Effectiveness of Phenomenon-Based Inquiry Learning in Improving the Scientific Literacy and Critical Thinking Skills of Grade 10 Learners in Science at Bunawan National High School, Division of Agusan del Sur: A Quasi-Experimental Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22852045Keywords:
Phenomenon-Based Inquiry Learning, scientific literacy, critical thinking skills, Grade 10 learners, inquiry-based science education, quasi-experimental studyAbstract
This study determined the effectiveness of Phenomenon-Based Inquiry Learning (PBIL) in improving the scientific literacy and critical thinking skills of Grade 10 learners in Science at Bunawan National High School during School Year 2025-2026. It employed a quantitative quasi-experimental, non-equivalent comparison-group pretest-posttest design involving 97 learners through complete enumeration: 49 in the experimental group and 48 in the comparison group; a separate intact section was used for pilot testing. Researcher-developed Scientific Literacy and Critical Thinking Skills Tests underwent expert content validation, pilot testing, item analysis, and reliability assessment. Means and standard deviations described learner performance, while paired-samples and independent-samples t-tests at the .05 level tested within- and between-group differences. Both groups initially demonstrated low scientific literacy and critical thinking. After instruction, the PBIL group reached high levels in scientific literacy (M = 19.84, SD = 3.64) and critical thinking (M = 21.18, SD = 3.98), whereas the comparison group reached only moderate levels. Significant pretest-posttest improvements occurred in the experimental group for scientific literacy, t = 42.61, p < .001, and critical thinking, t = 30.80, p < .001. Experimental-group posttest and mean-gain scores were also significantly higher than those of the comparison group in both outcomes. The findings support PBIL as an effective approach for authentic inquiry, evidence-based reasoning, and higher-order thinking and informed an Instructional Enhancement Plan for sustained implementation in Grade 10 Science.
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