Nigeria's shift toward competency-based curricula promises learner-centred science instruction, but implementation depends on what teachers actually do. Drawing on classroom observation in 30 schools and document analysis of curriculum guides, this study finds a persistent gap between stated competency outcomes and examination-driven classroom practice. The paper identifies assessment reform as the binding constraint on curriculum change.
Early-career attrition among science teachers is a persistent concern across African school systems. This systematic review synthesises 47 studies published between 2010 and 2024 on mentoring interventions for novice science teachers. Structured, subject-specific mentoring with protected time consistently outperformed informal pairing, though few studies measured retention beyond three years.
Using enrolment records from 2019 to 2024 across five south-eastern states, this study traces gender participation patterns in senior secondary science streams. Female enrolment in biology consistently exceeded male enrolment, while physics and further mathematics remained strongly male-dominated. The analysis links subject-level disparities to career guidance practice rather than measured ability differences.
This quasi-experimental study examined the effect of inquiry-based laboratory instruction on the academic achievement of senior secondary school students in chemistry. A sample of 214 SS2 students drawn from six secondary schools in Enugu State was assigned to experimental and control groups. Students taught using the inquiry-based approach achieved significantly higher post-test scores than those taught by conventional demonstration methods, and the effect was more pronounced among female students. The findings support wider adoption of guided inquiry in Nigerian chemistry laboratories, even where equipment is limited.
Pre-service physics teachers frequently enter the classroom carrying the same misconceptions about mechanics as their future students. This study investigated whether interactive digital simulations could shift conceptual understanding more effectively than textbook-based tutorials. Using a pre-test/post-test control group design with 96 undergraduates, simulation-supported instruction produced significantly larger conceptual gains on the Force Concept Inventory. Implications for teacher education curricula in low-bandwidth environments are discussed.
Classroom assessment shapes what students ultimately learn, yet teacher assessment literacy remains under-examined in Nigerian secondary education. This mixed-methods study surveyed 178 biology teachers and conducted follow-up interviews with 22 of them. While teachers reported confidence in constructing objective tests, analysis of their instruments revealed heavy reliance on recall-level items and limited use of formative feedback. The paper proposes a school-based professional development model targeted at assessment design.
Chronic equipment shortages limit practical science across much of sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluated a structured improvisation programme in which teachers built laboratory apparatus from locally available materials. Across twelve schools, students in improvisation classrooms demonstrated practical skill gains statistically indistinguishable from those in fully equipped comparison schools, at a fraction of the cost. The study argues that improvisation should be treated as a legitimate pedagogical competence rather than a stopgap.
This editorial introduces the special issue on laboratory practice in under-resourced schools and argues that the field has too often imported assumptions about practical work from well-equipped Northern contexts without examining their fit.
