THE INFLUENCE OF SCHOOL CLIMATE ON THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF QUALITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN GHANA

Purpose: This study investigated the influence of school climate and infrastructure on learners’ understanding of Qualitative Chemical Analysis (QCA) in senior high schools in Ghana. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was grounded in the Input–Process– Output model, School Climate Theory, and Social Constructivist Theory, and employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. It used questionnaires to collect data from 499 students. Proportional stratified random sampling selected nine public senior high schools across three educational zones in Ghana. Analyses included descriptive statistics and inferential techniques. Findings: Laboratory infrastructure was generally inadequate across the sampled schools. Regression analysis showed that school infrastructure did not significantly predict learners’ understanding of qualitative chemical analysis. In contrast, interpersonal relationships were the strongest and most significant predictor, while school safety had a smaller but statistically significant effect. These results indicate that psychosocial factors are more influential than physical infrastructure in shaping learners’ understanding of QCA in resource-constrained contexts. Research Limitation: The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and reliance on self-reported data may introduce response bias. Practical Implication: The findings underscore the importance of policymakers and school leaders prioritising both infrastructure improvements and school climate enhancement. Social Implication: Enhancing school climate and safety is likely to improve student engagement and learning outcomes in science. Originality / Value: This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that interpersonal relationships and school safety exert greater influence on learners’ understanding of qualitative chemical analysis than infrastructure in resource-limited educational contexts.