SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FOR CHEMISTRY EDUCATION AND PUPILS LEARNING OUTCOMES IN CHEMISTRY SUBJECT IN PUBLIC SECONDARY DAY SCHOOLS IN RWANDAA CASE OF RUTSIRO DISTRICT
Authors:   MED Student, Mount Kenya University, Rwanda., Agnes Nyirarukundo , O. Andala Hesbon ,   Senior Lecturer, Mount Kenya University, Rwanda.
Published: November 2024

This research examined students learning results in chemistry courses in public higher-day schools in Rwanda as well as the creation of infrastructure for chemistry education in those schools. In particular, the study defined the infrastructure development for chemistry education in Rwandan public secondary day schools, examined the impact of this infrastructure development on students chemistry learning outcomes, and ascertained the correlation between the two. The study used both qualitative and quantitative techniques in a mixed-methods approach. A total of 662 respondents, comprising 175 instructors and 483 pupils in Rutsiro District, 1 District Director of Education, 1 District Education Officer, and 2 Sector Education Inspectors, were the studys target population. Using Slovins formula, the researcher calculated the sample size of 249 respondents. A pilot study was taken into consideration, and questionnaires and documentation research procedures were employed as instruments of data collecting. Respondents were selected by purposive selecting for district education officials and random sampling for students and instructors. SPSS version 21 was used to evaluate the data, and conclusions were drawn from the responses provided by the participants. Regarding the first objective, the findings show that: 95.3% of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that the chemistry education infrastructure in public secondary schools is well-developed and used effectively 90.5% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that facilities and the infrastructure required for chemistry education are available for learning and teaching chemistry subjects in public secondary schools and 85.7% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that chemistry teachers in public secondary schools are properly trained to use laboratory equipment in conducting scientific experiments in chemistry subjects. Regarding the second goal, the study finds that 98.2% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that your schools chemistry students now learn more in their classes due to the laboratories and equipment that the schools have developed for chemistry education 82.1 percent strongly agreed or agreed that having well-functioning schools has improved students attention to chemistry concepts and 85.2 percent strongly agreed or agreed that students now have more access to chemistry-related educational resources and materials because of the development of schools infrastructure for chemistry education. Since the p-value for the third aim, which is the creation of school infrastructure for chemistry teaching, is less than 0.05, the results have a positive significance for students learning outcomes in chemistry. The development of chemistry education infrastructure in Rwanda is crucial for students learning outcomes. Recommendations include establishing well-equipped laboratories with modern equipment, ensuring safety measures, designating classrooms for chemistry education, stocking the school library with relevant resources, building a central science laboratory, providing teacher training, collaborating with educational authorities to develop a curriculum aligned with international standards, and establishing a system for assessing students progress in chemistry. These measures will help improve the countrys chemistry education infrastructure and support students in achieving better learning outcomes. The researcher suggested that the next study should focus on addressing gender disparities in chemistry education strategies to promote gender equity in public secondary schools.