ABSTRACT
This study investigated the Effect of Inquiry Method on Academic Performance of Junior Secondary Schools Students In I.R.S in Katsina State, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were: to determine the effect of inquiry method on academic performance of students taught I.R.S in JSS in Katsina state, ascertain the academic performance of male and female students taught I.R.S using inquiry method in JSS in Katsina state, and find out the academic performance of rural and urban students taught Islamic Religious Studies using inquiry method in JSS in Katsina State. Three research questions were answered while three null hypotheses were tested. The study discuss the concept of teaching method, the concept of inquiry method, types of inquiry method, planning the use of inquiry method, difference between inquiry method and conventional methods, characteristics of inquiry method and the concept of I.R.S. Others include the concept of academic performance, effect of inquiry method on student academic performance and strategies for measuring effect of inquiry method on students? performance. A total of one hundred and ninety (190) students were used in the conduct of the study, involving four intact classes. They were administered prepared researcher -made test before and after treatment. The analysis of the data collected was done using both descriptive and inferential statistics. At the descriptive level, descriptive statistical technique of means and standard deviations were used to respond to the three research questions. At the inferential level, the independent t-test statistical techniques were used to analysis the data collected and to test the research hypothesis. All the null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. Findings of the study indicated that significant difference exist on the effect of inquiry method on academic performance of students taught I.R.S in Junior Secondary Schools in Katsina state as they score higher in the test given. Likewise, finding showed that there was significant effect in the performance of male and female students taught Islamic Religious Studies using inquiry method in JSS in Katsina state. And there was a significant effect in the performance of rural and urban student taught I.R.S using inquiry method in JSS in Katsina state. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to the effect that Katsina State Ministry of Education should recruit more qualified professional I.R.S teachers to meet the present demand in JSS. School supervisors and administrators should ensure that teachers use inquiry method of teaching which is learned centered. A study such as this should be carry out in other states of the federation so that generalizations could be arrived at, because result from one state is too limited in nature.