THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IBL IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ RESEARCH COMPETENCE.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/Keywords:
IBL, research competence, higher education, research skills, scaffolding, critical thinkingAbstract
This review examines the effectiveness of IBL for developing research competence among higher education students. Research competence is defined as an integrated capacity to formulate researchable questions, search and evaluate information, generate hypotheses, select methods, collect and analyse data, draw evidence-based conclusions, communicate findings, and reflect on limitations. A structured narrative search focused on publications from 2000 to 2026, supplemented by earlier landmark works when necessary. Search concepts combined inquiry learning, undergraduate or higher education, research skills or competence, scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and scaffolding. Source identity and bibliographic data were checked through publisher pages, DOI records, ERIC, and PubMed. Meta-analyses, systematic and scoping reviews, quasi-experimental studies, and higher education course or laboratory evaluations were synthesized. The evidence indicates that IBL can strengthen research skills, evidence evaluation, data interpretation, scientific communication, and research confidence when authentic inquiry processes are embedded in instruction. Its effects are conditional rather than automatic. Guidance, progressive autonomy, transparent assessment criteria, feedback, adequate time, and alignment with learners’ prior knowledge are central. Unguided open inquiry may overload novices. A staged progression from structured to guided and then open inquiry is therefore recommended. The review concludes that IBL is a promising approach to research competence development, while noting that many studies rely on self-report measures, single-institution samples, and short follow-up periods.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Мерей Бекжан, В.Н. Есенхан (Автор)
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