<![CDATA[This study aims to examine the effect of applying the rational inquiry strategy combined with the guided discovery style on the development of mental imagery and layup shooting skills in basketball among students. The researchers adopted an experimental approach, considering its suitability to the research problem. The sample consisted of 80 second-year morning study students at the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Anbar. Data were collected and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings revealed that the rational inquiry strategy with guided discovery significantly enhanced students’ mental imagery, which in turn contributed to improvements in their layup shooting performance. The strategy provided learners with an active role in the lesson, encouraging exploration, problem-solving, and visualization of movement sequences. Consequently, students demonstrated better coordination, accuracy, and confidence in executing basketball layup techniques. The study concludes that integrating rational inquiry with guided discovery is an effective pedagogical approach in physical education, particularly for skill-based learning. The researchers recommend diversifying instructional strategies that empower learners to actively engage in the learning process, thereby fostering both cognitive and psychomotor development in sports education.]]>
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