Laboratory Facilities Availabilities and Effective Teaching of Chemistry in Secondary Schools

Laboratory Facilities Availabilities and Effective Teaching of Chemistry in Secondary Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine availability of laboratory facilities for effective teaching and learning of Biology in Secondary Schools in Esit Eket L.G.A. Three research questions were formulated to guide the study. Survey research design was adopted for this study.

This population for this study were all the Biology teachers and all SS2 Biology students in the study area. Sample size of ten (10) Biology teachers and four hundred and thirty (430) SS2 students were drawn from all the five schools that was selected using simple random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was checklist and questionnaire while the data collected were analyzed using simple percentage statistical tool.

The result revealed that laboratory facilities are not available to a great extent for effective teaching and learning of Biology in Secondary Schools in Esit Eket L.G.A. It was also revealed that laboratory facilities enhance effective teaching and learning of Biology in Secondary Schools in Esit Eket L.G.A.

Laboratory Facilities Availabilities and Effective Teaching of Chemistry in Secondary Schools

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

The laboratory has been given a central and distinctive role in chemistry education and chemistry educators have suggested that rich benefits in learning, accrue from using laboratory facilities. The success of chemistry education is associated with the use of laboratory facilities. A chemistry laboratory is a chemical building where one can perform in actual the different reactions that have been learnt in the books or heard in lectures.

Laboratory facilities are needed in all its ramifications for the purpose of achieving specific goals, and aid or facility can be used for instructional process and development. It is therefore imperative for teachers to use instructional aides to make their teaching more interesting, effective to arouse and sustain more attention of the students for effective learning to take place.

The chemistry laboratory is one of the most interesting and rewarding academic experiences one encounters, it is one of those experiences that will enable one to interpret the principles and apply the calculations presented in the textbook and lecture to the collected data in the laboratory. Chemistry has been taught in our schools in the past by the traditional talk-chalk process which confers on the teacher as the “know all machine”.

Laboratory is a room, building or part of a building that is specially built for teaching by demonstration of theoretical phenomenon into practical terms. The laboratory experience enables students to translate what seems to be abstract into practical realities, thereby enhancing their understanding of the learning process.

The study of Chemistry in Secondary schools takes place in laboratories, this is enable easy access and usage of material resources stocked in the laboratory for teaching and learning, not only during practical classes, but also during normal classroom teaching. The laboratory method is an individual or group activity involving two-ways approach namely the exercise approach and the experiential approach.

Laboratory Facilities Availabilities and Effective Teaching of Chemistry in Secondary Schools

The science laboratory has a direct effect on both students’ attitudes and academic performance as per the instructional theory of learning interaction. It is generally believed that constant practice leads to proficiency in what the learner learns during classroom instruction; hence, the dictum “practice makes perfect” (Hager, 2013).

The quality of teaching and learning experience depends on the extent of the adequacy of laboratory facilities in secondary schools and the teacher’s effectiveness in the use of laboratory facilities with the aim of facilitating and providing meaningful learning experiences in the learners. Investigating the relationship between adequacy and academic performance in chemistry, Akpan (2006) examined the adequacy of laboratory facilities using frequency counts and percentages.

The extent of adequacy of laboratory facilities for science teaching depends on the population of students in a particular school (Stuckey 2013). I would argue that for students to learn effectively, teachers should ensure that adequate laboratory facilities are provided.

Okoli and Osuafor (2010), pointed out that laboratory experimental approach offers students the opportunity to develop scientific skills and attitude such as objectivity, formulation of hypothesis, analyzing of data, critical thinking, carefulness and making inference. Scientific skills can be effectively developed if chemistry laboratory facilities are adequately available and utilized.

Laboratory Facilities Availabilities and Effective Teaching of Chemistry in Secondary Schools

Umeh (2014) refers to facilities as those materials or tools that can be used to enhance or improve educational programmes and promotes teaching and importance of laboratory facilities in the teaching and learning of Chemistry, therefore, it is necessary that these facilities should be made available for effective utilization.

Ihaurulam (2016) observed that there are inadequate facilities  for teaching and learning of science subjects in public secondary schools in Nigeria. He further stated that where there are little facilities available, most of the available facilities are not in good condition. That is majority of the available laboratory facilities are not functional. Therefore, this study seek to access extend of laboratory facilities availabilities and teaching of Chemistry in secondary schools in Etinan Local Government Area.

Laboratory Facilities Availabilities and Effective Teaching of Chemistry in Secondary Schools

• Statement of the Problem

In recent years, manpower and money have been devoted in effort to improve science teaching in the schools because of the decrease in standard of education. In Nigeria, despite this, West Africa examination council (WAEC) chief examiner report (2010) stated that students perform poorly in chemistry, many factors may be responsible for this development and one of such factors may be the teacher’s qualification and ability to use chemistry laboratory facilities to teach organic chemistry or lack of availability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry before the students’ final examination.

In this present era, there has been shortage of teachers with good knowledge of ways of imparting scientific knowledge and results have shown that laboratory method of teaching science subject helps to increase our students’ scientific skills and knowledge acquisition. Based on the above there will be obvious adverse effect of not exposing the students to sufficient laboratory work before they sit for external examinations. This study sought to examine laboratory facilities availabilities and teaching of Chemistry in secondary schools in Etinan Local Government Area.

Laboratory Facilities Availabilities and Effective Teaching of Chemistry in Secondary Schools

• Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study is to examine laboratory facilities availabilities and teaching of Chemistry in secondary schools in Etinan Local Government Area. Specially, the study aimed at:

1. Access the extent of laboratory facilities availability for effective teaching of chemistry in secondary schools in Etinan Local Government Area.
2. determine how the teachers make use of available laboratory facilities for effective teaching of Chemistry in secondary schools in Etinan Local Government Area.

• Examine the challenges facing the availability and use of laboratory facilities for teaching of chemistry in secondary schools in Etinan Local Government Area.

Laboratory Facilities Availabilities and Effective Teaching of Chemistry in Secondary Schools

• • Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study:

1. Ascertain the extent of availability of laboratory facilities and the teaching of chemistry in secondary schools in Etinan local government area.
2. Determine how far the teacher’s make use of available laboratory facilities for teaching of chemistry in secondary schools in Etinan Local Government Area .

• Determine the challenges facing the availability and use of laboratory facilities for teaching of chemistry in secondary schools in Etinan Local Government Area.

Laboratory Facilities Availabilities and Effective Teaching of Chemistry in Secondary Schools

• • Significance of the Study

Since every well research work is to solve an existing problem, the study will be of great important to teachers, curriculum planners, the government and society at large. This present research will help in obtaining useful information concerning the availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching of chemistry in secondary schools.

The result obtained will provide relevant information on factors that influence laboratory facilities available and the teaching of Chemistry in senior secondary school.

In the area of teachers it will help them to know the importance of using available chemistry laboratory facilities for the teaching of chemistry.

To school administrators it will give room for amendment or correction in the area of availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching chemistry.

It will be of benefit to government towards distributing necessary facilities that will help in the effective teaching of chemistry.

The result of this study will enable the Chemistry students to see the need for effective maintenance and utilization of the available laboratory facilities.

This work will also add to the existing literature on the laboratory facilities availability and the teaching of chemistry in senior secondary schools.

• Delimitation of the Study

This is study is delimited to laboratory facilities and the teaching of chemistry in secondary schools in Etinan Local Government Area. The population are all the Chemistry teachers and SS2 Chemistry students in the study Area.

• Limitation of the Study

The following challenges were contorted by the researcher:

1. Financial Constraint: Due to the high cost of transportation of visiting all the selected schools for this study finance was a great problem to the researcher.
2. Time Constraint: The period of the time given for the completion of the study was not sufficient based on the fact that the researcher had other school activities to carryout as at the time of the study.

• School Location: Most of the schools visited by the researcher were located in the rural areas. So bad road network was a problem.

Laboratory Facilities Availabilities and Effective Teaching of Chemistry in Secondary Schools

• • Definition of Terms

The following terms were defined as they are utilize in this study.

1. Laboratory Facilities: These are both the human and materials resources used in teaching and learning of practical biology.
2. Availability: This is the quality or state of being obtainable.
3. Teaching: This is the process of transferring knowledge from the teacher to the learners in a manner that will lead to the achievement of the lesson’s objectives.
4. Chemistry: This is a branch of science that studies the composition and properties of matter and the changes it undergoes.

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