Abstract
This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of inquiry-based learning environment, metacognitive awareness, and critical thinking on the scientific attitudes of first-year college students enrolled in three colleges of Davao de Oro. Using a descriptive correlational design with path analysis, the study examined the interconnectedness of these variables. The results indicate that an inquiry-based learning environment, metacognitive awareness, and critical thinking significantly predict students’ scientific attitudes. Notably, the best-fit model shows that metacognitive awareness exerts a substantial influence on inquiry-based learning environment, metacognitive awareness, and critical thinking, emphasizing its foundational role in shaping these factors. While metacognitive awareness and an inquiry-based learning environment have a modest effect on scientific attitudes, critical thinking has a comparatively greater impact. Overall, the model effectively captures the relationships among these variables, reflecting a coherent, well-fitting structure. These findings imply that cultivating metacognitive awareness, promoting an inquiry-based learning environment, and strengthening critical thinking can synergistically enhance students’ scientific attitudes, ultimately supporting deeper engagement and more effective science learning.
