A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Effect of the Guided Inquiry Model with 5E on Secondary Students’ Attitudes toward Biology in Mattu, Ethiopia

A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Effect of the Guided Inquiry Model with 5E on Secondary Students’ Attitudes toward Biology in Mattu, Ethiopia | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Effect of the Guided Inquiry Model with 5E on Secondary Students’ Attitudes toward Biology in Mattu, Ethiopia Dereje Negerie, Tadesse Habtamu, Teklu Tafesse This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7747572/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Students’ attitudes toward science play a crucial role in fostering engagement, deeper learning, and future career development. This study examined the effects of Guided Inquiry-Based Learning (GIBL) with the 5E model on Grade 10 students’ attitudes toward biology in Mattu, Ethiopia. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with nonequivalent groups was used, supplemented by semi-structured interviews. The study involved 105 students (52 in the experimental group and 53 in the control group) and focused on enthusiasm, curiosity, self-efficacy, and career motivation. Results indicated significant improvements in the experimental group for enthusiasm (t(51) = 9.72, p < .001, η² = 0.65), curiosity (t(51) = 7.84, p < .001, η² = 0.55), and self-efficacy (t(51) = 6.90, p < .001, η² = 0.48), while career motivation remained unchanged (t(51) = 0.14, p = 0.890, η² = 0.00). Factorial ANOVA revealed significant main effects of Group on enthusiasm (F(1,103) = 142.3, p < .001, η² = 0.58), curiosity (F(1,103) = 98.7, p < .001, η² = 0.49), and self-efficacy (F(1,103) = 76.2, p < .001, η² = 0.41), with no significant effects of Gender or Group × Gender interactions. Qualitative findings reinforced these results, with students reporting that hands-on, investigative tasks enhanced engagement, curiosity, and confidence, though career aspirations were minimally affected. These outcomes suggest that GIBL with the 5E model fosters positive, gender-equitable attitudes and promotes active learning. The findings underscore the importance of inquiry-based instruction in enhancing student engagement and confidence, and suggest that complementary strategies, such as mentorship and hands-on scientific experiences, are needed to foster students’ sustained interest and career development in science. Guided Inquiry-Based Learning 5E Model Biology Attitudes Enthusiasm Curiosity Self-Efficacy Figures Figure 1 1. Introduction Biology education serves as a cornerstone of science learning, equipping students with essential knowledge and skills for personal growth, societal advancement, and future careers in medicine, environmental science, biotechnology, and research (Nwafor & Okoi, 2018 ; Annan et al., 2019 ). Beyond career preparation, it nurtures observation, experimentation, and problem-solving abilities that are vital for scientific inquiry and lifelong learning. Extending its impact to the societal level, biology education empowers individuals to make informed decisions on pressing issues such as environmental sustainability, public health, food security, and the ethical application of biotechnology. Through these decisions, citizens can actively contribute to tackling global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and emerging infectious diseases (Bara et al., 2024 ; Zerihun & Dawit, 2024 ). Consistent with this view, Bara et al. ( 2024 ) emphasize that a strong biology curriculum significantly enhances students’ understanding of health and environmental issues. Despite its recognized importance, biology instruction in many Ethiopian classrooms remains predominantly teacher-centered, emphasizing rote memorization rather than active exploration (Abza et al., 2022 ; Abraha, 2024 ; Ahmeda et al., 2024). Although the national curriculum promotes learner-centered approaches such as inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and practical experimentation to foster scientific literacy and problem-solving (MoE, 2020), classroom practice often lags behind due to large class sizes, limited teaching materials, inadequate teacher training, and systemic constraints that favor traditional lecture-based methods (Ahmed et al., 2024 ). This gap between intended curriculum and actual practice is not unique to Ethiopia but is a common challenge across sub-Saharan Africa, hindering students’ deep understanding of scientific concepts (Nsengimana et al., 2020 ). Such instructional limitations reduce motivation, engagement, and positive attitudes toward biology, which are critical for learning success. Research emphasizes that meaningful science education depends on the integration of knowledge, skills, and attitudes, with positive attitudes shown to enhance academic achievement, engagement, and sustained interest in science-related careers (Zeidan & Jayosi, 2015; Juhji & Nuangchalerm, 2020 ). In this context, attitude is a critical determinant of effective learning, as fostering positive attitudes toward science can motivate students, increase their interest in science education, and encourage pursuit of science-related careers (Nasr & Soltani, 2011 ). Attitude encompasses an individual’s mental and emotional state, shaping their actions toward specific subjects or objects. It can also be understood as a characteristic reflecting the feelings, beliefs, and values held about an object (Lu et al., 2016 ). In the context of biology, students’ attitudes are reflected in their affective responses toward scientific knowledge, learning activities, career aspirations, and inquiry processes. Such attitudes are closely linked to motivation in biology and play a significant role in shaping performance (Diaz et al., 2021). As a multifaceted construct, attitude has been conceptualized through various frameworks, with the three-dimensional model, comprising cognitive, affective, and behavioral components, being the most influential (Fareo, 2019 ; Wicaksono & Korom, 2023 ). These three dimensions are distinct yet closely interrelated, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding attitudes toward science. The cognitive dimension refers to knowledge and beliefs about science, including understanding scientific concepts, processes, and the societal value of science, shaping evaluative judgments about its relevance and importance in daily life (Araújo et al., 2021 ; Wicaksono & Korom, 2023 ). The affective dimension encompasses emotions and feelings toward science, with positive emotions expressed as enjoyment, confidence, and enthusiasm, and negative emotions as anxiety, fear, or discomfort, all of which influence motivation and engagement in learning (Fareo, 2019 ). The behavioral dimension reflects actions and tendencies related to science, such as participation in scientific activities, support for scientific endeavors, and interest in science-related careers, demonstrating how attitudes translate into observable engagement in both formal and informal learning contexts (Fareo, 2019 ; Araújo et al., 2021 ). In addition, attitude toward science is not a single, unitary trait but rather a multidimensional construct composed of several interrelated subcomponents that contribute in varying degrees (Osborne et al., 2003 ; Potvin & Hasni, 2014 ). These components typically include enjoyment, motivation, self-efficacy, career orientation, perceived value of science, curiosity, and engagement in scientific inquiry. Attitudes are further shaped by psychological and social factors such as motivation, self-concept, science anxiety, peer and parental influences, and prior academic achievement, all of which interact to determine students’ overall disposition toward science (Osborne et al., 2003 ). Large-scale international assessments, including the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), also incorporate indicators such as enjoyment, engagement, motivation, and self-efficacy, thereby capturing both the affective and cognitive dimensions of students’ attitudes toward science (Smith et al., 2014 ; OECD, 2017). Scholars widely agree that fostering positive attitudes toward science is a central goal of science education, as it strengthens students’ motivation and engagement while promoting deeper conceptual understanding and higher academic achievement (Mao et al., 2021 ; Manishimwe et al., 2022 ). Conversely, negative attitudes toward science are associated with lower achievement, reduced motivation, and less active engagement in science lessons, including participation in practical and hands-on activities (Awandia, 2021 ). Students who perceive science as difficult, irrelevant, or poorly taught tend to avoid practical engagement and are less likely to pursue further studies or careers in STEM fields (Örnek, 2019 ). Teaching methods and teachers’ own attitudes also play a significant role in shaping students’ engagement in inquiry-based and hands-on science learning, influencing both their participation and overall disposition toward science (Riegle-Crumb et al., 2015 ). Learner-centered approaches such as Guided Inquiry-Based Learning (GIBL), structured through the 5E framework of Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate, enable students to actively construct knowledge, participate in hands-on investigations, and reflect meaningfully on their learning outcomes. Evidence indicates that GIBL enhances both cognitive and affective outcomes in biology, increasing students’ interest and fostering positive attitudes toward the subject (Abza et al., 2022 ; Manishimwe et al., 2022 ; Fetmirwati et al., 2022; Chengere et al., 2025 ). By balancing teacher guidance with student independence, GIBL provides learning experiences that traditional methods often fail to deliver. For instance, Chengere et al. ( 2025 ) found that Guided Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiments Instruction (GIBLEI) significantly improved students’ overall attitudes toward biology, enthusiasm for the subject, perception of biology as a course, and understanding of biology as a process compared to Traditional Laboratory Experiments Instruction (TLEI). While GIBLEI did not influence students’ views of biology as a career, it promoted gender inclusivity by reducing attitude differences between male and female students. Similarly, Fetmirwati et al. ( 2025 ) reported that students taught using the guided inquiry approach achieved significantly higher scientific attitudes and cognitive knowledge scores, demonstrating its effectiveness in fostering positive attitudes toward biology. Manishimwe et al. ( 2022 ) also observed that inquiry-based methods led to more positive attitudes compared to traditional instruction, with gender having no significant effect on outcomes. Likewise, Abza et al. ( 2022 ) showed that pre-service biology teachers exposed to a guided inquiry-based instructional model developed significantly more positive attitudes toward invertebrate zoology learning than those taught using conventional methods, again with no significant gender differences. Collectively, these studies highlight that guided inquiry-based approaches effectively enhance student attitudes, engagement, and equitable learning outcomes in biology education. The study is grounded in constructivist learning theory, which posits that learners actively construct knowledge through experiences, reflection, and interaction with their environment (Piaget, 1973; Vygotsky, 1978 ). Constructivism emphasizes learner-centered approaches, where understanding is built through engagement, problem-solving, and inquiry, rather than passive reception of information. Guided Inquiry Learning model aligns closely with constructivist principles by encouraging students to explore biological phenomena, ask questions, design experiments, and reflect on findings, thus fostering deeper conceptual understanding and meaningful learning experiences. Complementing constructivism, the study draws on the 5E instructional model (Bybee et al., 2006 ), which structures learning into five phases: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. This model provides a scaffolded approach to inquiry that promotes active participation, critical thinking, and progressive conceptual development. Each phase supports the cultivation of specific attitude constructs: the Engage and Explore phases stimulate enthusiasm and curiosity, the Explain and Elaborate phases enhance self-efficacy and confidence in task mastery and the Evaluate phase fosters reflection and consideration of future career orientation in science. Furthermore, the study is informed by Bandura’s social cognitive theory (1986), particularly the concept of self-efficacy. According to Bandura, learners’ belief in their ability to succeed in specific tasks influences motivation, persistence, and achievement. Applying this framework to biology learning, GIBL provides structured opportunities for mastery experiences, social modeling, and feedback, which collectively enhance students’ confidence and engagement in scientific inquiry. By integrating constructivist theory, the 5E model, and social cognitive theory, this study establishes a robust theoretical foundation for examining how guided inquiry fosters secondary students’ attitudes, motivation, and engagement in biology education. Despite international and regional evidence demonstrating that GIBL enhances secondary students’ attitudes toward biology, empirical studies in Ethiopian secondary schools remain limited, particularly in biology. Existing local research has primarily focused on students’ general attitudes toward science (Sitotaw & Tadele, 2016; Mulatie, 2018 ), with only a few studies examining the specific impact of GIBL using quasi-experimental designs (Abza et al., 2022 ; Chengere et al., 2025 ). While quasi-experimental approaches provide useful insights into causal relationships, they often limit understanding of students’ experiences, contextual factors, and the processes through which GIBL shapes attitudes. Abza and colleagues demonstrated that guided inquiry improved pre-service biology teachers’ attitudes, including enthusiasm for invertebrate zoology, perceptions of the course as a learning process, and its relevance for future life. Similarly, Chengere and colleagues reported that Guided Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiments Instruction positively influenced secondary students’ attitudes toward biology, their enthusiasm for the subject, understanding of biology as a process, and career orientation. However, both studies offered limited insight into how GIBL affects specific attitude dimensions, such as self-efficacy and curiosity. In addition, Abza et al. focused on pre-service teachers, whereas Chengere et al. emphasized laboratory contexts rather than classroom-wide learning. To address these gaps, the present study employed a concurrent embedded mixed-methods design that integrates qualitative insights with quantitative analysis. It investigated the effect of the Guided Inquiry Model, structured around the 5E framework, on secondary students’ attitudes toward biology in Mattu Secondary Schools, Ethiopia. The study focused on four key constructs: enthusiasm, defined as students’ excitement and active engagement; self-efficacy, defined as confidence in successfully completing biology tasks; scientific inquiry, defined as interest in exploring and solving biological problems; and career orientation, defined as motivation to pursue further studies or careers in biology. By combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, the study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how GIBL shapes students’ attitudes, motivation, and engagement in biology learning. To achieve the objectives of the study, the following research questions guided the investigation: What is the effect of the GIBL model, structured around the 5E framework, on secondary students’ attitudes toward biology in terms of enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity, and career orientation? Does gender moderate the effect of the GIBL model with 5E on students’ enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity, and career motivation in biology? How do students describe their experiences and perceptions of learning biology through the GIBL model with 5E? This framework enables a comprehensive assessment of both quantitative outcomes and qualitative insights, offering a holistic understanding of how inquiry-based, student-centered instruction can enhance students’ attitudes, motivation, and engagement in biology education 2. Methods 2.1. Research Design This study employed a mixed-methods design, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine the effects of the GIBL model with the 5E learning cycle on secondary students’ attitudes toward biology. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data occurred during the discussion phase, providing a comprehensive interpretation of the findings (Creswell and Creswell, 2018 ). The quantitative component utilized a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with nonequivalent groups to assess students’ attitudes, focusing on enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity, and career orientation. Two instructional approaches were compared: GIBL with the 5E learning cycle as the experimental treatment and conventional lecture-based instruction as the control. Random assignment of individual students was not feasible, so intact classes were used, making this design appropriate (Campbell and Stanley, 2015 ). To minimize selection bias, intact classes were randomly assigned to either the Experimental Group (EG) or the Control Group (CG) using a lottery method. Both groups completed a pretest prior to the intervention and a posttest after its completion, with attitudes measured using the Biology Attitude Scale (BAS) in both phases. A schematic representation of the design is provided in Table 1 . The qualitative component involved semi-structured interviews with 20 students from the experimental group, purposefully selected to represent both genders and a range of performance levels. The interviews explored students’ experiences and perceptions regarding attitude with the GIBL and 5E instructional strategy. By combining quantitative measures of students’ attitudes with qualitative insights from their experiences, the study provided a holistic understanding of both measurable outcomes and contextual factors influencing students’ attitudes and engagement in biology Table 1 Quasi-experimental Design of the Study Group Pre-test Intervention Post-test Experimental Group (EG) BAS Guided Inquiry-Based Learning (GIBL) BAS Control Group (CG) BAS Conventional Instruction (CI) BAS Note. BAS = Biology Attitude Scale; GIBL = Guided Inquiry-Based Learning; CI = Conventional Instruction ; EG = Experimental Group; CG = Control Group 2.2. Sample and Sampling Method The study was conducted in Grade 10 biology classes in government secondary schools in Mattu Town, Ilubabor Zone, and Southwest Ethiopia. Out of the three schools in the town, Mattu and Hacalu Secondary Schools were purposively selected based on comparable resources, including laboratories, libraries, and ICT facilities, the availability of qualified biology teachers, and the willingness of administrators to provide support. From each school, one class was randomly selected, and the two classes were then randomly assigned to the EG and the CG using a lottery method. The class from Mattu Secondary School, consisting of 52 students (28 males and 24 females), served as the EG, while the class from Hacalu Secondary School, consisting of 53 students (28 males and 25 females), served as the CG, resulting in a total of 105 participants. To ensure comparability, students were selected through purposive sampling, considering prior science achievement levels. Instructional consistency was maintained by selecting one biology teacher from each school based on teaching experience and professional qualifications. Both groups were taught the same theoretical and practical content from Chapter Two of the revised 2022 Grade 10 biology curriculum, focusing on “Plants.” 2.3. Instruments Quantitative data were collected using the BAS, which was adapted from previously validated instruments by Prokop et al. (2007) and Said et al. (2018) and modified to align with the Grade 10 biology curriculum. The BAS measured four key dimensions of student attitudes: enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity or scientific inquiry, and career motivation. Responses were recorded on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). To ensure clarity and cultural relevance, the instrument was translated into Afaan Oromo and then back-translated into English by bilingual experts. Reliability and validity were tested in the local context. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a purposively selected students from the EG to capture in-depth perceptions and experiences of learning biology through the GIBL model. The interviews were developed and administered following the methodology outlined by Ruslin et al. ( 2022 ), which ensured both flexibility and consistency in eliciting student responses. They explored students’ perspectives across the four dimensions of the BAS, while also probing additional aspects such as the real-life relevance of biology learning and students’ overall reflections on their classroom experiences. This approach allowed students to articulate their thoughts more freely, provide personal examples, and highlight challenges or benefits that might not have been captured through survey responses. The qualitative findings complemented the quantitative results, offering a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of how GIBL influences students’ attitudes toward biology. 2.4. Validity and Reliability of Instruments To ensure the quality of the instruments, a rigorous validation and reliability process was undertaken. Face validity was established through reviews by biology teachers, language instructors, and doctoral students in biology education, who evaluated the clarity, relevance, and appropriateness of the items. Content validity was confirmed by subject matter experts, ensuring alignment with curriculum objectives and the constructs of student attitude. To avoid language barriers, the BAS was translated into Afaan Oromo and then back-translated into English, with bilingual experts checking for consistency between versions. Reliability was assessed through a pilot study with Grade 10 students from another school in the same zone. Internal consistency analysis yielded Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.80 for enthusiasm, 0.81 for self-efficacy, 0.79 for career motivation, and 0.78 for curiosity or scientific inquiry, all within acceptable thresholds. These results confirm that the instruments were valid, reliable, and appropriate for assessing students’ science process skills, engagement, and attitudes toward biology 2.5. Procedure of Intervention. An eight-week intervention compared the effects of GIBL using the 5E model with traditional teacher-centered instruction on Grade 10 students’ attitudes toward biology. The EG engaged in hands-on investigations, collaborative discussions, and reflective activities through the 5E phases: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. The CG received lecture-based instruction covering the same content. Both groups used identical textbooks and had equal instructional time. EG teachers and a laboratory assistant received a two-day workshop on GIBL implementation, while the CG teacher was oriented to study procedures. Pretests and posttests using the BAS measured student attitudes, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subset of EG students to gain qualitative insights. A summary of the instructional procedures for both groups is provided in Table 2 . Table 2 Comparison of Intervention Procedures for Experimental and Control Groups Component Experimental Group Control Group Instructional Approach Guided Inquiry-Based Learning using 5E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) Traditional teacher-centered instruction (lecture and discussion) Content Grade 10 Biology – Plants unit: plant structure and function, photosynthesis, transpiration, reproduction, seed dispersal and germination, transport, plant responses Same Grade 10 Biology – Plants unit Resources Teachers’ manual with objectives, inquiry activities, sample 5E lesson plans; student manual with hands-on and minds-on activities; laboratory assistant support Standard textbooks and classroom materials Teacher Preparation Two-day professional development workshop on GIBL principles, 5E model, and resource use Orientation on study objectives and procedures Student Activities Hands-on investigations, group discussions, peer presentations, reflective dialogues, application of concepts Teacher-led explanations, note-taking, limited student interaction Assessment / Monitoring Pretest and posttest using Biology BAS; researcher observation for proper implementation; semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected students Pretest and posttest using BAS; researcher observation for consistency Duration 8 weeks 8 weeks Focus of Evaluation Four BAS dimensions: enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity, and career orientation, plus real-life relevance and overall student reflections. Same BAS dimensions, real-life relevance and overall student reflection 2.6. Data Analysis Quantitative data from the BAS were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics were first employed to summarize students’ responses across the four attitude dimensions: enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity, and career motivation. The normality of the data was assessed using Z-values for skewness and kurtosis, and Levene’s Test was applied to evaluate the equality of variances. To examine differences in post-test attitude scores by group and gender, a 2×2 factorial ANOVA was conducted. Independent-samples t-tests compared attitude components between the experimental and control groups, while paired-samples t-tests assessed pre- and post-test changes within each group, including gender-based comparisons. Effect sizes were also calculated to determine the magnitude of the intervention’s impact on student attitudes. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Student responses were transcribed, coded, and organized according to the major attitude components, allowing for the identification of recurring patterns and insights into their experiences with biology learning through the GIBL model structured around the 5E instructional framework. The interviews explored the four BAS dimensions while also addressing the real-life relevance of biology and students’ overall reflections on their classroom experiences. 3. Results 3.1. Quantitative Results from BAS Descriptive statistics of pre- and post-test attitude scores for both groups are presented in Table 3 . At the pre-test stage, both groups demonstrated similar mean scores across all four components of attitude, indicating initial comparability. The CG, which received conventional instruction, showed slight increases in three components from pre- to post-test: Enthusiasm increased from 3.17 to 3.28, Curiosity from 3.13 to 3.25, and Self-Efficacy from 3.38 to 3.45, while Career Motivation remained essentially unchanged (3.49 to 3.50). In contrast, the EG, taught using GIBL with the 5E model, demonstrated substantial improvements in Enthusiasm (3.13 to 4.06), Curiosity (3.10 to 3.83), and Self-Efficacy (3.42 to 4.02), whereas Career Motivation showed no meaningful change (3.62 to 3.63). These descriptive results suggest that while GIBL effectively enhanced students’ enthusiasm, curiosity, and self-efficacy, it did not alter their perceptions of biology as a career. Normality checks confirmed that all distributions were within acceptable limits (Z-values for skewness and kurtosis ranged between − 1.950 and 1.950), supporting the use of parametric analyses. Table 3 Descriptive statistics (mean ± SD) of pre- and post-test attitude scores by group Component Group N Pre M ± SD Post M ± SD Enthusiasm CG 53 3.17 ± 0.47 3.28 ± 0.57 EG 52 3.13 ± 0.56 4.06 ± 0.50 Curiosity CG 53 3.13 ± 0.56 3.25 ± 0.55 EG 52 3.10 ± 0.53 3.83 ± 0.43 Self-Efficacy CG 53 3.38 ± 0.53 3.45 ± 0.49 EG 52 3.42 ± 0.57 4.02 ± 0.50 Career Motivation CG 53 3.49 ± 0.58 3.50 ± 0.57 EG 52 3.62 ± 0.57 3.63 ± 0.60 Independent-samples t-tests comparing post-test scores between CG and EG (Table 4 ) confirmed the descriptive statistics observations. EG students scored significantly higher than CG students on Enthusiasm (t(103) = 7.46, p < .001, η² = 0.35), Curiosity (t(103) = 5.70, p < .001, η² = 0.24), and Self-Efficacy (t(103) = 5.04, p < .001, η² = 0.20), with effect sizes ranging from moderate to large. However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in Career Motivation (t(103) = 0.09, p = .928, η² = 0.00), indicating that GIBL did not influence students’ career-related attitudes. Levene’s tests confirmed that the assumption of homogeneity of variances was met for all components (p > .05). Table 4 Independent-samples t-test results comparing post-test attitude scores between CG and EG Component t df p Levene’s F p (Levene) η² Enthusiasm 7.46 103 < .001 1.30 0.25 0.35 Curiosity 5.70 103 < .001 1.63 0.20 0.24 Self-Efficacy 5.04 103 < .001 1.04 0.31 0.20 Career Motivation 0.09 103 .928 1.23 0.27 0.00 Note : t = Welch’s t statistic; df = degrees of freedom; p = significance; Levene’s F and p = test of variance equality; η² = effect size. Positive t indicates higher EG scores than CG. Paired-samples t-tests within each group (Table 5 ) further illustrated the impact of instruction. In the CG, pre- to post-test changes were minimal and statistically non-significant (p > .05) across all components, indicating that conventional instruction produced only slight improvements. In the EG, statistically significant improvements were observed for Enthusiasm (t(51) = 9.72, p < .001, η² = 0.65), Curiosity (t(51) = 7.84, p < .001, η² = 0.55), and Self-Efficacy (t(51) = 6.90, p < .001, η² = 0.48), while Career Motivation showed no significant change (t(51) = 0.14, p = 0.890, η² = 0.00). These results indicate that GIBL, implemented through the 5E model, effectively enhanced students’ enthusiasm, curiosity, and self-efficacy, but did not alter their perceptions of biology as a career, unlike conventional instruction. Table 5 Paired-Samples t-Test Results Comparing Pre- and Post-Test Attitude Scores within CG and EG Component Group N Pre M ± SD Post M ± SD t df p η² Enthusiasm CG 53 3.17 ± 0.47 3.28 ± 0.57 1.89 52 0.065 0.06 EG 52 3.13 ± 0.56 4.06 ± 0.50 9.72 51 < 0.001 0.65 Curiosity CG 53 3.13 ± 0.56 3.25 ± 0.55 1.75 52 0.085 0.05 EG 52 3.10 ± 0.53 3.83 ± 0.43 7.84 51 < 0.001 0.55 Self-Efficacy CG 53 3.38 ± 0.53 3.45 ± 0.49 1.35 52 0.180 0.03 EG 52 3.42 ± 0.57 4.02 ± 0.50 6.90 51 < 0.001 0.48 Career Motivation CG 53 3.49 ± 0.58 3.50 ± 0.57 0.18 52 0.860 0.00 EG 52 3.62 ± 0.57 3.63 ± 0.60 0.14 51 0.890 0.00 Descriptive statistics by gender are presented in Table 6 . In the CG, females scored slightly higher on Enthusiasm and Curiosity, while males had marginally higher Self-Efficacy; Career Motivation was nearly identical between genders, showing negligible change from pre- to post-test. This indicates that the small gender differences observed at baseline largely persisted under conventional instruction. In contrast, the EG showed substantial gains for both males and females in Enthusiasm, Curiosity, and Self-Efficacy, with pre-test gender differences disappearing by post-test. Career Motivation remained very similar for males and females in EG, with no meaningful change over time. Overall, the descriptive gender differences are minor and should not be interpreted as statistically significant without formal testing. Table 6 Pre- and Post-Test Descriptive Statistics of Attitude Components by Group and Gender Component Group N (M/F) Pre M ± SD (M/F) Post M ± SD (M/F) Enthusiasm CG 28/25 3.14/3.21 ± 0.46/0.48 3.20/3.37 ± 0.55/0.59 EG 28/24 3.12/3.15 ± 0.57/0.55 4.05/4.07 ± 0.49/0.51 Curiosity CG 28/25 3.11/3.15 ± 0.54/0.58 3.21/3.29 ± 0.54/0.57 EG 28/24 3.09/3.12 ± 0.51/0.55 3.82/3.84 ± 0.44/0.42 Self-Efficacy CG 28/25 3.36/3.40 ± 0.52/0.55 3.58/3.62 ± 0.50/0.48 EG 28/24 3.40/3.44 ± 0.57/0.57 4.01/4.03 ± 0.49/0.50 Career Motivation CG 28/25 3.49/3.50 ± 0.57/0.58 3.50/3.51 ± 0.57/0.58 EG 28/24 3.62/3.63 ± 0.57/0.57 3.63/3.64 ± 0.57/0.60 2×2 Factorial ANOVA results (Table 7 ) supported the patterns observed in the descriptive statistics. The main effect of Group was significant for Enthusiasm (F(1,103) = 142.3, p < .001, η² = 0.58), Curiosity (F(1,103) = 98.7, p < .001, η² = 0.49), and Self-Efficacy (F(1,103) = 76.2, p < .001, η² = 0.41), demonstrating that students in the EG outperformed those in the CG for these components. By contrast, the main effect of Gender and the Group × Gender interaction were non-significant for all components, including Career Motivation (Group: F(1,103) = 0.12, p = 0.73, η² = 0.00; Gender: F(1,103) = 0.09, p = 0.76, η² = 0.00; Group × Gender: F(1,103) = 0.01, p = 0.91, η² = 0.00), indicating that gender did not meaningfully influence post-test scores and that the effect of GIBL was consistent across male and female students. Career Motivation showed negligible change for both genders in both groups, reflecting the stability of students’ perceptions regarding biology as a career. The slight numeric gender differences observed in the descriptive statistics (Table 6 ) were therefore not statistically meaningful, which aligns with the ANOVA findings. The use of a 2×2 factorial ANOVA was particularly appropriate, as it allowed simultaneous examination of instructional approach, gender, and their interaction, providing a more rigorous and efficient analysis than separate tests. Overall, these findings demonstrate that GIBL using the 5E model significantly enhanced students’ attitudes toward biology across multiple components, while conventional instruction produced only minimal gains. Importantly, the intervention was equally effective for male and female students, helping to reduce gender disparities in most attitude components. Table 7 2×2 Factorial ANOVA of Post-Test Attitude Scores by Group and Gender Component Source df F p η² Enthusiasm Group 1 142.3 < 0.001 0.58 Gender 1 2.85 0.096 0.03 Group × Gender 1 0.12 0.73 0.00 Curiosity Group 1 98.7 < 0.001 0.49 Gender 1 1.47 0.23 0.01 Group × Gender 1 0.08 0.78 0.00 Self-Efficacy Group 1 76.2 < 0.001 0.41 Gender 1 0.92 0.34 0.01 Group × Gender 1 0.04 0.85 0.00 Career Motivation Group 1 0.12 0.73 0.00 Gender 1 0.09 0.76 0.00 Group × Gender 1 0.01 0.91 0.00 Note : 2×2 Factorial ANOVA on post-test attitude scores. Group = CG vs EG, Gender = M vs F. η² = effect size. 3.2. Qualitative Results from Students Interview To complement the quantitative results, semi-structured interviews explored how GIBL using the 5E model influenced students’ attitudes toward biology. Consistent with the quantitative findings showing significant improvements in Enthusiasm, Self-Efficacy, and Curiosity, students reported that traditional instruction often made biology abstract and difficult to relate to, whereas guided inquiry-based activities provided hands-on experiences that enhanced engagement and positive attitudes. One student explained, “I loved testing leaves for starch and observing the internal structure under the microscope; it was exciting to see the color change and the details inside the leaf,” while another noted, “It is fascinating to collect flowers from the school compound, identify their parts, and watch seedlings grow toward light while roots bend downward in response to gravity.” These reflections illustrate how practical, investigative tasks contributed to the enhanced enthusiasm observed in the experimental group. Practical activities reinforced students’ confidence and self-efficacy. These included observing seedling responses to light and gravity, collecting samples from the school compound to identify flowering plant parts, examining external and internal leaf structures, seed germination, flower identification, and studying transpiration. One participant stated, “When I identified all the parts of a flower, examined the leaves under the microscope, and observed seedlings responding to light and gravity, I felt I could handle other experiments too,” aligning with the quantitative increases in self-efficacy scores. Investigative tasks also stimulated curiosity and critical thinking. A student shared, “I wondered why the seedling bends toward the light or how roots grow downward, so I collected samples, tested conditions, and observed the results carefully,” supporting the quantitative improvements in curiosity. Regarding Career Motivation, students generally enjoyed the practical activities and recognized their relevance, but few reported changes in their aspirations or plans for future careers in biology. One student noted, “I like learning about plants and observing experiments, but I haven’t thought much about pursuing it as a career,” reflecting the minimal change observed in the quantitative data. Finally, students highlighted the real-life relevance of practical work, noting, “Testing leaves for starch and observing their structures under the microscope helped me understand how plants produce food and why sunlight is necessary,” illustrating that GIBL helped connect theoretical concepts to tangible experiences. Overall, students concluded that guided inquiry-based activities enhanced their enthusiasm, self-efficacy, and curiosity, while Career Motivation remained largely unchanged, corroborating the quantitative results for the experimental group. 4. Discussion The present study examined the effect of GIBL using the 5E model on students’ attitudes toward secondary school biology, focusing on Enthusiasm, Curiosity, Self-Efficacy, and Career Motivation. Both groups began with comparable pre-test scores, ensuring baseline equivalence. The CG, which received conventional instruction, demonstrated only slight increases in mean scores for Enthusiasm (3.17 at pre-test to 3.28 at post-test), Curiosity (3.13 to 3.25), and Self-Efficacy (3.38 to 3.45), while Career Motivation remained virtually unchanged (3.49 to 3.50). Paired-samples t-tests indicated that these changes were not statistically significant (p > 0.05), suggesting that conventional instruction produced minimal gains in students’ attitudes toward biology. These findings align with previous research showing that traditional teacher-centered approaches, marked by passive learning and limited engagement, diminish students’ attitudes toward science by suppressing curiosity, intrinsic motivation, and critical thinking opportunities (Beimel, 2024 ; Teplá & Distler, 2025 ). In contrast, the EG, taught through GIBL with the 5E model, showed substantial improvements in mean scores for Enthusiasm (3.13 to 4.06), Curiosity (3.10 to 3.83), and Self-Efficacy (3.42 to 4.02), with paired-samples t-tests confirming that these gains were statistically significant (Enthusiasm: t(51) = 9.72, p < .001, η² = 0.65; Curiosity: t(51) = 7.84, p < .001, η² = 0.55; Self-Efficacy: t(51) = 6.90, p < .001, η² = 0.48). Career Motivation showed little change (3.62 to 3.63), consistent with the paired-samples results (t(51) = 0.14, p = 0.890, η² = 0.00), indicating that while GIBL enhances affective and cognitive attitudes, its immediate impact on career orientation is limited. Independent-samples t-tests comparing post-test scores confirmed that EG students scored significantly higher than CG students in Enthusiasm (t(103) = 7.46, p < .001, η² = 0.35), Curiosity (t(103) = 5.70, p < .001, η² = 0.24), and Self-Efficacy (t(103) = 5.04, p < .001, η² = 0.20), whereas Career Motivation showed no significant difference between groups (t(103) = 0.09, p = 0.928, η² = 0.00). These findings indicate that GIBL using the 5E model effectively enhances students’ enthusiasm, curiosity, and confidence in biology, though additional strategies may be needed to influence career aspirations. The findings of this study align with previous research showing that GIBL effectively enhances students’ attitudes toward biology, unlike conventional teacher-centered methods (Abza et al., 2022 ; Manishimwe et al., 2022 ; Fetmirwati et al., 2025 ; Chengere et al., 2025 ). For instance, Abza et al. ( 2022 ) observed increased enthusiasm, Fetmirwati et al. ( 2025 ) reported gains in scientific attitudes and cognitive knowledge, and Chengere et al. ( 2025 ) found improvements in overall attitudes, enthusiasm, and understanding of biology. Consistently, Manishimwe et al. ( 2022 ) noted that enquiry-based strategies promoted enjoyment, active classroom and laboratory engagement, and a stronger perception of biology as interesting and valuable The negligible change in career motivation observed in this study may be influenced by sociocultural norms and the lack of female role models in science within the context of the study area. This is consistent with broader evidence that career aspirations are shaped by multiple factors, including guidance from experienced role models, societal expectations, early interest in science (Osborne & Dillon, 2008 ), and access to authentic STEM experiences (Ahmad & Muzafar, 2025 ). These findings underscore the need for sustained and coordinated initiatives, including mentorship from experienced professionals, extracurricular activities that provide authentic science experiences, and targeted exposure programs, all of which extend beyond classroom instruction to effectively support students in pursuing science careers aligned with evolving professional opportunities. Gender analyses provided valuable insights into how instructional approaches influenced students’ attitudes toward biology. In the CG, slight increases were observed across Enthusiasm, Curiosity, and Self-Efficacy, yet minor gender differences persisted, with females scoring marginally higher than males. Career Motivation remained essentially equal between genders. In contrast, the EG demonstrated substantial gains in all three components. Post-test means indicated that females scored slightly higher than males in Enthusiasm (females 4.07; males 4.05), Curiosity (females 3.84; males 3.82), and Self-Efficacy (females 4.03; males 4.01), suggesting that gender disparities were effectively minimized and that both male and female students benefited almost equally. Career Motivation remained largely unchanged for both genders, with negligible differences throughout the study. The 2×2 factorial ANOVA confirmed these patterns: significant main effects of Group were observed for Enthusiasm (F(1,103) = 142.3, p < .001, η² = 0.58), Curiosity (F(1,103) = 98.7, p < .001, η² = 0.49), and Self-Efficacy (F(1,103) = 76.2, p < .001, η² = 0.41), whereas Career Motivation showed no significant effect of Group (F(1,103) = 0.12, p = 0.73, η² = 0.00), and main effects of Gender and Group × Gender interactions were non-significant for all components (p > 0.05). These findings indicate that GIBL was equally effective for male and female students and contributed to the reduction of gender disparities in key attitude components, except for Career Motivation, which remained unaffected. The gender-equitable effect observed in this study aligns with earlier findings indicating that the approach benefits male and female students equally while reducing disparities in Enthusiasm, Curiosity, and Self-Efficacy. Supporting this, Abza et al. ( 2022 ) reported that guided inquiry-based learning in biology improved overall attitudes without producing significant gender differences, suggesting that both males and females benefited equally. In the same vein, Manishimwe et al. ( 2022 ) found that although inquiry-based learning significantly enhanced students’ attitudes toward biology, the gains were comparable across genders, indicating that gender did not moderate its effects. Consistently, Njoku and Nwagbo ( 2020 ) observed no significant interaction between learning strategies and gender on students’ attitudes, noting that both male and female students profited equally from innovative instructional approaches such as peer tutoring and peer-led team learning. Furthermore, Erbaş and Yenmez ( 2011 ) emphasized that inquiry-oriented pedagogies promote collaborative problem-solving and critical thinking, thereby counteracting traditional gender biases often reinforced in teacher-centered classrooms. Extending this body of evidence, Chengere et al. ( 2025 ) reported that GIBLEI fostered gender inclusivity by narrowing attitude differences between male and female students. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews corroborated the quantitative results. Students in the EG emphasized that hands-on, investigative tasks, such as observing seedling responses to light and gravity, identifying flower parts, and examining leaf structures under a microscope, enhanced their Enthusiasm, Curiosity, and Self-Efficacy. However, few students reported that these activities directly influenced their career aspirations, aligning with the null findings for Career Motivation in the quantitative analyses.. In summary, the integration of GIBL with the 5E model significantly enhanced students’ attitudes in enthusiasm, curiosity, and self-efficacy while maintaining equity between males and females. Career Motivation, however, remained largely stable, highlighting the need for additional longitudinal or contextual strategies to influence students’ career aspirations in biology. These findings underscore the value of inquiry-based instruction for promoting both academic engagement and inclusivity in science education. 5. Conclusion The present study demonstrated that GIBL using the 5E model significantly enhanced secondary school students’ attitudes toward biology, particularly in Enthusiasm, Curiosity, and Self-Efficacy. While both the EG and CG began with comparable pre-test scores, conventional instruction produced only minimal improvements in these components, whereas GIBL elicited substantial, statistically significant gains. Career Motivation remained largely unchanged across both groups, indicating that while GIBL effectively fosters affective and cognitive engagement, its immediate influence on students’ career orientation is limited. Gender analyses revealed that GIBL was equally effective for male and female students, with post-test scores showing only negligible differences between genders. Minor gender disparities present in the CG were effectively minimized in the EG, highlighting the gender-equitable nature of inquiry-based instruction. These findings are consistent with prior research demonstrating that inquiry-oriented pedagogies promote collaborative problem-solving, critical thinking and equitable engagement across genders (Manishimwe et al., 2022 ; Njoku & Nwagbo, 2020 ; Erbaş & Yenmez, 2011 ; Chengere et al., 2025 ). Qualitative feedback from students further corroborated the quantitative results, with learners reporting that hands-on, investigative tasks enhanced their enthusiasm, curiosity, and confidence in conducting biological investigations. However, few students indicated that these activities directly influenced their career aspirations, consistent with the quantitative findings for Career Motivation. The stability of Career Motivation suggests that long-term, contextual, and sociocultural factors such as exposure to role models, mentorship, and authentic STEM experiences play a critical role in shaping students’ science career aspirations. Overall, this study confirms that integrating GIBL with the 5E model is an effective strategy for promoting positive attitudes toward biology and fostering gender inclusivity in secondary science education. 6. Recommendations The present study demonstrates that GIBL using the 5E model not only enhances students’ enthusiasm, curiosity, and self-efficacy but also promotes gender equity in science education. Based on these findings, several practical recommendations are suggested. First, schools and educators should implement GIBL broadly in science curricula to foster active engagement and positive attitudes toward biology. Second, teacher professional development programs should equip educators with the skills to design and facilitate inquiry-based learning experiences that are hands-on, collaborative, and student-centered. Third, to effectively influence students’ career aspirations in science, instructional interventions should be complemented with mentorship programs, exposure to STEM professionals, and extracurricular activities that provide authentic science experiences. Fourth, instructional strategies should continue to ensure equitable participation for both male and female students, reinforcing the demonstrated gender-inclusive benefits of GIBL. Finally, future research should examine the long-term effects of inquiry-based learning on students’ career motivation, taking into account sociocultural factors and access to role models, in order to identify strategies that strengthen both attitude and career orientation in science. Declarations Funding Statement This research received no external funding. The authors did not receive financial support from any organization or institution for conducting the study or preparing the manuscript. Ethical Approval The study was ethically approved by the Ethics Review Board of the Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Jimma University (Protocol Code: Biol 602/08/2015 E.C., approved on 02/08/2015). Research was conducted in accordance with the guidelines for studies involving human participants as established by the University Ethics Committee. Research Involving Human Participants This study involved human participants and was conducted in accordance with ethical standards, including obtaining informed consent and approval from the Jimma University Ethics Committee Informed consent A copy of the approval letter from the Department of Biology approved on 02/08/2015 E.C. was submitted to the school administration to secure permission. All participants were informed of their rights and responsibilities and provided written consent prior to participation. Data were collected voluntarily, with consent for its use in the research. Consent to Publication The authors confirm that all participants in the human research provided their consent for the publication of the study findings in the journal. Clinical Trial Number: Not applicable Competing Interests The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript. Data availability statement To safeguard participants' privacy, the datasets generated and analyzed in this study are not publicly available but can be obtained from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request. Authors Contributions DN: Conceptualization, study design, data analysis and interpretation, manuscript writing, review, and editing. TH and TT: Made equal contributions to this research, including conceptualization, validation, supervision, review and editing, and guidance throughout the study. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript. References Abraha, M. (2024). Effects of concept mapping on students’ science learning: Secondary schools of Habru Woreda, Amhara Region–Ethiopia. Cogent Education, 11 (1), 2426109. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2426109 Abza, A., Wodaj, H., & Edessa, S. (2022). Effects of guided inquiry-based model on pre-service biology teachers’ attitude towards invertebrate zoology learning. 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14:28:20","extension":"xml","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":148459,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"b67bcddc6f734f48bcc80bcfb0d9c8e51structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7747572/v1/844ee8871f7b311d4c43c4a9.xml"},{"id":95842716,"identity":"c26d22c0-39d7-4538-b76c-04c19c7e500a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 14:28:21","extension":"html","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":155914,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7747572/v1/52d9eee1d329f9e6b6257dcb.html"},{"id":95842711,"identity":"f3541046-e0d9-4c22-a309-1ff5e4eebf66","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 14:28:20","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":949044,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eUnnumbered image in the Introduction section\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7747572/v1/a732a0c93828f36a5f84b1a8.png"},{"id":100787678,"identity":"03c0efc5-e461-420f-b6b3-4d2bfcb3bacb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-21 12:02:59","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1801869,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7747572/v1/a0d1881c-4faa-4d59-b7dc-f812a85c98b5.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Effect of the Guided Inquiry Model with 5E on Secondary Students’ Attitudes toward Biology in Mattu, Ethiopia","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eBiology education serves as a cornerstone of science learning, equipping students with essential knowledge and skills for personal growth, societal advancement, and future careers in medicine, environmental science, biotechnology, and research (Nwafor \u0026amp; Okoi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Annan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Beyond career preparation, it nurtures observation, experimentation, and problem-solving abilities that are vital for scientific inquiry and lifelong learning. Extending its impact to the societal level, biology education empowers individuals to make informed decisions on pressing issues such as environmental sustainability, public health, food security, and the ethical application of biotechnology. Through these decisions, citizens can actively contribute to tackling global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and emerging infectious diseases (Bara et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Zerihun \u0026amp; Dawit, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Consistent with this view, Bara et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) emphasize that a strong biology curriculum significantly enhances students\u0026rsquo; understanding of health and environmental issues.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite its recognized importance, biology instruction in many Ethiopian classrooms remains predominantly teacher-centered, emphasizing rote memorization rather than active exploration (Abza et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Abraha, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Ahmeda et al., 2024). Although the national curriculum promotes learner-centered approaches such as inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and practical experimentation to foster scientific literacy and problem-solving (MoE, 2020), classroom practice often lags behind due to large class sizes, limited teaching materials, inadequate teacher training, and systemic constraints that favor traditional lecture-based methods (Ahmed et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). This gap between intended curriculum and actual practice is not unique to Ethiopia but is a common challenge across sub-Saharan Africa, hindering students\u0026rsquo; deep understanding of scientific concepts (Nsengimana et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Such instructional limitations reduce motivation, engagement, and positive attitudes toward biology, which are critical for learning success.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eResearch emphasizes that meaningful science education depends on the integration of knowledge, skills, and attitudes, with positive attitudes shown to enhance academic achievement, engagement, and sustained interest in science-related careers (Zeidan \u0026amp; Jayosi, 2015; Juhji \u0026amp; Nuangchalerm, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). In this context, attitude is a critical determinant of effective learning, as fostering positive attitudes toward science can motivate students, increase their interest in science education, and encourage pursuit of science-related careers (Nasr \u0026amp; Soltani, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). Attitude encompasses an individual\u0026rsquo;s mental and emotional state, shaping their actions toward specific subjects or objects. It can also be understood as a characteristic reflecting the feelings, beliefs, and values held about an object (Lu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). In the context of biology, students\u0026rsquo; attitudes are reflected in their affective responses toward scientific knowledge, learning activities, career aspirations, and inquiry processes. Such attitudes are closely linked to motivation in biology and play a significant role in shaping performance (Diaz et al., 2021).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a multifaceted construct, attitude has been conceptualized through various frameworks, with the three-dimensional model, comprising cognitive, affective, and behavioral components, being the most influential (Fareo, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Wicaksono \u0026amp; Korom, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). These three dimensions are distinct yet closely interrelated, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding attitudes toward science. The cognitive dimension refers to knowledge and beliefs about science, including understanding scientific concepts, processes, and the societal value of science, shaping evaluative judgments about its relevance and importance in daily life (Ara\u0026uacute;jo et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Wicaksono \u0026amp; Korom, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). The affective dimension encompasses emotions and feelings toward science, with positive emotions expressed as enjoyment, confidence, and enthusiasm, and negative emotions as anxiety, fear, or discomfort, all of which influence motivation and engagement in learning (Fareo, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). The behavioral dimension reflects actions and tendencies related to science, such as participation in scientific activities, support for scientific endeavors, and interest in science-related careers, demonstrating how attitudes translate into observable engagement in both formal and informal learning contexts (Fareo, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Ara\u0026uacute;jo et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn addition, attitude toward science is not a single, unitary trait but rather a multidimensional construct composed of several interrelated subcomponents that contribute in varying degrees (Osborne et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e; Potvin \u0026amp; Hasni, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). These components typically include enjoyment, motivation, self-efficacy, career orientation, perceived value of science, curiosity, and engagement in scientific inquiry. Attitudes are further shaped by psychological and social factors such as motivation, self-concept, science anxiety, peer and parental influences, and prior academic achievement, all of which interact to determine students\u0026rsquo; overall disposition toward science (Osborne et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e). Large-scale international assessments, including the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) \u003cem\u003eand the\u003c/em\u003e Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), also incorporate indicators such as enjoyment, engagement, motivation, and self-efficacy, thereby capturing both the affective and cognitive dimensions of students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward science (Smith et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; OECD, 2017).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eScholars widely agree that fostering positive attitudes toward science is a central goal of science education, as it strengthens students\u0026rsquo; motivation and engagement while promoting deeper conceptual understanding and higher academic achievement (Mao et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Manishimwe et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Conversely, negative attitudes toward science are associated with lower achievement, reduced motivation, and less active engagement in science lessons, including participation in practical and hands-on activities (Awandia, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Students who perceive science as difficult, irrelevant, or poorly taught tend to avoid practical engagement and are less likely to pursue further studies or careers in STEM fields (\u0026Ouml;rnek, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Teaching methods and teachers\u0026rsquo; own attitudes also play a significant role in shaping students\u0026rsquo; engagement in inquiry-based and hands-on science learning, influencing both their participation and overall disposition toward science (Riegle-Crumb et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLearner-centered approaches such as Guided Inquiry-Based Learning (GIBL), structured through the 5E framework of Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate, enable students to actively construct knowledge, participate in hands-on investigations, and reflect meaningfully on their learning outcomes. Evidence indicates that GIBL enhances both cognitive and affective outcomes in biology, increasing students\u0026rsquo; interest and fostering positive attitudes toward the subject (Abza et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Manishimwe et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Fetmirwati et al., 2022; Chengere et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). By balancing teacher guidance with student independence, GIBL provides learning experiences that traditional methods often fail to deliver.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor instance, Chengere et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) found that Guided Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiments Instruction (GIBLEI) significantly improved students\u0026rsquo; overall attitudes toward biology, enthusiasm for the subject, perception of biology as a course, and understanding of biology as a process compared to Traditional Laboratory Experiments Instruction (TLEI). While GIBLEI did not influence students\u0026rsquo; views of biology as a career, it promoted gender inclusivity by reducing attitude differences between male and female students. Similarly, Fetmirwati et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) reported that students taught using the guided inquiry approach achieved significantly higher scientific attitudes and cognitive knowledge scores, demonstrating its effectiveness in fostering positive attitudes toward biology. Manishimwe et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) also observed that inquiry-based methods led to more positive attitudes compared to traditional instruction, with gender having no significant effect on outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLikewise, Abza et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) showed that pre-service biology teachers exposed to a guided inquiry-based instructional model developed significantly more positive attitudes toward invertebrate zoology learning than those taught using conventional methods, again with no significant gender differences. Collectively, these studies highlight that guided inquiry-based approaches effectively enhance student attitudes, engagement, and equitable learning outcomes in biology education.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe study is grounded in constructivist learning theory, which posits that learners actively construct knowledge through experiences, reflection, and interaction with their environment (Piaget, 1973; Vygotsky, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1978\u003c/span\u003e). Constructivism emphasizes learner-centered approaches, where understanding is built through engagement, problem-solving, and inquiry, rather than passive reception of information. Guided Inquiry Learning model aligns closely with constructivist principles by encouraging students to explore biological phenomena, ask questions, design experiments, and reflect on findings, thus fostering deeper conceptual understanding and meaningful learning experiences.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eComplementing constructivism, the study draws on the 5E instructional model (Bybee et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e), which structures learning into five phases: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. This model provides a scaffolded approach to inquiry that promotes active participation, critical thinking, and progressive conceptual development. Each phase supports the cultivation of specific attitude constructs: the Engage and Explore phases stimulate enthusiasm and curiosity, the Explain and Elaborate phases enhance self-efficacy and confidence in task mastery and the Evaluate phase fosters reflection and consideration of future career orientation in science.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurthermore, the study is informed by Bandura\u0026rsquo;s social cognitive theory (1986), particularly the concept of self-efficacy. According to Bandura, learners\u0026rsquo; belief in their ability to succeed in specific tasks influences motivation, persistence, and achievement. Applying this framework to biology learning, GIBL provides structured opportunities for mastery experiences, social modeling, and feedback, which collectively enhance students\u0026rsquo; confidence and engagement in scientific inquiry.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy integrating constructivist theory, the 5E model, and social cognitive theory, this study establishes a robust theoretical foundation for examining how guided inquiry fosters secondary students\u0026rsquo; attitudes, motivation, and engagement in biology education.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Despite international and regional evidence demonstrating that GIBL enhances secondary students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology, empirical studies in Ethiopian secondary schools remain limited, particularly in biology. Existing local research has primarily focused on students\u0026rsquo; general attitudes toward science (Sitotaw \u0026amp; Tadele, 2016; Mulatie, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e), with only a few studies examining the specific impact of GIBL using quasi-experimental designs (Abza et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Chengere et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). While quasi-experimental approaches provide useful insights into causal relationships, they often limit understanding of students\u0026rsquo; experiences, contextual factors, and the processes through which GIBL shapes attitudes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAbza and colleagues demonstrated that guided inquiry improved pre-service biology teachers\u0026rsquo; attitudes, including enthusiasm for invertebrate zoology, perceptions of the course as a learning process, and its relevance for future life. Similarly, Chengere and colleagues reported that Guided Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiments Instruction positively influenced secondary students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology, their enthusiasm for the subject, understanding of biology as a process, and career orientation. However, both studies offered limited insight into how GIBL affects specific attitude dimensions, such as self-efficacy and curiosity. In addition, Abza et al. focused on pre-service teachers, whereas Chengere et al. emphasized laboratory contexts rather than classroom-wide learning.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo address these gaps, the present study employed a concurrent embedded mixed-methods design that integrates qualitative insights with quantitative analysis. It investigated the effect of the Guided Inquiry Model, structured around the 5E framework, on secondary students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology in Mattu Secondary Schools, Ethiopia. The study focused on four key constructs: enthusiasm, defined as students\u0026rsquo; excitement and active engagement; self-efficacy, defined as confidence in successfully completing biology tasks; scientific inquiry, defined as interest in exploring and solving biological problems; and career orientation, defined as motivation to pursue further studies or careers in biology. By combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, the study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how GIBL shapes students\u0026rsquo; attitudes, motivation, and engagement in biology learning.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo achieve the objectives of the study, the following research questions guided the investigation:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat is the effect of the GIBL model, structured around the 5E framework, on secondary students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology in terms of enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity, and career orientation?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eDoes gender moderate the effect of the GIBL model with 5E on students\u0026rsquo; enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity, and career motivation in biology?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow do students describe their experiences and perceptions of learning biology through the GIBL model with 5E?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis framework enables a comprehensive assessment of both quantitative outcomes and qualitative insights, offering a holistic understanding of how inquiry-based, student-centered instruction can enhance students\u0026rsquo; attitudes, motivation, and engagement in biology education\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.1. Research Design\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study employed a mixed-methods design, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine the effects of the GIBL model with the 5E learning cycle on secondary students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data occurred during the discussion phase, providing a comprehensive interpretation of the findings (Creswell and Creswell, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe quantitative component utilized a quasi-experimental pretest\u0026ndash;posttest design with nonequivalent groups to assess students\u0026rsquo; attitudes, focusing on enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity, and career orientation. Two instructional approaches were compared: GIBL with the 5E learning cycle as the experimental treatment and conventional lecture-based instruction as the control. Random assignment of individual students was not feasible, so intact classes were used, making this design appropriate (Campbell and Stanley, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). To minimize selection bias, intact classes were randomly assigned to either the Experimental Group (EG) or the Control Group (CG) using a lottery method. Both groups completed a pretest prior to the intervention and a posttest after its completion, with attitudes measured using the Biology Attitude Scale (BAS) in both phases. A schematic representation of the design is provided in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe qualitative component involved semi-structured interviews with 20 students from the experimental group, purposefully selected to represent both genders and a range of performance levels. The interviews explored students\u0026rsquo; experiences and perceptions regarding attitude with the GIBL and 5E instructional strategy.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy combining quantitative measures of students\u0026rsquo; attitudes with qualitative insights from their experiences, the study provided a holistic understanding of both measurable outcomes and contextual factors influencing students\u0026rsquo; attitudes and engagement in biology\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuasi-experimental Design of the Study\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePre-test\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntervention\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePost-test\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eExperimental Group (EG)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBAS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGuided Inquiry-Based Learning (GIBL)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBAS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eControl Group (CG)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBAS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConventional Instruction (CI)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBAS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote.\u003c/b\u003e \u003cem\u003eBAS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Biology Attitude Scale; GIBL\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Guided Inquiry-Based Learning; CI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Conventional Instruction\u003c/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eEG\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Experimental Group; CG\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Control Group\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.2. Sample and Sampling Method\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe study was conducted in Grade 10 biology classes in government secondary schools in Mattu Town, Ilubabor Zone, and Southwest Ethiopia. Out of the three schools in the town, Mattu and Hacalu Secondary Schools were purposively selected based on comparable resources, including laboratories, libraries, and ICT facilities, the availability of qualified biology teachers, and the willingness of administrators to provide support. From each school, one class was randomly selected, and the two classes were then randomly assigned to the EG and the CG using a lottery method. The class from Mattu Secondary School, consisting of 52 students (28 males and 24 females), served as the EG, while the class from Hacalu Secondary School, consisting of 53 students (28 males and 25 females), served as the CG, resulting in a total of 105 participants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo ensure comparability, students were selected through purposive sampling, considering prior science achievement levels. Instructional consistency was maintained by selecting one biology teacher from each school based on teaching experience and professional qualifications. Both groups were taught the same theoretical and practical content from Chapter Two of the revised 2022 Grade 10 biology curriculum, focusing on \u0026ldquo;Plants.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.3. Instruments\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuantitative data were collected using the BAS, which was adapted from previously validated instruments by Prokop et al. (2007) and Said et al. (2018) and modified to align with the Grade 10 biology curriculum. The BAS measured four key dimensions of student attitudes: enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity or scientific inquiry, and career motivation. Responses were recorded on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). To ensure clarity and cultural relevance, the instrument was translated into Afaan Oromo and then back-translated into English by bilingual experts. Reliability and validity were tested in the local context.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a purposively selected students from the EG to capture in-depth perceptions and experiences of learning biology through the GIBL model. The interviews were developed and administered following the methodology outlined by Ruslin et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), which ensured both flexibility and consistency in eliciting student responses. They explored students\u0026rsquo; perspectives across the four dimensions of the BAS, while also probing additional aspects such as the real-life relevance of biology learning and students\u0026rsquo; overall reflections on their classroom experiences. This approach allowed students to articulate their thoughts more freely, provide personal examples, and highlight challenges or benefits that might not have been captured through survey responses. The qualitative findings complemented the quantitative results, offering a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of how GIBL influences students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.4. Validity and Reliability of Instruments\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo ensure the quality of the instruments, a rigorous validation and reliability process was undertaken. Face validity was established through reviews by biology teachers, language instructors, and doctoral students in biology education, who evaluated the clarity, relevance, and appropriateness of the items. Content validity was confirmed by subject matter experts, ensuring alignment with curriculum objectives and the constructs of student attitude. To avoid language barriers, the BAS was translated into Afaan Oromo and then back-translated into English, with bilingual experts checking for consistency between versions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReliability was assessed through a pilot study with Grade 10 students from another school in the same zone. Internal consistency analysis yielded Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha values of 0.80 for enthusiasm, 0.81 for self-efficacy, 0.79 for career motivation, and 0.78 for curiosity or scientific inquiry, all within acceptable thresholds. These results confirm that the instruments were valid, reliable, and appropriate for assessing students\u0026rsquo; science process skills, engagement, and attitudes toward biology\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.5. Procedure of Intervention.\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn eight-week intervention compared the effects of GIBL using the 5E model with traditional teacher-centered instruction on Grade 10 students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology. The EG engaged in hands-on investigations, collaborative discussions, and reflective activities through the 5E phases: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. The CG received lecture-based instruction covering the same content. Both groups used identical textbooks and had equal instructional time. EG teachers and a laboratory assistant received a two-day workshop on GIBL implementation, while the CG teacher was oriented to study procedures. Pretests and posttests using the BAS measured student attitudes, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subset of EG students to gain qualitative insights. A summary of the instructional procedures for both groups is provided in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComparison of Intervention Procedures for Experimental and Control Groups\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComponent\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eExperimental Group\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eControl Group\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInstructional Approach\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGuided Inquiry-Based Learning using 5E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTraditional teacher-centered instruction (lecture and discussion)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eContent\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrade 10 Biology \u0026ndash; \u003cem\u003ePlants\u003c/em\u003e unit: plant structure and function, photosynthesis, transpiration, reproduction, seed dispersal and germination, transport, plant responses\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSame Grade 10 Biology \u0026ndash; \u003cem\u003ePlants\u003c/em\u003e unit\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eResources\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTeachers\u0026rsquo; manual with objectives, inquiry activities, sample 5E lesson plans; student manual with hands-on and minds-on activities; laboratory assistant support\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStandard textbooks and classroom materials\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTeacher Preparation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo-day professional development workshop on GIBL principles, 5E model, and resource use\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOrientation on study objectives and procedures\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStudent Activities\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHands-on investigations, group discussions, peer presentations, reflective dialogues, application of concepts\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTeacher-led explanations, note-taking, limited student interaction\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAssessment / Monitoring\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePretest and posttest using Biology BAS; researcher observation for proper implementation; semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected students\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePretest and posttest using BAS; researcher observation for consistency\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuration\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8 weeks\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8 weeks\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFocus of Evaluation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFour BAS dimensions: enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity, and career orientation, plus real-life relevance and overall student reflections.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSame BAS dimensions, real-life relevance and overall student reflection\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.6. Data Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuantitative data from the BAS were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics were first employed to summarize students\u0026rsquo; responses across the four attitude dimensions: enthusiasm, self-efficacy, curiosity, and career motivation. The normality of the data was assessed using Z-values for skewness and kurtosis, and Levene\u0026rsquo;s Test was applied to evaluate the equality of variances. To examine differences in post-test attitude scores by group and gender, a 2\u0026times;2 factorial ANOVA was conducted. Independent-samples t-tests compared attitude components between the experimental and control groups, while paired-samples t-tests assessed pre- and post-test changes within each group, including gender-based comparisons. Effect sizes were also calculated to determine the magnitude of the intervention\u0026rsquo;s impact on student attitudes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Student responses were transcribed, coded, and organized according to the major attitude components, allowing for the identification of recurring patterns and insights into their experiences with biology learning through the GIBL model structured around the 5E instructional framework. The interviews explored the four BAS dimensions while also addressing the real-life relevance of biology and students\u0026rsquo; overall reflections on their classroom experiences.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.1. \u003cem\u003eQuantitative Results from BAS\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescriptive statistics of pre- and post-test attitude scores for both groups are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e. At the pre-test stage, both groups demonstrated similar mean scores across all four components of attitude, indicating initial comparability. The CG, which received conventional instruction, showed slight increases in three components from pre- to post-test: Enthusiasm increased from 3.17 to 3.28, Curiosity from 3.13 to 3.25, and Self-Efficacy from 3.38 to 3.45, while Career Motivation remained essentially unchanged (3.49 to 3.50). In contrast, the EG, taught using GIBL with the 5E model, demonstrated substantial improvements in Enthusiasm (3.13 to 4.06), Curiosity (3.10 to 3.83), and Self-Efficacy (3.42 to 4.02), whereas Career Motivation showed no meaningful change (3.62 to 3.63). These descriptive results suggest that while GIBL effectively enhanced students\u0026rsquo; enthusiasm, curiosity, and self-efficacy, it did not alter their perceptions of biology as a career. Normality checks confirmed that all distributions were within acceptable limits (Z-values for skewness and kurtosis ranged between \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1.950 and 1.950), supporting the use of parametric analyses.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescriptive statistics (mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD) of pre- and post-test attitude scores by group\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComponent\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePre M\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePost M\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnthusiasm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.17\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.47\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.28\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.56\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.06\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCuriosity\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.56\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.25\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.55\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.83\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.43\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf-Efficacy\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.49\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.42\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.02\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCareer Motivation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.49\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.63\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.60\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndependent-samples t-tests comparing post-test scores between CG and EG (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e) confirmed the descriptive statistics observations. EG students scored significantly higher than CG students on Enthusiasm (t(103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;7.46, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.35), Curiosity (t(103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.70, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.24), and Self-Efficacy (t(103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.04, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.20), with effect sizes ranging from moderate to large. However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in Career Motivation (t(103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.09, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.928, η\u0026sup2; = 0.00), indicating that GIBL did not influence students\u0026rsquo; career-related attitudes. Levene\u0026rsquo;s tests confirmed that the assumption of homogeneity of variances was met for all components (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndependent-samples t-test results comparing post-test attitude scores between CG and EG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComponent\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLevene\u0026rsquo;s F\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep (Levene)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eη\u0026sup2;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnthusiasm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.46\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e103\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.35\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCuriosity\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.70\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e103\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.63\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.24\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf-Efficacy\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.04\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e103\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.04\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.31\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCareer Motivation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e103\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e.928\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.27\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote\u003c/b\u003e: \u003cem\u003et\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Welch\u0026rsquo;s t statistic; df\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;degrees of freedom; p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;significance; Levene\u0026rsquo;s F and p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;test of variance equality; η\u0026sup2; = effect size. Positive t indicates higher EG scores than CG.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePaired-samples t-tests within each group (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e) further illustrated the impact of instruction. In the CG, pre- to post-test changes were minimal and statistically non-significant (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;.05) across all components, indicating that conventional instruction produced only slight improvements. In the EG, statistically significant improvements were observed for Enthusiasm (t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.72, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.65), Curiosity (t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;7.84, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.55), and Self-Efficacy (t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;6.90, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.48), while Career Motivation showed no significant change (t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.14, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.890, η\u0026sup2; = 0.00). These results indicate that GIBL, implemented through the 5E model, effectively enhanced students\u0026rsquo; enthusiasm, curiosity, and self-efficacy, but did not alter their perceptions of biology as a career, unlike conventional instruction.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePaired-Samples t-Test Results Comparing Pre- and Post-Test Attitude Scores within CG and EG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"9\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComponent\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePre M\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePost M\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eη\u0026sup2;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnthusiasm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.17\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.47\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.28\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.89\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.065\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.56\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.06\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.72\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.65\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCuriosity\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.56\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.25\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.55\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.75\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.085\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.83\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.43\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.55\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf-Efficacy\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.49\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.35\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.180\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.42\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.02\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.90\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.48\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCareer Motivation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.49\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.860\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.63\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.60\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.890\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescriptive statistics by gender are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e. In the CG, females scored slightly higher on Enthusiasm and Curiosity, while males had marginally higher Self-Efficacy; Career Motivation was nearly identical between genders, showing negligible change from pre- to post-test. This indicates that the small gender differences observed at baseline largely persisted under conventional instruction. In contrast, the EG showed substantial gains for both males and females in Enthusiasm, Curiosity, and Self-Efficacy, with pre-test gender differences disappearing by post-test. Career Motivation remained very similar for males and females in EG, with no meaningful change over time. Overall, the descriptive gender differences are minor and should not be interpreted as statistically significant without formal testing.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePre- and Post-Test Descriptive Statistics of Attitude Components by Group and Gender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComponent\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN (M/F)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePre M\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD (M/F)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePost M\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD (M/F)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnthusiasm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28/25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.14/3.21\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.46/0.48\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.20/3.37\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.55/0.59\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28/24\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.12/3.15\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57/0.55\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.05/4.07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.49/0.51\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCuriosity\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28/25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.11/3.15\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.54/0.58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.21/3.29\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.54/0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28/24\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.09/3.12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.51/0.55\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.82/3.84\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.44/0.42\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf-Efficacy\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28/25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.36/3.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.52/0.55\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.58/3.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.50/0.48\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28/24\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.40/3.44\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57/0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.01/4.03\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.49/0.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCareer Motivation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28/25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.49/3.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57/0.58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.50/3.51\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57/0.58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28/24\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.62/3.63\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57/0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.63/3.64\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57/0.60\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u0026times;2 Factorial ANOVA results (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e) supported the patterns observed in the descriptive statistics. The main effect of Group was significant for Enthusiasm (F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;142.3, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.58), Curiosity (F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;98.7, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.49), and Self-Efficacy (F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;76.2, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.41), demonstrating that students in the EG outperformed those in the CG for these components. By contrast, the main effect of Gender and the Group \u0026times; Gender interaction were non-significant for all components, including Career Motivation (Group: F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.12, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.73, η\u0026sup2; = 0.00; Gender: F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.09, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.76, η\u0026sup2; = 0.00; Group \u0026times; Gender: F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.91, η\u0026sup2; = 0.00), indicating that gender did not meaningfully influence post-test scores and that the effect of GIBL was consistent across male and female students. Career Motivation showed negligible change for both genders in both groups, reflecting the stability of students\u0026rsquo; perceptions regarding biology as a career. The slight numeric gender differences observed in the descriptive statistics (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e) were therefore not statistically meaningful, which aligns with the ANOVA findings. The use of a 2\u0026times;2 factorial ANOVA was particularly appropriate, as it allowed simultaneous examination of instructional approach, gender, and their interaction, providing a more rigorous and efficient analysis than separate tests. Overall, these findings demonstrate that GIBL using the 5E model significantly enhanced students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology across multiple components, while conventional instruction produced only minimal gains. Importantly, the intervention was equally effective for male and female students, helping to reduce gender disparities in most attitude components.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab7\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 7\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u0026times;2 Factorial ANOVA of Post-Test Attitude Scores by Group and Gender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComponent\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eF\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eη\u0026sup2;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnthusiasm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e142.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.85\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.096\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup \u0026times; Gender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.73\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCuriosity\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e98.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.49\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.47\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup \u0026times; Gender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf-Efficacy\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e76.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.41\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.92\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.34\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup \u0026times; Gender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.85\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCareer Motivation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.73\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.76\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroup \u0026times; Gender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.91\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote\u003c/b\u003e: \u003cem\u003e2\u0026times;2 Factorial ANOVA on post-test attitude scores. Group\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;CG vs EG, Gender\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;M vs F.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eη\u0026sup2; = effect size.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.2. Qualitative Results from Students Interview\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo complement the quantitative results, semi-structured interviews explored how GIBL using the 5E model influenced students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology. Consistent with the quantitative findings showing significant improvements in Enthusiasm, Self-Efficacy, and Curiosity, students reported that traditional instruction often made biology abstract and difficult to relate to, whereas guided inquiry-based activities provided hands-on experiences that enhanced engagement and positive attitudes. One student explained, \u0026ldquo;I loved testing leaves for starch and observing the internal structure under the microscope; it was exciting to see the color change and the details inside the leaf,\u0026rdquo; while another noted, \u0026ldquo;It is fascinating to collect flowers from the school compound, identify their parts, and watch seedlings grow toward light while roots bend downward in response to gravity.\u0026rdquo; These reflections illustrate how practical, investigative tasks contributed to the enhanced enthusiasm observed in the experimental group.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePractical activities reinforced students\u0026rsquo; confidence and self-efficacy. These included observing seedling responses to light and gravity, collecting samples from the school compound to identify flowering plant parts, examining external and internal leaf structures, seed germination, flower identification, and studying transpiration. One participant stated, \u0026ldquo;When I identified all the parts of a flower, examined the leaves under the microscope, and observed seedlings responding to light and gravity, I felt I could handle other experiments too,\u0026rdquo; aligning with the quantitative increases in self-efficacy scores. Investigative tasks also stimulated curiosity and critical thinking. A student shared, \u0026ldquo;I wondered why the seedling bends toward the light or how roots grow downward, so I collected samples, tested conditions, and observed the results carefully,\u0026rdquo; supporting the quantitative improvements in curiosity.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegarding Career Motivation, students generally enjoyed the practical activities and recognized their relevance, but few reported changes in their aspirations or plans for future careers in biology. One student noted, \u0026ldquo;I like learning about plants and observing experiments, but I haven\u0026rsquo;t thought much about pursuing it as a career,\u0026rdquo; reflecting the minimal change observed in the quantitative data.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinally, students highlighted the real-life relevance of practical work, noting, \u0026ldquo;Testing leaves for starch and observing their structures under the microscope helped me understand how plants produce food and why sunlight is necessary,\u0026rdquo; illustrating that GIBL helped connect theoretical concepts to tangible experiences. Overall, students concluded that guided inquiry-based activities enhanced their enthusiasm, self-efficacy, and curiosity, while Career Motivation remained largely unchanged, corroborating the quantitative results for the experimental group.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4. Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe present study examined the effect of GIBL using the 5E model on students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward secondary school biology, focusing on Enthusiasm, Curiosity, Self-Efficacy, and Career Motivation. Both groups began with comparable pre-test scores, ensuring baseline equivalence.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe CG, which received conventional instruction, demonstrated only slight increases in mean scores for Enthusiasm (3.17 at pre-test to 3.28 at post-test), Curiosity (3.13 to 3.25), and Self-Efficacy (3.38 to 3.45), while Career Motivation remained virtually unchanged (3.49 to 3.50). Paired-samples t-tests indicated that these changes were not statistically significant (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), suggesting that conventional instruction produced minimal gains in students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology. These findings align with previous research showing that traditional teacher-centered approaches, marked by passive learning and limited engagement, diminish students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward science by suppressing curiosity, intrinsic motivation, and critical thinking opportunities (Beimel, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Tepl\u0026aacute; \u0026amp; Distler, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn contrast, the EG, taught through GIBL with the 5E model, showed substantial improvements in mean scores for Enthusiasm (3.13 to 4.06), Curiosity (3.10 to 3.83), and Self-Efficacy (3.42 to 4.02), with paired-samples t-tests confirming that these gains were statistically significant (Enthusiasm: t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.72, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.65; Curiosity: t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;7.84, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.55; Self-Efficacy: t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;6.90, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.48). Career Motivation showed little change (3.62 to 3.63), consistent with the paired-samples results (t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.14, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.890, η\u0026sup2; = 0.00), indicating that while GIBL enhances affective and cognitive attitudes, its immediate impact on career orientation is limited. Independent-samples t-tests comparing post-test scores confirmed that EG students scored significantly higher than CG students in Enthusiasm (t(103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;7.46, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.35), Curiosity (t(103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.70, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.24), and Self-Efficacy (t(103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.04, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.20), whereas Career Motivation showed no significant difference between groups (t(103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.09, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.928, η\u0026sup2; = 0.00). These findings indicate that GIBL using the 5E model effectively enhances students\u0026rsquo; enthusiasm, curiosity, and confidence in biology, though additional strategies may be needed to influence career aspirations. The findings of this study align with previous research showing that GIBL effectively enhances students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology, unlike conventional teacher-centered methods (Abza et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Manishimwe et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Fetmirwati et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e; Chengere et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). For instance, Abza et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) observed increased enthusiasm, Fetmirwati et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) reported gains in scientific attitudes and cognitive knowledge, and Chengere et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) found improvements in overall attitudes, enthusiasm, and understanding of biology. Consistently, Manishimwe et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) noted that enquiry-based strategies promoted enjoyment, active classroom and laboratory engagement, and a stronger perception of biology as interesting and valuable\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe negligible change in career motivation observed in this study may be influenced by sociocultural norms and the lack of female role models in science within the context of the study area. This is consistent with broader evidence that career aspirations are shaped by multiple factors, including guidance from experienced role models, societal expectations, early interest in science (Osborne \u0026amp; Dillon, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e), and access to authentic STEM experiences (Ahmad \u0026amp; Muzafar, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). These findings underscore the need for sustained and coordinated initiatives, including mentorship from experienced professionals, extracurricular activities that provide authentic science experiences, and targeted exposure programs, all of which extend beyond classroom instruction to effectively support students in pursuing science careers aligned with evolving professional opportunities. Gender analyses provided valuable insights into how instructional approaches influenced students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology. In the CG, slight increases were observed across Enthusiasm, Curiosity, and Self-Efficacy, yet minor gender differences persisted, with females scoring marginally higher than males. Career Motivation remained essentially equal between genders. In contrast, the EG demonstrated substantial gains in all three components. Post-test means indicated that females scored slightly higher than males in Enthusiasm (females 4.07; males 4.05), Curiosity (females 3.84; males 3.82), and Self-Efficacy (females 4.03; males 4.01), suggesting that gender disparities were effectively minimized and that both male and female students benefited almost equally. Career Motivation remained largely unchanged for both genders, with negligible differences throughout the study. The 2\u0026times;2 factorial ANOVA confirmed these patterns: significant main effects of Group were observed for Enthusiasm (F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;142.3, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.58), Curiosity (F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;98.7, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.49), and Self-Efficacy (F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;76.2, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.41), whereas Career Motivation showed no significant effect of Group (F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.12, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.73, η\u0026sup2; = 0.00), and main effects of Gender and Group \u0026times; Gender interactions were non-significant for all components (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). These findings indicate that GIBL was equally effective for male and female students and contributed to the reduction of gender disparities in key attitude components, except for Career Motivation, which remained unaffected.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe gender-equitable effect observed in this study aligns with earlier findings indicating that the approach benefits male and female students equally while reducing disparities in Enthusiasm, Curiosity, and Self-Efficacy. Supporting this, Abza et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) reported that guided inquiry-based learning in biology improved overall attitudes without producing significant gender differences, suggesting that both males and females benefited equally. In the same vein, Manishimwe et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) found that although inquiry-based learning significantly enhanced students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology, the gains were comparable across genders, indicating that gender did not moderate its effects. Consistently, Njoku and Nwagbo (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) observed no significant interaction between learning strategies and gender on students\u0026rsquo; attitudes, noting that both male and female students profited equally from innovative instructional approaches such as peer tutoring and peer-led team learning. Furthermore, Erbaş and Yenmez (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) emphasized that inquiry-oriented pedagogies promote collaborative problem-solving and critical thinking, thereby counteracting traditional gender biases often reinforced in teacher-centered classrooms. Extending this body of evidence, Chengere et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) reported that GIBLEI fostered gender inclusivity by narrowing attitude differences between male and female students.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQualitative data from semi-structured interviews corroborated the quantitative results. Students in the EG emphasized that hands-on, investigative tasks, such as observing seedling responses to light and gravity, identifying flower parts, and examining leaf structures under a microscope, enhanced their Enthusiasm, Curiosity, and Self-Efficacy. However, few students reported that these activities directly influenced their career aspirations, aligning with the null findings for Career Motivation in the quantitative analyses..\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn summary, the integration of GIBL with the 5E model significantly enhanced students\u0026rsquo; attitudes in enthusiasm, curiosity, and self-efficacy while maintaining equity between males and females. Career Motivation, however, remained largely stable, highlighting the need for additional longitudinal or contextual strategies to influence students\u0026rsquo; career aspirations in biology. These findings underscore the value of inquiry-based instruction for promoting both academic engagement and inclusivity in science education.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5. Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe present study demonstrated that GIBL using the 5E model significantly enhanced secondary school students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology, particularly in Enthusiasm, Curiosity, and Self-Efficacy. While both the EG and CG began with comparable pre-test scores, conventional instruction produced only minimal improvements in these components, whereas GIBL elicited substantial, statistically significant gains. Career Motivation remained largely unchanged across both groups, indicating that while GIBL effectively fosters affective and cognitive engagement, its immediate influence on students\u0026rsquo; career orientation is limited.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGender analyses revealed that GIBL was equally effective for male and female students, with post-test scores showing only negligible differences between genders. Minor gender disparities present in the CG were effectively minimized in the EG, highlighting the gender-equitable nature of inquiry-based instruction. These findings are consistent with prior research demonstrating that inquiry-oriented pedagogies promote collaborative problem-solving, critical thinking and equitable engagement across genders (Manishimwe et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Njoku \u0026amp; Nwagbo, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Erbaş \u0026amp; Yenmez, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Chengere et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQualitative feedback from students further corroborated the quantitative results, with learners reporting that hands-on, investigative tasks enhanced their enthusiasm, curiosity, and confidence in conducting biological investigations. However, few students indicated that these activities directly influenced their career aspirations, consistent with the quantitative findings for Career Motivation. The stability of Career Motivation suggests that long-term, contextual, and sociocultural factors such as exposure to role models, mentorship, and authentic STEM experiences play a critical role in shaping students\u0026rsquo; science career aspirations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOverall, this study confirms that integrating GIBL with the 5E model is an effective strategy for promoting positive attitudes toward biology and fostering gender inclusivity in secondary science education.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"6. Recommendations","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe present study demonstrates that GIBL using the 5E model not only enhances students\u0026rsquo; enthusiasm, curiosity, and self-efficacy but also promotes gender equity in science education. Based on these findings, several practical recommendations are suggested.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst, schools and educators should implement GIBL broadly in science curricula to foster active engagement and positive attitudes toward biology. Second, teacher professional development programs should equip educators with the skills to design and facilitate inquiry-based learning experiences that are hands-on, collaborative, and student-centered. Third, to effectively influence students\u0026rsquo; career aspirations in science, instructional interventions should be complemented with mentorship programs, exposure to STEM professionals, and extracurricular activities that provide authentic science experiences. Fourth, instructional strategies should continue to ensure equitable participation for both male and female students, reinforcing the demonstrated gender-inclusive benefits of GIBL. Finally, future research should examine the long-term effects of inquiry-based learning on students\u0026rsquo; career motivation, taking into account sociocultural factors and access to role models, in order to identify strategies that strengthen both attitude and career orientation in science.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research received no external funding. The authors did not receive financial support from any organization or institution for conducting the study or preparing the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical Approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study was ethically approved by the Ethics Review Board of the Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Jimma University (Protocol Code: Biol 602/08/2015 E.C., approved on 02/08/2015). Research was conducted in accordance with the guidelines for studies involving human participants as established by the University Ethics Committee.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResearch Involving Human Participants\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis study involved human participants and was conducted in accordance with ethical standards, including obtaining informed consent and approval from the Jimma University Ethics Committee\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInformed consent\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA copy of the approval letter from the Department of Biology approved on 02/08/2015 E.C. was submitted to the school administration to secure permission. All participants were informed of their rights and responsibilities and provided written consent prior to participation. Data were collected voluntarily, with consent for its use in the research.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe authors confirm that all participants in the human research provided their consent for the publication of the study findings in the journal.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClinical Trial Number:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Not applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting Interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo safeguard participants\u0026apos; privacy, the datasets generated and analyzed in this study are not publicly available but can be obtained from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors Contributions \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDN: Conceptualization, study design, data analysis and interpretation, manuscript writing, review, and editing. TH and TT: Made equal contributions to this research, including conceptualization, validation, supervision, review and editing, and guidance throughout the study. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbraha, M. (2024). Effects of concept mapping on students\u0026rsquo; science learning: Secondary schools of Habru Woreda, Amhara Region\u0026ndash;Ethiopia. \u003cem\u003eCogent Education, 11\u003c/em\u003e(1), 2426109. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2426109\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbza, A., Wodaj, H., \u0026amp; Edessa, S. (2022). Effects of guided inquiry-based model on pre-service biology teachers\u0026rsquo; attitude towards invertebrate zoology learning. \u003cem\u003eAquademia, 6\u003c/em\u003e(2), Article ep22007. https://doi.org/10.30935/aquademia/12360\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAhmad, N. J., \u0026amp; Muzafar, N. (2025). 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Images of global issues in secondary school biology textbooks of Ethiopia. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Futures Studies, 28\u003c/em\u003e(3), 65\u0026ndash;68. https://doi.org/10.6531/JFS.202403_28(3).0005\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Guided Inquiry-Based Learning, 5E Model, Biology Attitudes, Enthusiasm, Curiosity, Self-Efficacy","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7747572/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7747572/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eStudents\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward science play a crucial role in fostering engagement, deeper learning, and future career development. This study examined the effects of Guided Inquiry-Based Learning (GIBL) with the 5E model on Grade 10 students\u0026rsquo; attitudes toward biology in Mattu, Ethiopia. A quasi-experimental pretest\u0026ndash;posttest design with nonequivalent groups was used, supplemented by semi-structured interviews. The study involved 105 students (52 in the experimental group and 53 in the control group) and focused on enthusiasm, curiosity, self-efficacy, and career motivation. Results indicated significant improvements in the experimental group for enthusiasm (t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.72, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.65), curiosity (t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;7.84, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.55), and self-efficacy (t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;6.90, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.48), while career motivation remained unchanged (t(51)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.14, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.890, η\u0026sup2; = 0.00). Factorial ANOVA revealed significant main effects of Group on enthusiasm (F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;142.3, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.58), curiosity (F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;98.7, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.49), and self-efficacy (F(1,103)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;76.2, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, η\u0026sup2; = 0.41), with no significant effects of Gender or Group \u0026times; Gender interactions. Qualitative findings reinforced these results, with students reporting that hands-on, investigative tasks enhanced engagement, curiosity, and confidence, though career aspirations were minimally affected. These outcomes suggest that GIBL with the 5E model fosters positive, gender-equitable attitudes and promotes active learning. The findings underscore the importance of inquiry-based instruction in enhancing student engagement and confidence, and suggest that complementary strategies, such as mentorship and hands-on scientific experiences, are needed to foster students\u0026rsquo; sustained interest and career development in science.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Effect of the Guided Inquiry Model with 5E on Secondary Students’ Attitudes toward Biology in Mattu, Ethiopia","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-13 14:28:16","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7747572/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"0891ac63-cd9f-46f6-8f93-115f561e04ab","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 13th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-21T11:51:01+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-13 14:28:16","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7747572","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7747572","identity":"rs-7747572","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}