The purpose of this study was to investigate how mastery-oriented inquiry-based education influences the help-seeking attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors of middle-school students after participating in a 5-week intervention program. Four eighth-grade science classes consisting of 123 students in one middle-school in the San Francisco Bay area were selected as a convenience sample. The sample was culturally diverse with no students receiving special education services and seven English Language learners. Help-seeking altitudes and perceptions were assessed using help-seeking scales (general, instrumental, expedient, threat, avoidance, formal, and informal) before and after students participated in an inquiry-based 5-week intervention unit. Help-seeking behaviors were assessed daily during using the homework- and classwork-checklist sheet. Eight students identified with high instrumental and high expedient help-seeking scores were used to form four groups (homogeneous instrumental, homogeneous expedient, and two heterogeneous). Help-seeking attitudes and perceptions (general, instrumental, expedient, formal, and informal) were assessed from pretest to posttest. Help-seeking behaviors were assessed daily during using the homework- and classwork-checklist sheet. Group-level observations were completed weekly. Dependent-samples t tests were conducted to examine the mean differences in pretest and posttest scores on the seven help-seeking scales after the intervention was administered. The "t"-test analyses revealed statistically significant decreases in scores on help-seeking threat. help-seeking avoidance, and expedient help seeking, whereas "t"-test analyses revealed a statistically significant increase in informal help seeking at posttest in comparison with pretest scores. For homogeneous instrumental students, decreases occurred in general, instrumental, expedient, and informal help seeking; for homogeneous expedient students, decreases occurred in instrumental and expedient help seeking; and increases occurred in general, formal, and informal help seeking for homogeneous expedient students from pretest to posttest. For heterogeneous-instrumental students, decreases occurred for general, expedient, formal, and informal help seeking, and an increase occurred in instrumental help seeking. For heterogeneous-expedient students, increases occurred in general, instrumental, formal, and informal help seeking, and a decrease occurred for expedient help seeking. Students made more help-seeking bids of peers than of any other source of help, especially in class. Instrumental students made more help-seeking bids than their expedient counterparts did. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]