Developing and Testing a Culturally Sensitive Constructivist Laboratory Pedagogy Model for Secondary Chemistry Education in Southern Nigeria

This study developed and tested a Culturally Sensitive Constructivist Laboratory Pedagogy Model for secondary Chemistry education in Southern Nigeria. Existing laboratory pedagogy models inadequately account for the cultural learning styles, indigenous chemical knowledge practices, and resource constraints characteristic of Southern Nigerian educational contexts. A design-based research methodology was employed across three iterative development cycles. Schools in Rivers, Edo, Cross River, Anambra, and Lagos States participated in successive cycles involving model conceptualisation, expert review, school-based piloting, and systematic refinement. Data sources included field observation notes, teacher reflective journals, student interviews, and Chemistry achievement measures. Model components were iteratively refined based on design testing feedback from 45 Chemistry teachers and 300 students. The final model integrates four pedagogical principles: contextual relevance, guided peer inquiry, cultural knowledge bridging, and adaptive resource utilisation. Confirmatory testing in 10 schools showed significant Chemistry achievement gains and positive attitude shifts in model-implementing schools. The developed model represents an original design contribution to chemistry laboratory pedagogy literature in Southern Nigeria. It is recommended for dissemination through state teacher education networks and inclusion in Chemistry teacher preparation curricula. Keywords: laboratory pedagogy model, constructivist chemistry, design-based research, Southern Nigeria, culturally sensitive instruction.