A COMPARISON BETWEEN COOKBOOK AND INQUIRY-BASED

LABORATORY EXPERIMENT APPROACHES IN TEACHING LEARNING

PHYSICS PRACTICALS IN KABAROLE DISTRICT SECONDARY
SCHOOLS

BY
KWESIGA PIUS
2022/HD04/1613U
2200701613

Supervisor
Lugolole Robert (PhD)
 Historical perspective
Science labs introduced in the late 1800s. (Isozaki,2017).
(Kali, 2008). Science education objectives have evolved over time. Evolution science
education objectives outlined.
o Four distinct phases of science education reform over the last half-century:
1.(1950s-1960s).Concerns about inadequate science education. 2. (1970s-1980s). Focused on
cognitive science research. 3. (1980s-1990s). Development of national and state standards. 4.
Emphasizes a systemic approach to fostering deep understanding.
Reforms placed greater emphasis on laboratory practicals in South African science
education. Jita (2019).
In Uganda reforms objective were to prioritize science, technology, and innovation.
UNESCO (2017). And emphasis on science practical and project work
Various practical approaches include. Cookbook, inquiry-based, and virtual laboratory
methods. Chen (2012).
Notes though CLEA is widely used, often limits students. Clark (2000).
Following steps and Lack of reflection on prior knowledge.
Criticized CLEA for not fostering critical thinking. (Dunnett K, 2000).
Highlights the benefits of guided-inquiry lab experiments. Fakayode (2014).
 Theoretical perspective
Constructivism Theory. Jean Piaget. (1896-1980)
Learning through personal experiences by actively engaging with content.
Emphasis on questioning, investigation, and collaboration.
Constructivist Principles in Inquiry-Based Learning entails
 Active Engagement.
Prior Knowledge
Social Interaction
Reflection: Encouragement of metacognition and reflection on the learning
process. (Bittinger, 2015).
 Contextual background
Location; Kabarole District -western Uganda
Form five physics class at Nyakasula school. (government aided school)
Despite training efforts, low advanced-level physics performance persists.
Due to continued use of cookbook teaching methods.
In the context of transitioning to inquiry-based laboratory experiments for
enhanced physics understanding.
•Focus. Comparing inquiry-based vs. traditional (cookbook) approaches.
 Exploring student attitudes and constraints in guided inquiry experiments.
 Problem statement
The inquiry-based laboratory approach empowers students to independently navigate
experiments, allowing them to determine their procedures and analyze data without rigid
teacher instructions, fostering high levels of cognitive engagement and creativity (Jong,
2018).
In Ugandan education, the use of the cookbook laboratory approach in science particularly
in physics education and this has hindered students from connecting theory with physics
practicals, as seen in A-level physics results from 2017 to 2022 (UNEB data).
This method, where teachers provide step-by-step instructions during practical lessons
(Yalcin-Celik, 2017), leads to disengagement, limited cognitive activity, and challenges in
bridging theoretical concepts with real-world applications, raising concerns about students'
academic performance.
Without a study to assess the impact of different laboratory approaches, the issues
associated with the cookbook laboratory approach may persist, leading to ongoing poor
academic performance in A-level physics.
This study aims to assess the impact of different laboratory approaches on secondary
school student's performance in Uganda by comparing the cookbook laboratory experiment
approach and inquiry-based laboratory experiment approaches.
 Main objective
To assess the impact of inquiry-based over cookbook laboratory experiment
approaches on learners' pedagogical processes.

Specific Objectives

To find out students' attitudes toward IBLE and CLE approaches.

To determine the impact of IBLE and CLE approaches in teaching and
learning physics in secondary schools.

To analyze constraints affecting the implementation of guided inquiry

laboratory experiments in physics education.
 Significance of the study
Policymakers can utilize the study findings to develop policies guiding the
introduction and implementation IBLEA.

Physics educators can use the study's insights on students' attitudes and
motivations towards IBLEA.

curriculum development will gain valuable insights into the challenges learners
face when implementing IBLEA.

The study's findings will contribute to existing knowledge by highlighting areas

that warrant further research and investigation.
 Literature gaps
Limited Gender Diversity in Studies
Abuhejleh (2018) and Baloyi (2017) studies focus on specific gender groups,
e.g., girls in the UAE and male students at the University of Pretoria.
Gap in understanding how laboratory approaches affect students of different
genders
Geographical gaps
Studies conducted in diverse countries: UAE, Hungary, Finland, Korea,
Afghanistan, South Africa.
Need to investigate if laboratory approaches' effectiveness varies in Ugandan
schools due to geographic and cultural factors.
Mixed Findings
Varying results in the cited studies regarding the impact of laboratory approaches
on academic achievement.(Ojediran 2014;Baloyi 2017)
Emphasizes the need for further investigation to clarify under what conditions
cont
Absence of Control Groups
Ural (2016) study show positive effects of inquiry-based learning but lack control or
experimental groups.
Shuttleworth (2009) raises concerns about single-group pre and post-test designs.
Absence of baseline measurement makes it challenging to draw definitive
conclusions about the intervention's impact.
Limited Insights from Questionnaires
Taraban (2007) study heavily relies on questionnaires to assess the effects of inquiry
learning experiences.
Questionnaires offer valuable data but provide limited insights into the depth of
student learning and engagement.
Limited Student Perspectives
Current focus primarily on constraints and challenges from the perspective of
teachers. Keller 2013, Orosz 2023, Kang 2016, and Doosti 2014
Need to incorporate students' viewpoints to comprehensively understand the benefits
and challenges of inquiry-based learning.
Conceptual framework adapted from Baloyi (2017)
 METHODOLOGY
Research approach and design
Quantitative research approach.
Quasi-experimental design on two groups of advanced-level physics students.
Study population
 8 government schools in Kabarole district.
Study Sample
One school selected for the study.
Data Collection Tools
Physics achievement tests for concept assessment.
Attitudinal scale to measure students' attitudes .
Survey questionnaire to analyze constraints.
Observation checklist
 Validity and reliability
Validity in research pertains to the degree to which an instrument accurately
measures intended attributes.(Middleton, 2023).
Content experts will assess questionnaire validity based on their expertise.
Research supervisors, serving as field experts, will assist in establishing
instrument and protocol validity.
Reliability The consistency of measurements and the ability to replicate findings.
Price (2017),
Develop and review study tools for effective data capture.
Seek critical expert opinions from supervisors.
 Data analysis

Quantitatively, the data will be analyzed by use of IBM SPSS

Use of frequency tables that includes means, percentages and standard deviation
Use of ANOVA to compare variance across the means of different groups
Use of spearman's rank correlation coefficients and Kar-Pearson chi-square
correlation coefficient
To obtain relationships between variables in my study
Ethical consideration
• During the research process, the respondents will be kept anonymous and
confidentiality of the highest order shall be maintained.
• Emphasis shall be made that the information will be kept private and reported in
summative and solely used for purposes of the research only.
 Proposed budget and work plan

Appendix B. Work plan

Appendix. A Proposed budget

Budget item Duration (weeks) Amount (Ugx) Work plan Week Process Responsible Duration Remarks
person (day)
1 Transport expenses 6 400,000
Obtaining a letter 1 Obtaining a letter of 1
2 Stationary 6 100,000 of introduction introduction
from the Dean
3 Accommodation 6 1,000,000 CEES

4 Airtime 6 100,000
Arriving at school 1 Obtaining a letter of 1
and reporting to consent from the
5 Participants allowance 6 500,000
school headteacher
6 Research assistant allowances 6 500,000
Teacher training 1 Training of physics 2
7 Training for research assistant 6 200,000 on IBLEA teachers

8 Printing and editing 6 200,000

Learners training 1 Training of A-level 2
on IBLEA physics students
9 Meals 6 1,000,000

10 Internet 6 100,000 Teaching using 5 Teaching experimental 35

IBLEA and CLEA group and control
11 Teaching materials 6 500,000 group

12 Miscellaneous 6 500,000
Assessment 6 Evaluation 7
Total expenses 5,100,000 Data analysis Analysis using
IBMSPSS
 Thank You for listening

Special thanks goes to our supervisors

Your guidance is most welcome
for enabling this opportunity.