CHAPTER 1 PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction According to Haury (1993), Inquiry is the set of behaviors involved in the struggle of the human beings for reasonable explanations of phenomena about which are they curious. Most people learn best through personal experience and by connecting new information to what they already believe or know. Students are encouraged to engage themselves in the learning process particularly through cooperative learning and hands-on activities. Excellent teaching and quality textbooks are not enough. Students need to personally construct their own knowledge by posing questions, planning investigations, conducting their own experiments, and analyzing and communicating their findings (NRC, 1996; AAAS, 1990, 1993; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 1991; Rosenshine, 1995; Flick, 1995). The pedagogy being promoted is an inquiry based approach. Especially in science, inquiry is considered a very important element.

Based on the study conducted by Gibson and Chase, many studies have been performed to further investigate that inquiry-based science activities had positive effects on students science achievement, cognitive development, laboratory skills, science process skills, and understanding of science knowledge as a whole when compared to students taught using a traditional approach (Chang & Mao,1998; Ertepinar & Geban, 1996; Geban, Askar, & Ozkan, 1992; Mattheis & Nakayama,1988; Padilla, Okey, & Garrand, 1984; Purser & Renner, 1983; Saunders & Shepardson,1987; Schneider & Renner, 1980; Wollman & Lawson, 1978). Perhaps, as Hodson (1990) suggested, inquiry-based learning is a more effective way for students to learn science.

This study was initiated to investigate if integrating inquiry-based laboratory activities in Biology enhanced students perceptions and attitudes of their learning environment.

Integrating Inquiry-Based Laboratory Teaching in Biology: Enhancing Students Perceptions and Attitudes of their Learning Environment Abigail Jasmin

Statement of the Problem

Mainly this study conducts to investigate if integrating inquiry-based laboratory teaching in Biology will enhance students perceptions and attitudes of their learning environment. Specifically, the study attempt to answer the following questions: 1. In what ways is inquiry-based laboratory teaching effective in terms of classroom learning environment as it enhance their perceptions and attitudes? 2. Is there any difference between the male and female perceptions and attitudes in terms of classroom learning environment in biology by using inquiry-based laboratory activities? 3. What connections present between the nature of classroom learning environment and students attitudes and perceptions? 4. What implications for biology education can be gain from the results of the study?

Null Hypothesis (Ho) Integrating inquiry-based laboratory activities in biology do not enhanced students perceptions and attitudes of their learning environment.

Significance of the Study The outcomes of this study will be use as a basis for the improvement of the quality of the science education in terms of their learning environment. According to Telli et al, 2011, it has been assumed that having a positive classroom learning environment is an educationally desirable ends its own right. Furthermore, this provides biology teachers with information about the features of the learning environment most effective in teaching students. Understanding

Integrating Inquiry-Based Laboratory Teaching in Biology: Enhancing Students Perceptions and Attitudes of their Learning Environment Abigail Jasmin

students perceptions and attitudes may help us to find some ways to enhance students learning by investigating which type of teaching is effective as their learning environment. Lastly, educators will be informed the importance of creating fun materials, experiments, and instruction method in constructing an enjoyable and productive learning environment.

Scope and Limitation of the Study Focusing only on Second Year students of St. Paul College of Makati enrolled during school year 2011-2012. The scope of this study is to investigate only the effectiveness of using inquiry-based laboratory activities in terms of the students perceptions and attitudes. The effect of the gender in the students attitudes and perceptions toward biology, though not a main focus of this study, might be as part of the results. Data gathering instruments will be employ are questionnaire supplemented by observation and interview.

Integrating Inquiry-Based Laboratory Teaching in Biology: Enhancing Students Perceptions and Attitudes of their Learning Environment Abigail Jasmin

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents studies related to inquiry-based laboratory activities, its effects to students perceptions and attitudes of their learning environment is the main focus of this section. A discussion about inquiry-based approach and how it makes the students awareness in science achieved was also regarded. The term inquiry can be described in different ways. It can be defined as "a seeking for truth, information, or knowledge by questioning." Individuals take on the process of inquiry from the time they are born until they die. As mentioned by others, inquiry is essential in transmitting knowledge. It involves activities and skills that focus on the active search for knowledge or understanding to satisfy a curiosity, says Haury (1993). Learners tend to learn more if they discover something on their own. Just what an old adage says, Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." Because of this, the educational system has worked on enhancing students interest towards the subject and be motivated. One way of addressing this is to develop teaching style appropriate for the learner. As a teacher, one should have the knowledge of how students learn and how to teach it. Changing the way we teach and what we teach is a continuing professional concern. A teachers goal should be to strive for the farthest end of the continuum where students are involved in full inquiry. (Jarrett, 1997) An inquiry-based classroom is more than a gathering of individual learners brought together for reasons of economy. Rather, it is a community of inquiry (Schifter, 1996). In this community, students and teachers share responsibility for learning, and collaborate on constructing new knowledge.

Integrating Inquiry-Based Laboratory Teaching in Biology: Enhancing Students Perceptions and Attitudes of their Learning Environment Abigail Jasmin

Excellent teaching and quality textbooks arent enough. Students need to personally construct their own knowledge by posing questions, planning investigations, conducting their own experiments, and analyzing and communicating their findings. Also, students need to have opportunities to progress from concrete to abstract ideas, rethink their hypotheses, and retry experiments and problems (NRC, 1996; AAAS, 1990, 1993; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 1991;Rosenshine, 1995; Flick, 1995). In short, students construct their own knowledge by actively taking charge of their learningone of the primary tenets of inquiry. According to American Association for the Advancement of Science (1990) and National Research Council (1996), teachers teaching styles has some impact on students learning and the perceptions students develop about science learning. One may argue that teachers who are more constructivist and inquiry oriented in their teaching will have students doing science similar to the way scientists actually conduct their work. Science and mathematics reform standards call for inquiry teaching methods that enable students to contribute their own ideas and to pursue their own investigations (NRC, 1996; NCTM, 1991; AAAS, 1990, 1993). Good & Brophy (1997) concluded however, no single teaching method is appropriate in all situations, for all students. Teachers need to know how and when to use a variety of strategies. Embedding teaching strategies within an overall inquirybased pedagogy can be an effective way to boost student performance in academics, critical thinking, and problem solving. (Jarrett, 1997) In the review of literature made by Foley & McPhee (2008), they said that hands-on activities provide students with opportunities to engage in exploration and sense making with the science content. Engaging students in inquiry can provide a powerful learning experience where students not only learn about science content but also gain reasoning and research skills. The hands-on science curricula also describe their materials as promoting scientific inquiry. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (1993) and the National Research Council (NRC) (1996) endorse science curricula that actively engage students in science using an inquiry-based approach. This approach has shifted the focus of science education from the traditional memorization of facts and concepts in separate specific disciplines

Integrating Inquiry-Based Laboratory Teaching in Biology: Enhancing Students Perceptions and Attitudes of their Learning Environment Abigail Jasmin

to inquiry-based learning in which students seek answers to their own questions. The pedagogy advocated for is an inquiry approach, in which students are actively engaged using both science processes and critical thinking skills as they search for answers. Additionally, studies have shown that students who use an inquiry approach have improved attitudes towards both science and school while other studies show more negative attitudes resulting from traditional methods (Gibson, 1998a, 1998b; Jaus, 1977; Selim & Shrigley, 1983; Shrigley, 1990). Some short-term studies have shown that students who use an inquiry approach have improved attitudes towards science. These same studies show negative attitudes resulting from traditional methods. For example, Selim and Shrigley (1983) compared two instructional modes, discovery and expository, for teaching science knowledge to fifth grade students. The treatment period was 21 days. After the treatment period, they found that students taught by teachers using the discovery approach (an inquiry approach) had a more positive science attitude than the control group who were taught by teachers using the traditional lecture approach. In summary, the above studies indicate that students who learn science using an inquiry approach score higher on science achievement tests, have improved science process skills, and have more positive attitudes towards science, when compared to students taught using a traditional approach. However, all of these studies investigated the influence of inquiry-based science in comparison to traditional science at the end of a treatment period, which ranged from 2 weeks to 1 school year. A review of the literature suggest that few studies if any have been done that explore the long term impact of inquiry-based science instruction on students attitudes towards science and interest in science careers. (Gibson & Chase, 2002) These findings suggest that when science is taught using an inquiry-based approach, students remain interested and become motivated to put more effort into their studies. Students who participated in SSEP were actively engaged in science using a hands-on and inquiry-based approach. The interviews suggest that this pedagogical approach is what made science not only enjoyable but also interesting for students. Students stated they prefer hands-on, inquiry-based science, and this active approach is more engaging to them than sitting and listening to teachers.

Integrating Inquiry-Based Laboratory Teaching in Biology: Enhancing Students Perceptions and Attitudes of their Learning Environment Abigail Jasmin

Many studies have connected hands-on or inquiry teaching to changes in students attitudes (Kyle, Bonnstetter, Mc Closkey and Fults, 1985; Chang & Mao, 1999; Shymanski, Yore, Anderson, 2004). Several papers relate inquiry activities resulted in greater interest in science and motivation to do science. One study, Gibson & Chase (2002) reported that inquiry activities not only led to more interest in science but that this interested persisted long after the inquiry intervention was over. The thought that if students are more interested in science because of inquiry experiences, they may be more likely to study science in the future and persist in science classes. According to Education Week (Lawton, 1997), a poll by Bayer Corporation of Pittsburgh showed that students who used hands-on experiments and team problem solving in science classrooms have a better attitude about the subject than students who learned science through lectures and assigned textbook reading The teachers limited time for students on an individual base may stimulate development of students investigation skills and perceptions of the learning environment stimulating this. As long as students are finding out themselves, it seems their interest and attitudes may develop positively toward the subject. This finding, on the other hand, is closely related with childrens natural curiosity about living things. This evaluation can also be supported by the results obtained for the dimension titled Equipment that, the students were very much interested in the use of live animals during the biology lessons. Thus, we propose that the use of living organisms would be one of the key factors which can increase students positive attitudes toward biology. This is consistent with Freedmans (1997) and George and Kaplans (1998) results that, students had positive attitudes toward practical settings. Educational implications of the study can be summarized as follows. Frequent use of live organism in biology lessons and/or practical works may increase students interest toward biology. (Prokop, Tuncer & Chuda, 2007)

Integrating Inquiry-Based Laboratory Teaching in Biology: Enhancing Students Perceptions and Attitudes of their Learning Environment Abigail Jasmin

It means that considering fun aspects in biology is an important issue in biology education. In other words, when students sense that biology courses and educational materials in Biology make a fun atmosphere in class, school and home, their positive attitudes towards Biology have increased and this results in better achievement in Biology.

Integrating Inquiry-Based Laboratory Teaching in Biology: Enhancing Students Perceptions and Attitudes of their Learning Environment Abigail Jasmin