Abstract
Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is one of the ways to acquire scientific skills and thus also scientific literacy. This research focuses on how the students perceive the level of integration of IBL aspects into the teaching of biology in the topic of owls.
The aim of this research was to find out how the students perceive lessons with different IBL integration in terms of attractiveness, usefulness and the development of communication skills and intellectual skills, specifically collaboration and information processing. Three lessons on the topic of owls were developed, one at the level of structured IBL, the other guided IBL and the third without IBL elements. 87 lower-secondary school students (7th grade) took part in the research.
A questionnaire with 9 Likert scale questions was used after each lesson. Based on a quantitative analysis, it was found that the students are aware of the benefits of IBL in some monitored aspects.
These results are alike to similar studies conducted on university and high school students. Awareness of these benefits is important for students' internal motivation.