SCIENCE QUEST: A Structured Inquiry - Based Learning Intervention for Improving Learners' Scientific Inquiry Skills

Scientific inquiry supports scientific literacy by helping learners formulate investigate questions, develop hypotheses, plan investigations, analyze evidence, and communicate explanations rather than merely recall facts. At Leganes National High School in Iloilo, classroom observations identified difficulties among Grade 11 Science learners in applying these processes. This action research examined whether SCIENCE QUEST, a structured inquiry-based intervention, could improve learners' scientific inquiry skills. It focused on pretest–posttest performance across five dimensions: question formulation, hypothesis development, investigation design, data analysis, and communication of explanations.The study employed a quantitative, one-group pretest–posttest action research design with 40 Purposively selected Grade 11 General Science learners. Data were collected before and after a six-week intervention using the Scientific Inquiry Skills Assessment Questionnaire (SISAQ), described as a 35-item assessment covering five inquiry dimensions. SCIENCE QUEST followed six phases: Scientific Exploration, Question Development, Guided Investigation, Evidence Analysis, Scientific Explanation, and Reflection and Application. Analyses included descriptive statistics, a paired-samples test, and effect-size estimation.The results of the study show a mean increase from 14.60 to 23.15 out of 35, a gain of 8.55 points. The reported paired-test result was t(39)=12.59, p<.001, with Cohen's dz=1.99. Gains were reported across all five dimensions, with the largest effect estimate for data analysis. The also results would to indicate that structured inquiry activities may strengthen learners' inquiry skills. The study recommends validating and refining the intervention and assessment, applying SCIENCE QUEST in other science classes, and conducting further research with larger samples and comparison groups.