The Scientific Inquiry Skills and Performance in Regional Unified Quarterly Assessment in Science: A Correlational Study of Grade 9 Students Under the MATATAG Curriculum

Abstract

Background and Aim: Scientific inquiry is a fundamental component of science education and is strongly emphasized in the Philippine Department of Education’s MATATAG Curriculum. However, concerns remain regarding whether standardized assessments accurately reflect students’ inquiry competencies. This study examined the self-perceived scientific inquiry skills and science performance of Grade 9 students in the Regional Unified Quarterly Assessment (RUQA) at Ozamiz City National High School. Specifically, it determined the level of students’ inquiry skills, assessed their science performance, and examined the relationship between these variables.

Materials and Methods: A quantitative non-experimental correlational research design was employed involving 123 Grade 9 students selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire measuring four dimensions of scientific inquiry skills: Formulating Questions, Planning and Conducting Investigations, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, and Drawing Conclusions. Official RUQA scores served as the measure of science performance. Descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, were used to summarize the data, while Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was applied to determine the relationship between inquiry skills and science performance using JAMOVI software. Data normality was verified before analysis, and statistical significance was established at α = 0.01.

Results: Students reported high levels of scientific inquiry skills across all four dimensions (M = 2.95–3.02), with Drawing Conclusions receiving the highest mean score and Formulating Questions the lowest. In contrast, science performance in the RUQA was only fairly satisfactory (M = 38.9 out of 50, equivalent to 77.8%), which fell below the Department of Education’s 80% mastery benchmark. Correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant but very weak negative relationship between students’ self-perceived inquiry skills and RUQA performance (r = -0.245, p = 0.006), indicating that higher self-ratings were associated with slightly lower standardized test scores.

Conclusion: The findings reveal a disconnect between students’ perceived inquiry competence and their actual science achievement in standardized assessments. This discrepancy may reflect metacognitive bias, including overestimation of abilities, and suggests that current regional assessments remain predominantly content-oriented, limiting their ability to measure inquiry-based competencies promoted by the MATATAG Curriculum. The study underscores the need to strengthen alignment between inquiry-focused instruction and assessment practices to better evaluate students’ scientific reasoning and process skills.