R. O. ONGOWO, F. C. INDOSHI
skills into two types—basic and integrated (AAAS, 1993).
According to Rambuda and Fraser (2004), the basic science
process skills apply specifically to foundational cognitive func-
tioning in especially elementary grades. They represent the
foundation of scientific reasoning learners are required to mas-
ter before acquiring and mastering the advanced integrated
science process skills (Brotherton & Preece, 1995). Funk et al.
(Cited in Rambuda & Fraser, 2004), maintain that basic science
process skills are interdependent, implying that investigators
may display and apply more than one of the skills in any single
activity. For instance to measure the area of a habitat, the biol-
ogy student may start by observing the habitat, then measure
the dimensions and communicate the same using a symbol.
Thereafter the student may calculate the area. In this scenario,
the student was involved in the skill of observing, measuring
and calculating. The basic science process skills include ob-
serving, inferring, measuring, communicating, classifying and
predicting (Padilla, 1990). From this, it appears the basic sci-
ence process skills provide an intellectual groundwork in prob-
lem solving.
According to Rambuda and Fraser (2004) integrated science
process skills are the immediate skills used in problem solving
or doing science experiments. As the term integrated implies,
learners are called upon to combine basic science process skills
for greater expertise and flexibility to design the tools they
apply when they study or investigate phenomena. The inte-
grated skills include controlling variables, defining operation-
ally, formulating hypotheses, interpreting data, experimenting,
and formulating models.
The Rationale for the Process Approach
According to Harlen (1999) and Sevilay (2011), the mastery
of science process skills enables students to conceptualize at a
much deeper level, the content they do know and equips them
for acquiring content knowledge in the future. Content knowl-
edge is acquired more efficiently and understood at a deeper
level when obtained through inquiry using science process
skills. The science curriculum that emphasizes science process
skills will be able to help students to improve the skills in criti-
cal thinking, creative thinking and decision making. These
skills can be transferred to other disciplines (Meador, 2003;
Halim and Meerah, 2012). According to Brotherton and Preece
(1996) and Sevilay (2011), the basic science process skills
helps in providing the intellectual groundwork in scientific
inquiry such as ability to order and describe natural objects and
events. The ability to apply basic science process skills is at-
tributed to the ability to perform empirical inductive reasoning
or piagetian concrete operational reasoning. Sevilay (2011),
holds that the integrated science process skills are the terminal
skills for solving problems or doing science experiments. The
ability to carry out integrated science process skills are attrib-
uted to hypothetico-deductive reasoning. Sevilay (2011), con-
tinues to hold that science process skills help the students to
develop a sense of responsibility in their own learning, increase
permanency of learning as well as teach them research methods.
According to Opateye (2012) and Okere (1997), science proc-
ess skills are helpful on the development of favorable scientific
attitudes and a disposition in the learners. These include being
curious and imaginative, including enthusiasm about inquisi-
tiveness.
Science Process Skills and Inquiry Approach
Science curricula around the world emphasize the philosophy
of inquiry in science teaching. In the context of science, inquiry
refers to the abilities students should develop to be able to de-
sign and conduct scientific investigations. In the context of
instruction, inquiry refers to the teaching and learning strategies
that enable concepts to be mastered through investigation and
practical work (National Research Council [NRC], 2000). Ac-
cording to Gagne (1963), scientific inquiry is constituted by a
set of activities characterized by problem solving approach in
which a newly encountered phenomenon becomes a challenge
for thinking. Such thinking begins with a careful set of system-
atic observations, proceeds to design of measurements required,
clear distinction between what is observed and what is under
ideal circumstances, brilliant leaps but always testable and
drawing reasonable conclusions. Brickman et al. (2009) ob-
serve that in sciences, inquiry based learning increases literacy
and skill development.
According to Maundu, Sambili and Muthwii (2005), in the
inquiry approach, learning is by discovery and is characterized
by the development of science process skills. Uno and Bybee
(cited in Brickman et al., 2009) hold that inquiry is a laboratory
inquiry in which the instructor leads the students to discover a
specific concept after being prompted by a basic question or
problem. Kim (2007), posits that inquiry based teaching that
engages students in various hands on activities in the science
laboratory is likely to enhance science process skills. Implicit in
these arguments is that science process skills are encompassed
in the conduct of scientific inquiry and these skills are devel-
oped in the laboratory practical situations.
In the Kenyan context, the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE)
reorganized and rationalized the current biology curriculum
with a strong recommendation for the employment of inquiry
approach to teach biology concepts and the development of
science process skills and problem solving abilities as some of
the broad objectives (KIE, 2002). According to sevilay (2011),
students can acquire the science process skills by participating
in inquiry in the science laboratory. Ango and Gyuse (Cited in
Ango, 2002), argue that practical work engenders not only the
science process skills appropriate for scientific inquiry but also
inculcates attitudes and conceptual perspectives which are nec-
essary for skilled scientific inquiry. The inquiry approach to
teaching can only be enhanced through the application of sci-
ence process skills.
The biology practical skills are science process skills. They
are taught as part of the biology curriculum. These skills can be
acquired and developed through activities involved in the biol-
ogy practical sessions. According to Maundu, Sambili and
Muthwii (2005), one of the ways of assessing the objectives of
teaching biology is through practical work. In practical work,
an opportunity is provided for testing application of scientific
procedures, manipulative abilities as well as scientific skills.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) makes
use of practical examinations to test students’ acquisition of
various biology practical skills which in essence are science
process skills. In these examinations, students are required to
carry out biology practical activities following some given in-
structions. The performance of students in the Kenya National
Examinations Council in Biology practical examinations has
been below average. For instance in the years 2008, 2009 and
2010 the students scored means of 17.30, 15.86 and 18.42 re-
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