The Effects of Inquiry-based Learning on Stem-related Career Aspirations of Grade 9 Natural Sciences Students

The recent trend in the labour market is the quest for a workforce that is adequately informed, morally prepared, and technically equipped with STEM-related skills. This is evident in the South Africa where there is a strong drive to foster students’ interest and involvement in STEM careers at the school level. The existing efforts to build students’ career aspirations in STEM fields have had limited success. One potential reason for this is the lack of implementation of innovative teaching methods, particularly inquiry-based learning (IBL). This observation provided the impetus for the current study. The study used a quasi-experimental design and was predicated on the Social Cognitive Career Theory. A total of 79 grade 9 Natural Sciences students from disadvantaged schools were selected into intervention and control groups, with the intervention group experiencing learning through guided inquiry, and the control group being taught in a traditional, direct didactic approach. Students’ career aspiration pre-test and post-test scores were collected using the STEM Career Aspiration Survey (STEM-CAS) instrument before and after the intervention. The data collected were analyzed using an independent t-test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). After controlling for covariates, the result revealed a notable increase in STEM career aspiration, especially in technology and engineering in IBL participants compared to controls. The research highlights the significance of IBL in supporting the growth of STEM careers for students from underprivileged backgrounds, suggesting that IBL approach should be an integral part of Natural Sciences to foster students’ aspirations in STEM careers.