AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF BASIC SCIENCE LABORATORY EQUIPMENT AND STUDENTS PERFORMANCE ON CHANGES IN MATTER IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF BASIC SCIENCE LABORATORY EQUIPMENT AND STUDENTS PERFORMANCE ON CHANGES IN MATTER IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Fly leaf
Title page
Declaration
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Lists of tables
List of appendices
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Purpose of the study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the study
1.7 Delimitation of the study
1.8 Limitation of the study
1.9 Definition of Terms
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODS
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Area of the study
3.3 Population of the study
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique
3.5 Instrumentation
3.6 Validation of the Instrument
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument
3.8 Scoring
3.9 Research Procedure
3.10 Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Results (Presented in tables and interpreted)
4.2 Discussion of Result
4.3 Summary Finding
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Implications of the findings
5.4 Recommendations
5.5 Suggestion for Further Studies
5.6 References
5.7 Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Science is a very important aspect in the development of any nation. One of the ways of appreciating science teaching and learning is through effective laboratory instruction. The laboratory has long been a distinctive feature in science education. Its introduction has proved successful because students will go out from the laboratory able to “see and do” (Hofstein and Lunetta (2012).
Moreover, according to Thompson (2023) laboratory equipment plays a paramount role in the teaching and learning of science subjects and inevitably the student’s academic achievement in the subjects. Despite the effort, aimed at improving science education in Nigeria there has been in recent times a growing public anxiety about fallen standard of education especially in the science subjects like Basic Science.
In fact, one of the disturbing problems of the Nigerian education system is the inability of most of the students to perform well in examinations in most Nigerian public secondary schools (Okafor, 2014).
AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF BASIC SCIENCE LABORATORY EQUIPMENT AND STUDENTS PERFORMANCE ON CHANGES IN MATTER IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Without reservation, the role of the laboratory equipment becomes a key component in understanding basic science. Specifically, it provides students with the opportunities to questions, observes, samples experience and experiment with scientific phenomena in their quest for knowledge of living things. Also, availability of laboratory equipment could helps students connect to the object of study and increase students.
Participation laboratory equipment if available for teaching and learning can increase students’ interest in science and develop students understanding of scientific concepts and skills. It allows collaborative working and gives students the skills to tackle global challenges (Hofstein and Mamlok-Naaman, 2013). The absence or the insufficient supplies of these learning resources undoubtedly affect academic performance of students in science subjects.
Obviously, teachers can only achieve their aspirations if enough laboratory equipment for teaching and learning of Basic Science are available. Thus, for learning to be effective the optimal utilization of laboratory equipment are of great importance for a subject like Basic Science. The availability and utilization of basic science laboratory equipment and students performance on changes in matter in secondary schools.
Passive learning through lectures and textbooks reading may not provide a lasting understanding or interest in a field of study. Students should be able to use laboratory equipment with proficiency to investigate changes in matter and function. Effective utilization of laboratory equipment helps students to be more effectively “minds on as well as hands on” when the fell they understand how the equipment they are using works (Dahar, Faize, Niwaz and Dahar, 2015).
There is a need of science laboratory in schools because practical knowledge is more important than theoretical knowledge, the concepts which are not clear in a classroom are easily understand by students by doing simple experiments and the experiments which is to be performed is remembered and retained for longtime (Adesoji and Olatunbosun, 2012). The science laboratory experience increases the research aptitude of the students and thus making the bright future of students. Therefore, it is against this background that this study is setup to examine the difference between the availability and utilization of Basic Science laboratory equipment and students performance.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The study investigates the availability and utilization of Basic Science laboratory equipment as they affect students’ performance in secondary schools. Studies have shown that students perform poorly in science subjects including Basic Science. Lack of equipment and ineffective use of these materials are some of the reasons advanced for poor performance of students in Basic Science this is because practical work constitutes an integral part of science teaching and if the equipment are not there, the teaching of science will be mainly verbalization of words without adequate practicals.
Also, students are not sufficiently exposed to practical in schools and this attitude has rendered science teaching in many of our secondary schools into “chalk-talk” affair. Students hear when you teach them, they see when you demonstrate and they understand when they practice. The availability and utilization of basic science laboratory equipment and students performance on changes in matter in secondary schools.
However, from the foregoing, there is a strong indicative that academic achievements of science students are a correlates of learning resources available at their disposal in the environment of instructions. Hence, a careful and cautious attention be accorded to it if we want to build and sustain scientists of the future in Nigeria. Therefore, based on these facts, the study seeks to examine the availability and utilization of basic science laboratory equipment and students performance on changes in matter in secondary schools.
1.3 Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to examine the availability and utilization of basic science laboratory equipment and students performance on changes in matter in secondary schools. Specifically the study will:
- Determine the difference between the availability and utilization of Basic Science laboratory equipment and students’ academic performance.
- Determine the difference between the availability and utilization of Basic Science laboratory equipment and academic performance of male and female students.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions guided this study:
- What differences exist among the mean achievement scores between availability and utilization of Basic Science laboratory equipment and students performance?
- What differences exist among the mean achievement scores between availability and utilization of Basic Science laboratory equipment and performance of male and female students?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
- There is no significant difference between availability and utilization of Basic Science laboratory equipment and students’ academic performance.
- There is no significant difference between the availability and utilization of Basic Science laboratory equipment and academic performance of male and female students.
1.6 Significance of the study
This research will be important in the following ways:
Firstly, it will highlight what effect laboratory equipment has on academic achievement of secondary school students in basic science.
Secondly, it will expose basic science teachers to the rudiment of utilization of available laboratory equipment in the teaching-learning of basic science in secondary schools.
Also, Government through the ministry of education can now assess the level of availability of laboratory equipment and the need for provision of adequate laboratory equipment necessary for the teaching of basic science in our secondary school for the effective teaching of basic science.
Limitation of the study
The researcher expected to face the following challenges; first lack of enough time as the researcher attended his working station while doing research. Also, the second challenge was a shortage of money. Furthermore, the third challenge was that some targeted respondents showed oppositions. Thus the researcher was patient and try to convince them. The availability and utilization of basic science laboratory equipment and students performance on changes in matter in secondary schools.
Definition of Terms
Availability: In brief, this is the tendency for equipment to be readily available in the schools for used.
Utilization: The process of using that equipment especially for practical purposes.
Laboratory: A room or building used for scientific research, experiment and testing.
Matter: Anything that has weight and occupied space, there changes are solid, liquid and gas.
Conclusion
From the finding of this study, it is obvious that the teaching of science subjects and indeed basic science is being threatened due to lack of relevant and effective utilization of equipment. The study concluded that science laboratory with adequate quality of output from Junior Secondary Schools Basic Science. It is hoped that the findings of this study would form the basis for further research into poor performances of students in Basic Science Junior School Certificate Examination.
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