Development and Validation of a Science Workbook for Grade 10 Students and Analysis of Least Mastered Skills

Science education provides skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and scientific literacy; however, most Grade 10 learners find it challenging to acquire important science competencies, leading to poor academic performance. This study applied a combination of mixed-methods research using an explanatory sequential approach and the one-group pretest–posttest design to determine the effectiveness of the science workbook in enhancing the performance of students. A sample size of 124 Grade 10 learners participated in the research. Data analysis for quantitative data was done using the mean, mean percentage score (MPS), and paired-samples t-test, while analysis of qualitative data collected through interviews used Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis technique, with Otter.ai used for transcribing the interview responses. Pre-intervention, the MPS for the students was 57.34%, which is Approaching Proficiency, while that of the posttest was 81.80%, which is Moving Toward Mastery. There were statistically significant gains in all the competencies tested (p < .05). From the qualitative data analysis, it is clear that the workbook helped learners in developing conceptual understanding and science knowledge. The study thus recommends incorporating scaffolding, context-based, and interactive learning approaches in science instruction.