledge (F(1,117)=42.68, p<.05, η²=.27), critical thinking (F(1,117)=39.15, p<.05, η²=.25), and classroom engagement (F(1,117)=46.92, p<.05, η²=.29), leading to the rejection of all three null hypotheses. The large effect sizes demonstrated that inquiry-based instruction had a strong instructional impact. The study concluded that inquiry-based instruction is a highly effective pedagogical approach for enhancing both cognitive and affective learning outcomes in Social Studies and recommended its wider integration into classroom practice, teacher preparation, and curriculum implementation.
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