COMPARING SIMULATION-BASED AND BLENDED INQUIRY LEARNING IN PRIMARY SCIENCE: EFFECTS ON SCIENCE INQUIRY SKILLS AND AFFECTIVE OUTCOMES
COMPARING SIMULATION-BASED AND BLENDED INQUIRY LEARNING IN PRIMARY SCIENCE: EFFECTS ON SCIENCE INQUIRY SKILLS AND AFFECTIVE OUTCOMES

Summary/Abstract: Inquiry-based learning structured through the 5E learning cycle is widely recognised for fostering conceptual understanding and scientific reasoning. However, optimal strategies for supporting inquiry in primary classrooms remain debated. Empirical comparisons of hands-on, simulation-based, and blended inquiry approaches in primary science classes remain limited, particularly with respect to their effects on scientific inquiry skills and affective outcomes. This study developed a simulation-based inquiry module aligned with the 5E learning cycle and compared three inquiry approaches using a quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design across six intact sixth-grade classes. Scientific inquiry skills and affective outcomes were measured before and after the inquiry activities. ANCOVA revealed significant group differences in several integrated scientific inquiry skills, including transforming data, interpreting data, formulating hypotheses, and controlling variables. Both simulation-based and blended inquiry approaches improved higher-order scientific inquiry skills and learning motivation, with the blended approach showing the most consistent effects. The effects were more pronounced in integrated inquiry skills and task commitment than in basic inquiry skills and some affective subcomponents. These findings indicate that simulations are most effective when integrated sequentially with hands-on experimentation in primary science learning.

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