2026-10-06T22:06:12Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34041732 2026-10-01T10:07:47Z category_26074 category_26116 category_26122 category_26167 category_26185 category_26191 category_26188 category_26173 item_type_6 month_year_10_2026

Understanding the Theoretical Foundations of Inquiry-Based Learning: Pivot For Productive Science Education in Africa Clara Moemeke (25116468) Joy Nkiruka Chukwunenye (25155581) Nasrudeen Ayinde Malik (25155587) Curriculum and pedagogy theory and development Curriculum and pedagogy not elsewhere classified Education policy Comparative and cross-cultural education Inclusive education Learning sciences Learning analytics Educational administration, management and leadership Inquiry-Based Learning Science Education Constructivism Cognitive Load Theory African Education Socio-Cultural Context <p dir="ltr">Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) has emerged as a promising approach for promoting meaningful and productive science education by engaging learners in questioning, investigation, evidence-based reasoning, collaboration, and knowledge construction. This paper examines the theoretical foundations of IBL and their relevance to science education in Africa. It draws on cognitive constructivism, social constructivism, situated cognition, collaborative learning, and Cognitive Load Theory to explain how learners construct scientific understanding through active and socially mediated experiences. The paper also highlights challenges associated with implementing IBL in African classrooms, including limited resources, large class sizes, inadequate teacher preparation, curriculum constraints, cognitive overload, assessment difficulties, and learners' limited prior knowledge. Importantly, it argues that IBL should not be transplanted uncritically from Western contexts but adapted to African socio-cultural realities, including teacher authority, communal knowledge systems, and indigenous ways of knowing. The paper concludes that IBL can contribute significantly to productive science education in Africa when supported by appropriate teacher guidance, scaffolding, cognitive structure, and contextual adaptation.</p> 2026-10-01T10:07:47Z Text Journal contribution 10.6084/m9.figshare.34041732.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Understanding_the_Theoretical_Foundations_of_Inquiry-Based_Learning_Pivot_For_Productive_Science_Education_in_Africa/34041732 CC BY 4.0