Primary School Students' Learning Achievement and Attitudes Towards Inquiry-Based Science Fieldwork with Socio-Demographic Information

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of school setting, gender, and age on Namibian primary students’ learning achievement following an inquiry‑based science fieldwork (IBSF) intervention and examined how attitude towards IBSF varied by these factors. A mixed-methods approach was used with 100 seventh-grade students from two socio-demographically different schools. From this group, 20 students were purposively selected for semi-structured interviews. Thus, multiple linear regression, exploratory factor analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficients were conducted. Our quantitative results showed that school setting—but not gender or age—significantly influenced post‑test learning achievement, underlining the critical role of the school environment in meeting learning outcomes. In contrast, school setting had no significant effect on students’ attitudes toward IBSF. Gender differences emerged in attitudes: boys reported more positive views of IBSF’s importance and greater eagerness to participate in future fieldwork, whereas girls expressed some reluctance despite strong performance. Content analysis of qualitative data confirmed that most students valued IBSF and were eager to engage again. These findings suggest that introducing IBSF at the primary level enhances students' understanding of science and its relevance to their futures. The study recommends that interventions also address gender stereotypes to promote equity and sustained interest in science education.