Review of the effect of inquiry-based learning on the academic achievement of secondary school students in chemistry

Abstract

The study examined the effects of inquiry-based learning on the academic achievement of secondary school students in chemistry in different areas of the world based on different published works. The most recent and majorly the last 9 years that were published in reputable journals have been reviewed and used as a direct source. The findings revealed that the inquiry-based method was a student-centered approach that encouraged learners to explore, ask questions, and engage in critical thinking to construct new knowledge and understanding, and was more effective in improving the academic achievement of chemistry students than the conventional lecture method. The findings also revealed that gender has no significant effect on the academic achievement of students exposed to chemistry through inquiry-based learning. It is recommended that chemistry and science teachers should adopt the use of inquiry-based methods, and the government should provide funding and facilities for workshops and seminars to teachers for the successful implementation of inquiry-based learning in chemistry and other sciences. [African Journal of Chemical Education—AJCE 16(1), January 2026]