Faculty of Science Education, University of Education, Winneba
Abstract
A learner-centered teaching approach is more emphasized in teaching and learning biology, specifically the content of cell division. The teaching method is valued for assisting learners’ understanding terminologies used to describe any particular event that occurred during the cell division processes for instance, chromatids, crossing-over, chiasmata, and cytokinesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ perspectives on the effectiveness of the inquiry-based learning (IBL) on learners’ achievements in biology of cell division in Rwanda secondary schools. A total of 254 learners studying the cell division in upper secondary schools and 10 biology teachers were purposively selected and participated in the study. Pre-training was assessed through the lesson observation. The feedback was used to train teachers on the IBL lesson plan and lesson delivery. The post-training consisted of preparing the lesson on cell division. Planned lessons were then delivered, and data about the improvements were collected using the lesson observation checklist. Further, data were collected using the questionnaires addressed to teachers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics where percentages, means and standard deviations were calculated by using Excel Software Version 2016. The findings of the study revealed that the IBL was an effective teaching method towards learners’ achievement in biology. It motivates learners to follow the lesson and express their opinions, which contribute to better performance. The study recommends continuous professional development to equip teachers with skills in teaching by using the IBL
