Inquiry-Based Science Teaching and Its Impact on Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: A Meta-Analysis of STEM Education

This meta-analysis study, an Inquiry-based science education (IBSE), has been gaining increasing popularity as a strong pedagogy to develop students' problem-solving and critical thinking abilities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. This meta-analysis combines evidences from 40 various review articles and empirical studies that have appeared in prestigious research journals between 2016–2025 to analyse the impact of IBSE on the development of students' cognitive skills, i.e., their problem-solving ability and critical thinking skills. The research explores the relative quality of different kinds of inquiry, i.e., guided and open-ended inquiry, and identifies noteworthy determinants making IBST impactful in building such abilities. Research shows that IBST enhances significantly the critical thinking and problem-solving ability of the students with medium to large effect sizes at every level of education, from primary to tertiary. In addition, the research highlights teacher facilitation, planning of inquiry-based activities, and technology integration as the factors that help obtain the highest benefit in IBST. The student motivation and involvement also emerged as significant factors driving the success of IBST. These results hold insightful implications for education policy makers and educators to propel STEM education to new heights with the integration of inquiry-based approaches that stimulate higher-order skills in 21st-century.