Improving Learning Outcomes through Inquiry-Based Instruction in Fish Circulatory-System Lessons: Classroom Action Research in Indonesian Vocational Education

Destalino

doi:10.47239/tx6h2w33

Authors

Destalino SMK Negeri 1 Paguyaman Pantai, Gorontalo, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47239/tx6h2w33

Keywords:

inquiry-based learning, classroom action research, vocational education, aquaculture, learning outcomes

Abstract

This classroom action research investigated changes in student learning outcomes during inquiry-based instruction in a vocational aquaculture class. The study involved 14 Grade X students (eight male and six female) at SMK Negeri 1 Paguyaman Pantai, Indonesia, in the second semester of 2017/2018. Two action-research cycles combined inquiry-oriented lessons, observation, reflection, and achievement testing on fish circulatory-system content. The reported mean post-test score increased from 57.54 in Cycle I to 69.38 in Cycle II (11.84 points based on the displayed means). The original frequency table records mastery by six of 14 students (42.86%) in Cycle I and 13 of 14 (92.86%) in Cycle II, an increase of 50.00 percentage points. Reported inquiry implementation increased from 73.27% to 90.07%. These descriptive within-class improvements suggest that a more structured inquiry sequence was associated with better learning outcomes. However, inconsistencies in the original narrative mastery percentage, lack of a comparison group, and limited assessment information constrain causal interpretation. The findings support guided inquiry as a practical classroom improvement strategy requiring further validation.

Abstract Views: 15PDF Downloads: 3

References

Agarwal, P. K., Nunes, L. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2021). Retrieval Practice Consistently Benefits Student Learning: a Systematic Review of Applied Research in Schools and Classrooms. Educational Psychology Review, 33(4), 1409–1453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09595-9

Akram, H., Abdelrady, A. H., Al-Adwan, A. S., & Ramzan, M. (2022). Teachers’ perceptions of technology integration in teaching-learning practices: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 920317. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.920317

Alpizar, D., Adesope, O. O., & Wong, R. M. (2020). A meta-analysis of signaling principle in multimedia learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68, 2095–2119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09748-7

Antonietti, C., Cattaneo, A., & Amenduni, F. (2022). Can teachers’ digital competence influence technology acceptance in vocational education? Computers in Human Behavior, 132, Article 107266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107266

Backfisch, I., Lachner, A., Hische, C., Loose, F., & Scheiter, K. (2020). Professional knowledge or motivation? Investigating the role of teachers’ expertise on the quality of technology-enhanced lesson plans. Learning and Instruction, 66, Article 101300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2019.101300

Berie, Z. (2022). Inquiry-based learning in science education: A content analysis of research papers in Ethiopia (2010–2021). Education Research International, 2022, 6329643. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6329643

Bond, M., Buntins, K., Bedenlier, S., Zawacki-Richter, O., & Kerres, M. (2020). Mapping research in student engagement and educational technology in higher education: a systematic evidence map. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17(1), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0176-8

Brod, G. (2021). Generative Learning: Which Strategies for What Age? Educational Psychology Review, 33(4), 1295–1318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09571-9

Carpenter, S. K., Pan, S. C., & Butler, A. C. (2022). The science of effective learning with spacing and retrieval practice. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1, 496–511. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00089-1

Castro-Alonso, J. C., de Koning, B. B., Fiorella, L., & Paas, F. (2021). Five strategies for optimizing instructional materials: Instructor- and learner-managed cognitive load. Educational Psychology Review, 33, 1379–1407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09606-9

Ceylan, Ö. (2022). The effect of the waste management themed summer program on gifted students’ environmental attitude, creative thinking skills and critical thinking dispositions. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 22(1), 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2020.1859393

Choirunnisa’, M. A., & Rosdiana, L. (2023). Application of guided inquiry learning model to improve junior high school students’ science process skills. Science Education and Application Journal, 5(2), 118–123. https://doi.org/10.30736/seaj.v5i2.871

Cromley, J. G., Du, Y., & Dane, A. P. (2020). Drawing-to-learn: Does meta-analysis show differences between technology-based drawing and paper-and-pencil drawing? Journal of Science Education and Technology, 29, 216–229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-019-09807-6

Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2020). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791

Falloon, G. (2020). From digital literacy to digital competence: the teacher digital competency (TDC) framework. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(5), 2449–2472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09767-4

Fernández-Batanero, J. M., Montenegro-Rueda, M., Fernández-Cerero, J., & García-Martínez, I. (2022). Digital competences for teacher professional development. Systematic review. European Journal of Teacher Education, 45(4), 513–531. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1827389

Fiorella, L. (2023). Making Sense of Generative Learning. Educational Psychology Review, 35(2), Article 50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09769-7

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410–8415. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111

Gallay, E., Pykett, A., Smallwood, M., & Flanagan, C. (2020). Urban youth preserving the environmental commons: Student learning in place-based stewardship education as citizen scientists. Sustainable Earth Reviews, 3, 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42055-020-00026-1

Gillies, R. M. (2016). Cooperative learning: Review of research and practice. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41(3), 39–54. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2016v41n3.3

Harleni, H., Ganefri, G., Yulastri, A., Giatman, M., Irfan, D., & Effendi, H. (2025). Unveiling the impact of inquiry-based learning: A meta-analysis of student learning outcomes. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v17i3.7061

Hillmayr, D., Ziernwald, L., Reinhold, F., Hofer, S. I., & Reiss, K. M. (2020). The potential of digital tools to enhance mathematics and science learning in secondary schools: A context-specific meta-analysis. Computers & Education, 153, Article 103897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103897

Howard, S. K., Tondeur, J., Siddiq, F., & Scherer, R. (2021). Ready, set, go! Profiling teachers’ readiness for online teaching in secondary education. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 30(1), 141–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939x.2020.1839543

Jamet, E., & Michinov, E. (2022). Effects of verbal and visual support on learning by tablet-based drawing. Computers & Education, 181, 104460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104460

Jerrim, J., Oliver, M., & Sims, S. (2019). The relationship between inquiry-based teaching and students’ achievement: New evidence from a longitudinal PISA study in England. Learning and Instruction, 61, 35–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2018.12.004

Kervinen, A., & Aivelo, T. (2023). Secondary school students’ responses to epistemic uncertainty during an ecological citizen science inquiry. Science Education, 107, 1352–1379. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21809

Kyndt, E., Raes, E., Lismont, B., Timmers, F., Cascallar, E., & Dochy, F. (2013). A meta-analysis of the effects of face-to-face cooperative learning: Do recent studies falsify or verify earlier findings? Educational Research Review, 10, 133–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2013.02.002

Langbroek, S., Duchatelet, D., Joosten-ten Brinke, D., & Camp, G. (2024). Enhancing teachers’ instruction on how to study: An exploration of the effectiveness of learning strategies for particular secondary school subjects. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1340120. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1340120

Lucas, M., Bem-Haja, P., Siddiq, F., Moreira, A., & Redecker, C. (2021). The relation between in-service teachers' digital competence and personal and contextual factors: What matters most? Computers & Education, 160, Article 104052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.104052

Mann, J., Gray, T., Truong, S., Brymer, E., Passy, R., Ho, S., Sahlberg, P., Ward, K., Bentsen, P., Curry, C., & Cowper, R. (2022). Getting out of the classroom and into nature: A systematic review of nature-specific outdoor learning on school children’s learning and development. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 877058. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.877058

Martin, F., Sun, T., & Westine, C. D. (2020). A systematic review of research on online teaching and learning from 2009 to 2018. Computers & Education, 159, Article 104009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.104009

Mayer, R. E., Fiorella, L., & Stull, A. (2020). Five ways to increase the effectiveness of instructional video. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(3), 837–852. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09749-6

McDermott, K. B. (2021). Practicing retrieval facilitates learning. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, 609–633. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010419-051019

Meulenbroeks, R., van Rijn, R., & Reijerkerk, M. (2024). Fostering secondary school science students’ intrinsic motivation by inquiry-based learning. Research in Science Education, 54, 339–358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-023-10139-0

Mónus, F. (2022). Environmental education policy of schools and socioeconomic background affect environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behavior of secondary school students. Environmental Education Research, 28(2), 169–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.2023106

Noetel, M., Griffith, S., Delaney, O., Harris, N. R., Sanders, T., Parker, P., del Pozo Cruz, B., & Lonsdale, C. (2022). Multimedia Design for Learning: An Overview of Reviews With Meta-Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research, 92(3), 413–454. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543211052329

Noetel, M., Griffith, S., Delaney, O., Sanders, T., Parker, P., del Pozo Cruz, B., & Lonsdale, C. (2021). Video Improves Learning in Higher Education: A Systematic Review. Review of Educational Research, 91(2), 204–236. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654321990713

Oktaria, S. A., Rahmad, M., & Anwar, L. (2023). Validity of electronic module based on process oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) model to train students’ science process skills. Journal of Science Education Research, 7(1), 46–54. https://doi.org/10.21831/jser.v7i1.51600

Pettersson, F. (2021). Understanding digitalization and educational change in school by means of activity theory and the levels of learning concept. Education and Information Technologies, 26(1), 187–204. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10239-8

Ridwan, M. R., Hadi, S., & Jailani. (2022). A cooperative learning models on mathematics learning outcomes of vocational school students in Indonesia: Identification of effectiveness measurements and bias publication of literature results study. Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.7160/eriesj.2022.150306

Scherer, R., Howard, S. K., Tondeur, J., & Siddiq, F. (2021). Profiling teachers' readiness for online teaching and learning in higher education: Who's ready? Computers in Human Behavior, 118, Article 106675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106675

Skulmowski, A. (2024). Learning by Doing or Doing Without Learning? The Potentials and Challenges of Activity-Based Learning. Educational Psychology Review, 36(1), Article 28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09869-y

Spiteri, M., & Chang Rundgren, S.-N. (2020). Literature review on the factors affecting primary teachers’ use of digital technology. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 25, 115–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-018-9376-x

Sweller, J. (2020). Cognitive load theory and educational technology. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-019-09701-3

Theobald, E. J., Hill, M. J., Tran, E., Agrawal, S., Arroyo, E. N., Behling, S., Chambwe, N., Cintrón, D. L., Cooper, J. D., Dunster, G., Grummer, J. A., Hennessey, K., Hsiao, J., Iranon, N., Jones, L., Jordt, H., Keller, M., Lacey, M. E., Littlefield, C. E., …, Freeman, S. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(12), 6476–6483. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916903117