Title: Unravelling The Retention Power Of Blended And Inquiry-Based Biology Teaching In Delta Central Senatorial District
Authors: IRORITERAYE-ADJEKPOVU
Janice Imizuokena (Ph.D)
Volume: 10
Issue: 8
Pages: 43-49
Publication Date: 2026/08/28
Abstract:
This study investigated the comparative effects of blended learning and inquiry-based teaching on students' retention of Biology concepts in Delta Central Senatorial District, Delta State, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed. The participants comprised 251 Senior Secondary School Two (SS II) Biology students drawn from six public secondary schools using multistage sampling. Data were gathered with the Biology Achievement Test (BAT) and Biology Attitude Scale (BAS), which recorded reliability coefficients of 0.83 and 0.81, respectively. The treatment lasted six weeks, after which posttest and delayed test assessments were conducted four weeks apart. Mean and standard deviation answered the research questions, while ANCOVA, Scheffé post-hoc analysis and independent-samples t-test tested the hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. Findings indicated that blended learning produced the highest retention rate (93.77%), followed by inquiry-based teaching (91.73%) and lecture method (86.64%). Retention differed significantly among the three instructional groups, with Scheffé analysis confirming significant differences between every pair. However, male and female students did not differ significantly in retention under either blended learning or inquiry-based teaching. The study concluded that blended learning was the most effective method for sustaining students' retention of Biology concepts. Overall, the findings demonstrate the value of integrating technology-supported learning with classroom instruction to strengthen students' ability to retain Biology concepts beyond immediate periods of instruction and assessment.