A Neuroscience-Informed Digital Instructional Design Model for Improving Learning Retention in Under-Resourced Nigerian Secondary Schools

This study develops and validates a neuroscience-informed digital instructional design model for improving learning retention in under-resourced secondary schools in Nigeria, making an original contribution at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience, instructional design, and educational technology for low-resource contexts. Evidence on how digital instruction can leverage cognitive neuroscience principles such as spaced retrieval practice, interleaving, and desirable difficulties to enhance memory consolidation remains largely untranslated into design frameworks accessible to Nigerian educators. The study employs a design-based research methodology across five iterative cycles. Phase one synthesised current cognitive science evidence and adapted it through a Nigerian contextualisation workshop with 25 teachers and instructional designers from Lagos, Kano, and Rivers States. Phases two through five involved prototype development and field testing of the model in twelve secondary schools across North Central, South West, and South East zones, measuring learning retention at immediate post-test and four-week delayed test intervals. Repeated measures analysis of variance assessed retention differences between model-designed and conventionally designed lessons. Results confirm significantly superior delayed retention scores for lessons designed using the model across all three geopolitical zones. The final validated model, Neuroscience-Contextualised Digital Instruction for Nigerian Schools, provides actionable design principles operable within low-bandwidth and device-scarce environments. Keywords: instructional design, neuroscience, learning retention, secondary school, Nigeria