EFFECTIVENESS OF CONVENTIONAL AND INQUIRY-BASED TEACHING METHODS ON CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AMONG PRESCHOOLERS IN EDUCATION

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of conventional and inquiry-based teaching methods on critical 
thinking skills among preschoolers in Education Districts II and III of Lagos State. A pre-test, post-test control 
group quasi-experimental design was adopted. The sample consisted of 120 nursery two pupils selected 
through stratified random sampling from ten public early childhood education centres. Data were collected 
using the Preschool Children's Critical Thinking Skills Rating Scale (PCCTSRS), a researcher-developed 
instrument validated by experts, with a reliability coefficient of 0.78. Descriptive statistics and independent 
samples t-tests were used to analyse the data at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that 
preschool children exposed to inquiry-based teaching demonstrated significantly higher critical thinking 
skills than those taught using conventional methods across tasks involving identification of dissolvable 
substances, differentiation of floating and sinking objects, and application of sensory reasoning. The study 
also found no significant gender difference in the effectiveness of the inquiry-based method. The study 
concludes that inquiry-based teaching enhances critical thinking skills among preschool children more 
effectively than conventional methods. It recommends the integration of inquiry-based instructional 
strategies into early childhood education and the provision of appropriate learning resources to support 
exploratory learning.