Design and evaluation of inquiry-based science labs for secondary education

Thesis Abstract

Design and evaluation of inquiry-based science labs for secondary education addresses persistent gaps between science reform ideals and classroom practice, where traditional cookery-style labs limit student inquiry, conceptual understanding, and scientific reasoning. The study investigates whether implementing structured inquiry-based laboratory programs improves students’ conceptual mastery, procedural fluency, and epistemic aims of science education in secondary schools, particularly in biology and chemistry, and whether teacher enactment mediates these outcomes. The aim is to develop, implement, and evaluate a scalable design of inquiry-based labs, accompanied by professional development for teachers, and to establish evidence on its effectiveness for informing policy and practice. Specific objectives are (1) to design a curriculum-embedded sequence of inquiry-based labs aligned to national science standards and framed by the theoretical principles of inquiry-based learning and constructivism; (2) to implement the labs in a purposive sample of secondary schools to examine feasibility and fidelity of enactment; (3) to assess student learning gains in conceptual understanding using a validated force-concepts inventory and a chemistry concept inventory, as well as improvements in scientific inquiry skills via performance tasks scored with a rubric; (4) to examine changes in student attitudes toward science and self-efficacy using standardized scales; (5) to explore teacher perspectives on workload, resource use, and professional development needs through semi-structured interviews; and (6) to determine the mediating role of teacher enactment quality on student outcomes using multilevel modeling. The research adopts a mixed-methods, multi-site, quasi-experimental design over two academic terms, involving 28 classes (approximately 700 students) from eight secondary schools, with 14 classes in the experimental group and 14 in the comparison group. The intervention comprises a sequence of eight inquiry-based labs implemented over 16 weeks, accompanied by a professional development program consisting of 12 hours of collaborative workshops, classroom coaching, and a digital resource toolkit aligned with the inquiry cycle question formation, hypothesis generation, planning and data collection, data analysis, and evidence-based explanation. Data collection instruments include (i) validated concept inventories for biology and chemistry, (ii) an inquiry skills performance assessment rubric administered at pre- and post-test, (iii) a students’ attitudes toward science scale, (iv) a science self-efficacy scale, (v) teacher observation schedules to gauge fidelity of implementation, (vi) semi-structured interviews with teachers, and (vii) classroom artifacts and video recordings for qualitative analysis. Quantitative data will be analyzed using ANCOVA and hierarchical linear modeling to account for nested data (students within classes) and repeated measures, with effect sizes estimated via partial eta-squared. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns related to learner agency, collaborative discourse, epistemic framing, and resource constraints, with triangulation across sources. The study anticipates that the inquiry-based labs will yield statistically significant improvements in conceptual understanding and inquiry skills, with moderate to large effects (Cohen’s d ? 0.5–0.8) and positive shifts in motivation and self-efficacy. It is expected that higher fidelity of teacher enactment will strengthen outcomes and that contextual factors such as class size and access to equipment will moderate effects. The research intends to contribute to knowledge by providing a rigorously evaluated design model for inquiry-based lab instruction, a scalable professional development framework, and empirical evidence on the relationship between teacher enactment and student learning in inquiry-rich science laboratories. The implications include informing curriculum developers, teacher educators, and policymakers about the feasibility, benefits, and constraints of integrating high-quality inquiry-based laboratories in secondary science education. Recommendations emphasize sustaining professional development, investing in modular and adaptable lab kits, establishing clear assessment rubrics for inquiry performance, and scaling the design with ongoing fidelity monitoring and iterative refinement based on ongoing feedback from teachers and students. The study concludes that well-designed, well-supported inquiry-based laboratories can enhance conceptual understanding, promote robust inquiry practices, and foster more positive science-related motivational outcomes among secondary students.