REFORMING SECONDARY CHEMISTRY EDUCATION: COMMUNITY-CONTACT BASED, INTERDISCIPLINARY, AND PROJECT-BASED PEDAGOGIES
Keywords:
Chemistry Education Reform, Project-Based Learning, Interdisciplinary Learning, Community-Based Learning, Nigerian Secondary Education, Sustainable Development GoalsAbstract
Chemistry education globally and specifically in countries like
Nigeria has long been experienced several challenges of poor
performance, disengagement, and inadequate preparation of
students for applications. The traditional teaching methods that
involvesrote learning have been contributing to the poor
performance of students in chemistry by not encouraging critical
thinking skills or positive attitude development. This position paper
persuasively argues that different innovative approaches such as
Community-Contact-Based Learning (CBL), Interdisciplinary
Learning (IDL), and Project-Based Learning (PBL), are required to
revise secondary school teaching of chemistry because they are
student centered and promote student critical thinking skills, that are
needed by every student to contribute meaningfully to the
development of their immediate environment. Based on meta
analyses and empirical research, these approaches evidence their
higher effectiveness not only in advancing key learning outcomes like
academic achievement, critical thinking skills, engagement, application skills, attitudes, and retention but also outperforming
existing traditional learning environments. For example, PBL has
large effect sizes for academic achievement, IDL creates synthesis
between subjects, and CBL increases engagement by applying
concepts gained to everyday life as identified by various researchers.
These methods, which have their roots in constructivist theories, are
motivated to provide sustainable education. which has been shown to
support climate action and high-quality education (SDGs Goals 4
and 13, respectively), which all students who are exposed to these
strategies typically accomplish. Fo this to be accomplish, to support
the implementation, training, and integration into the policies
needed to guarantee change in the way teacher teach chemistry. The
method and its implications for developing students into critical
thinking and problem solvers are supported by literature both local
and international, which discuss the urgent need for reforms to
improve teaching and learning of chemistry in secondary school.
