INFLUENCE OF LABORATORY MANAGEMENT ON TEACHING AND LEARNING OF BIOLOGY PRACTICALS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN AWKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of laboratory management on teaching and learning of Biology practicals in secondary schools in Awka South Local Government Area. The major purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of laboratory management on teaching and learning of Biology practicals. The study was guided by five research questions. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of the study was 1,325 senior secondary school II (SS2) students and 58 Biology teachers in the 20 public secondary schools in Awka South Local Government Area. The sample for this study were 198 respondents, comprising 140 students and 58 teachers randomly selected from 20 secondary schools using multi-stage sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire known as "Influence of Laboratory Management on Teaching and Learning of Biology Practicals Questionnaire (ILMTLBPQ)" consisting of 30 questionnaire items. The instrument was validated by three experts and the reliability estimate of 0.82 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha Technique. Arithmetic Mean was used to analyze the data collected. The findings revealed that laboratory management practices such as keeping of inventory, safety procedures, and storage of chemicals and so on are observed to some extent, others such as regular maintenance, supervision, and proper documentation of usage are poorly handled. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that schools provide regular supply of consumables, periodic maintenance of equipment, training and retraining of laboratory staff, adequate funding, and inclusion of students in simple management duties for effective Biology practicals.