Oboso, Justus Makori2025-07-102025-07-102023-05https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/30344A Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Education (Science Education) in the school of Education of Kenyatta UniversityInquiry based practical is meant (o promote meaningful learning in science subjects. The aim of the study was to ascertain the academic performance differences in Chemistry between leamers exposed to Inquiry Based Chemistry Practicals(IBCP) and those taught using conventional practical approach. The specific objectives were first, to determine the difference in academic performance of learners taught using integration of inquiry based instruction in Chemistry practicals. Sccondly, to compare the quality of IBCP on students’ academic performance in secondary schools. Thirdly. to determine the frequency of using IBCP on students’ academic performance. The last objective was, to establish whether there were gender differences in academic performance of learners in Chemistry when taught using inquiry based instruction, The research adopted quasi-experimental based on pretest and post- test arrangement. There were 110 Secondary Schools in TharakaNithi County. Four Secondary Schools were purposively sampled and they included two Girls' and two Boys' Secondary Schools. The four Schools were assigned randomly to either Control or experimental groups. The study sample comprised 182 Form Three Chemistry learners from the selected Public secondary schools. The study involved two Schools in the experimental groups who were exposed to the treatment and two control groups that were not exposed to inquiry-based Chemistry practical on the topic “Qualitative analysis™ for a period of six weeks. This topic involves identification of cations and anions in compounds. Data collecting instrument were; Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT); pre-test and post-lest, Chemistry observation schedules and interview guide. The pre-test CAT and post-test CAT were administered before and afler exposure to both experimental and control groups respectively. A pilot test was done using the instruments that were used in the actual study in two Secondary Schools in Tharaka-Nithi County. The Schools were assumed to have the same characteristics as those that were sampled. The study assumed that the findings could be useful not only to the curriculum developers but may also provide insights to rescarchers in science education. The data was keyed in SPSS version 26, reports were generated and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The differences between the means of the two groups were analyzed using t-test, The statistical significance was tested at @ = 0.05.The findings of the study indicated that the students who were instructed through IBCP auained higher scores than their counterparts who instructed through CPW. The study further revealed that the female students attained higher scores than male students when both were instructed through inquiry based Chemistry practical approach. The study recommends the use of inquiry-based approach by teachers of Chemistry to cenhance the academic performance of students. The study further recommends that curriculum developers in secondary schools should emphasize teaching through inquiry-based approach.enThesis