The effectiveness of the inquiry-based learning strategy in grammar achievement and emotional engagement among first-year middle school students

Abstract

The aim of this research is to identify the effectiveness of the inquiry-based learning strategy in improving the achievement of Arabic grammar among first-year intermediate school students. To achieve this aim, an experimental design with two groups—experimental and control—was employed, utilizing an achievement test and an affective engagement scale. The sample was selected from the First Girls' High School for Gifted Students, affiliated with the General Directorate of Education in Diwaniyah. The school comprised three first-year intermediate classes, totaling 124 students. Samples were drawn randomly. Class (A), consisting of 35 students, was chosen to represent the experimental group, and Class (C), consisting of 34 students, was chosen to represent the control group. Students who failed were statistically excluded from both groups. An achievement test and an affective engagement scale were developed, with both tests consisting of objective items. After the experiment was completed and the students' responses on the test and scale were corrected, appropriate statistical methods were used, including a t-test for both groups. The results showed that the students in the experimental group outperformed the students on both the achievement test and the affective engagement scale. The emotional and inquiry-based learning strategy had a prominent impact on raising the level of the experimental group students in terms of achievement and emotional participation. In light of the above results, the researcher reached several conclusions, recommendations and suggestions on the subject of the research