science students’ academic performance in Otukpo LGA, Benue State. Quasi-experimental

research design, specifically, pre-test post-test non-equivalent, non-randomized control group

design was adopted. A sample of 72 students drawn from a population of 1,832 was used for the

study. Two research questions were raised and answered in the study using mean and standard

deviation while two hypotheses formulated were tested using Analyisis of Covariance (ANCOVA)

at 0.05 level of significant. The instrument for data gathering was a validated Basic Science

Performance Test (BSPT). It had reliability coefficient of 0.91 determined using Richard

Kuderson 20 (K-R20) method. Students in both groups were given pre-test before instruction.

During the instruction, the same content was presented to the two groups for a period of four

weeks and thereafter, a post-test was administered. The findings of the study revealed that the

students in guided inquiry strategy outperformed their counterparts in demonstration method.

[F(1,69) = 15.915; p = 0.000 < 0.05], the results also showed that gender had no significant

effect on mean performance scores of students taught Basic Science using guided inquiry strategy

[ F(1,35) = 0.223; p = 0.640 > 0.05]. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others

that guided inquiry strategy should be employed for teaching Basic science to enhance their

performance.