Introduction

Topic: Effectiveness of Activity-Based GuidedInquiry for Teaching Kinematics in Physics in a Lower Secondary Classroom.

Rationale
Many Physics concept such as Kinematics are not easy to teach nor easy for students to grasp. Current pedagogical practices and curriculum constraints do not provide adequate support to students learning Physics. The rationale of this study is to ascertain whether the use of activitybased inquiry-guided lessons can aid in the understanding of the topic of Kinematics in Physics.

Purpose
The aim of this study is to investigate whether the use of activity-based guided-inquiry in teaching a unit of Physics, Kinematics, will have an effect on students academic performance in Physics as well as attitude towards Physics.

Research Questions
1. What is the effect of using activity-based guidedinquiry on students ability to interpret the idea of at rest in a distance-time graph and speed-time graph of an object? 2. What is the effect of using activity-based guidedinquiry on students ability to interpret the idea of slope in a distance-time graph and a speed-time graph of an object? 3. What was students attitude towards the use of inquiry-guided activities for learning of Kinematics?

Literature Review
Wong, T. K. (2012). Effectiveness of Computer Animations for Teaching Kinematics in Physics at a Secondary School. M Ed Dissertation from National Institute of Education. Ting, H. C. (2009). Effect of Use of Robotic Activities in the Teaching of Kinematics on Students Attitude towards Physics and Academic Achievement in Physics. M Ed Dissertation from National Institute of Education. Rubn Mitnik et al. (2009) Collaborative robotic instruction: A graph teaching experience. Computers & Education, Volume 53, Issue 2. Nielsen, W. S. et al. (2009), Metacognitive engagement during field-trip experiences: A case study of students in an amusement park physics program. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 46: 265288.

Literature Review
Common difficulties students have with interpreting and constructing graphs in Physics has been well established in research.

Research shows that despite the level of previous experience working with graphs, students of all ages have difficulties comprehending them (Leinhardt, Zaslavsky, & Stein, 1990; McDermott et al., 1987). Regarding kinematics, students experience a series of difficulties when making connections between graphs and both, physical concepts and the real world (Linn, Layman, & Nachmias, 1987; McDermott et al., 1987).

Literature Review
Studies have shown that students often emerge from traditional physics courses with serious misconceptions regarding kinematics (Arons, 1990; McDermott, 1984, 1991; Trowbridge & McDermott, 1980). Even students who show good understanding of these concepts present trouble when confronted to graphical problems. Thus, most of the errors made by these students can be primarily ascribed to an inability to interpret graphs rather than to an inadequate experience with these concepts (McDermott et al., 1987). These graphical problems cannot be attributed to inadequate preparation in mathematics, since students who have no trouble plotting points and computing slopes often cannot apply their graphing knowledge to physics (McDermott et al., 1987).

Literature Review
Inquiry based learning (IBL) is a constructivist approach where knowledge is created by individuals through their own experiences due to their curiosity to promote scientific investigation in solving real world problems. Successful implementation of IBL requires more than just questioning techniques it involves a complex process of questioning, data gathering, critical thinking and problem solving skills to discover new and useful knowledge (Bell et al, 2005).

Literature Review
A review of the literature attests that students active engagement of metacognition is key to developing deeper conceptual understanding (Anderson & Nashon, 2007; Baird & White, 1996; Flavell, 1987; Gunstone, 1994; Mintzes&Wandersee, 1998; Nashon&Anderson, 2004; White, 1993, 1998). Quite often, there is a temptation to limit the conception of student learning to school or classroom settings. Emergent studies have continued to demonstrate the cross-contextual nature of learning, which is holistic and real - school field trip visits to places such as amusement parks, science centers and museums are among the important learning sites, outside the classroom, where students can manage and direct their own learning (Griffin & Symington, 1997; Hisasaka, Anderson, Nashon, & Yagi, 2005).