AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF BASIC SCIENCE LABORATORY FACILITIES IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS (A CASE STUDY OF AKOKO SOUTH WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ONDO STATE)

AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF BASIC SCIENCE LABORATORY FACILITIES IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS (A CASE STUDY OF AKOKO SOUTH WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ONDO STATE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

In Nigeria as well as in other countries, education is perceived as a tool for socio-economic and political developments and as such it is accorded the necessary attention.  This position is amplified in the Nigerian National Policy on Education, which stated that education is an instrument par excellence for effecting national development, (The National Policy of Education, 2004).  It is added further that education shall continue to be highly rated in the national development plans because education is the most important instrument of change and that any fundamental change in the intellectual and social outlook of any society has to be preceded by educational revolution. 

Recent study by Jekayinka (1998), Suleman Atiku (1997), Ajayi and Ayodele (2001), proved that adequate supply of instructional resources has significant effect on student’s performances and enhances the effectiveness of instructional delivery and supervision.  

However, there seems to be in Nigerian schools an alarming shortage and even complete absence of laboratory facilities.  UNESCO (1998), further stressed that monitoring of learning achievement report on the available instructional materials and facilities in the 960 sampled secondary schools across the country revealed.  NUC report as cited by ESCO (1998) stated that academic and physical facilities were in the deplorable states with insufficient lecture theatres/hall, laboratories and so on.

  Thus, one begins to wonder how some of this education scales the accreditation hurdle.  That is why Ijaiya (2001) opined that the quality of education being provided for the Nigerian child has become of concern and lamented on the rot in the educational system.  Also, Adeyemi and Igbenewaka (2001) observed that mismatch between growing enrolment and provision of facilities especially in respect of seats for student’s leads to overcrowding.  He added that overcrowding creates undue stress on available space and results in the creation of rowdy behaviours, hanging outside the classrooms and absence from activities around school premises.  All these have negative effects on teaching and learning process (NEEDS). But the workability of any Curriculum depends on the effective delivery which involves the learner, the teacher, resources and methods of teaching.

Again, the overall objectives of the new Basic Science and Technology Curriculum as outlined by Adeniyi (2007) are to enable the learner to:

a. Develop interest in science and technology;

b. Acquire basic skills in science and technology;

c. Apply their scientific and technological knowledge and skills to meet societal needs;

d. Take advantage of the numerous career opportunities offered by science and technology and;

e. Become prepared for further studies in science and technology.

The Basic Science Curriculum which is in use in Nigeria for science teaching and learning in Upper Basic Secondary School had built-in strategies where learners are required to be involved in inquiring and related activities that can develop critical thinking skills.

The new UBE Basic Science Curriculum can be said to be carefully planned, well written and documented, having all it takes to bring Socio-economic development through the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs), and the critical target of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies

In order to achieve the noble objectives of Basic Science Curriculum that can help to develop critical thinking skills, it should equip students with attributes as scientific enquiry, power of observation, and mastery of manipulative skills, creativity, resourcefulness and mechanical comprehension. It should translate from why of science to know-how, be activity oriented (Ezeliora, 2002, 2004). It is imperative therefore to employ methods of teaching that will inculcate in the learner, creative skills which will enable them to be enterprising even outside the school. Creativity is synonymous with productive thinking; critical thinking and problem solving and can be developed through training. It is the capacity to invent, reflect, analyze and synthesize (Chukwuneke, 2009).

Inquiry method of teaching is advocated if Basic Science Curriculum should be used to meet the critical target of NEEDS summarized as; value re-orientation, poverty eradication, job creation, wealth generation and using education to empower the people. At the rate science is developing, it seems impossible to teach the students all the scientific information and skills they need. Instead, it is being suggested that children should be given opportunities to discover, invent and catch up in the rapid expansion of science and technology. It is more appreciative to teach students how to learn, have them acquire what on their own and provide them with a foundation of skills and attitude for acquiring and processing knowledge so that they will be adequately prepared to deal with future challenges (Chukwuneke, 2006). In order to achieve the above target, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has helped in promoting the use of laboratory facilities for teaching Basic Science in Junior Secondary Schools, by organizing workshops for training its workers across the country on how to use the laboratory science kits supplied to Junior Secondary Schools in Nigeria. These trained workers will in turn go out to Junior Secondary Schools to educate the teachers of Basic Science on how to use the contents of the kits in teaching topics in the Basic Science Curriculum (NASEN, 2011).

An area in which Nigerian government has persistently emphasized the need for the provision of high quality education is in Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) Education in junior secondary education. According to Amoo and Efunbajo (2003), a strong background in STME is crucial for many careers and job opportunities in today’s increasingly technologically society. STME is expected to contribute immensely to the attainment of the MDGs.

In the junior secondary schools, three core subjects make up the STME. These subjects are integrated science, introductory technology and mathematics. To ensure quality in these subjects, there is need to allocate adequate resources (Fraser and Jegede, 1992; Ibe, 2008). Resources are the vast ranges of human and nonhuman variables used to facilitate the effectiveness of the educational programmes (Oguntuka, 2005). Resource allocation means the provision of resources, their utilization and management. Part of resource allocation function, for instance, it is the provision of experienced teachers, payment of teacher salaries, provision of funds for laboratory, machines equipment, books and allocation of instructional hours to various subjects in the schools curricular (Okeke, 2005). These resources are vital tools for efficient and effective delivery of education packages spelt out in the STME curricular.

In Ondo State, as in every other state in Nigeria, the allocation of resources to STME in  junior secondary school education deserve serious attention because this level of education is now part of the Universal Basic Education programme expressed in goal two of the MGS. Aghenta (2000) noted that, the junior secondary level spans three years from junior secondary one to three.

Thus, a cohort of students is used to describe intakes for a particular year that graduated after three years. For example, 2010 and 2011 cohort comprises of students that entered JSS one in 2010/2011 and took JSSCE in 2013. When these students entered JSS one, they were provided with resources and they took in addition to other subjects, integrated science, introductory technology and mathematics for these three years. The effective teaching of these subjects required a lot of resources. Hence, the problem of this study is to find out the extent to which resources were allocated for these STME subjects in junior secondary schools in Anambra State for the 2010/2011 cohort.

Again, the new Basic Science for Junior Secondary Schools stresses those instructional strategies that are activity based and ICT driven as adopted by NERDC, 2007. In view of the above, the current study goes to investigate the availability and utilization of Basic Science Laboratory Facilities in Junior Secondary Schools.

Statement of Problem

The role of basic science in the development of science and technology in modern economy cannot be over emphasized. This role is multifaceted and multifarious that no area of science and technology escapes its application (Okereke, 2006).

Ukaeje (1989) described basic sciences as the mirrow of civilization and the most basic discipline for any person who would be truly educated anany science.  Despite the importance place on these basic sciences, researchers (Odili, 1886). Salan, 1985; Amazigo 2000; Agwagah, 2001, had observed that students lack interest in the thsee subjects and perform poorly in them.  The Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination Chief Examiner (2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006) consistently reported candidate’s lack of skill in answering question in Basic sciences in general. To buttress his argument, he reported that most candidates avoided questions on 3-dimensional problems, when they attempt basic science question; only few of the candidates showed a clear understanding of the problem in their working.

The quality of instruction, teachers, and equipment in Basic science are usually considered sub-standard, in adequate equipment and lack of teachers contribute to the poor teaching of basic science education in secondary schools. Many schools do not have Basic science laboratory and teachers are often unqualified. Research has shown that poor perception over the production of instruction materials in schools, low level of utilization of these materials, Nonchalant attitude of teachers towards improvisation of materials, poor funding, lack of equipment, laboratories are major causes of poor educational materials (resources) in the impermanent of Basic science education programmed. For leaning to be meaningful and permanent, it is necessary that instructional materials be used.

Although (Okigbo and Oguafor 2008) have carried out research on the effect of basic science laboratory on the achievement of basic science students, it is not certain how many of these schools have these basic science laboratory or laboratories for the science subjects.  Consequently evidence of poor performance in basic science by secondary school students point to the fact that the most desired technological, scientific and business applications cannot be sustained.

The study is therefore designed to find out the availability and utilization of basix science laboratory facilities in Junior Secondary school: A case study of Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State. It is also designed to find out the extent for which these Laboratories are equipped where they exist.

Purpose of the study

The study was aimed at investigating the extent of availability and utilization of Basic Science laboratory facilities in Junior Secondary Schools. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to investigate:

(1) The extent of availability of Basic Science equipment and materials in Secondary Schools in Ondo State;

(2) The extent of utilization of Basic Science equipment and materials by teachers in the Laboratories;

(3) The difference between teachers and students on the utilization of Basic Science Laboratory facilities?

Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:

(1) What extent does Basic Science equipment/materials available in our Upper Basic level of education?

(2) What is the extent of utilization of Basic Science equipment and materials by Basic Science teachers?

(3) What is the equality of mean responses of teachers and students on the utilization of Basic Science Laboratory facilities?

Hypothesis

1. There is no significant relationship between student’s performance in basic science and availability  of laboratory facilities

2. There is no significant difference in the mean response of teachers and students on the utilization of laboratory facilities in teaching and learning.

Significance of the study

The importance of this study is that it will help to identify the availability of laboratory facilities for effective teaching and learning of Basic science in secondary schools.  This study would also help to provide some information for curriculum designers and classroom teachers in order to utilize facilities provided for them and other relevant approaches to enhance meaningful learning of basic science by students.  Thus, the knowledge of students’ cognitive style and attitude would be very useful in both academic and career enhancement.  The finding from this study is expected to serve as guides for the educated policy makers towards ensuring that adequate educational facilities are provided in Ondo state. 

Delimitation of the Study 

This research work concentrated mainly on Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State. 

Operational Definition of Terms

Educational Effectiveness: An output of specific review or analyses that measure the quality of the achievement of a specific educational goal.

Educational Facility: The process of conceiving and selecting the structure, elements, arrangement, materials, and so on for a school building or facility; the plan or layout of the building.

Learning Environment: The context for informal and formal curricula and the matrix that nurtures or inhibits learner growth.

School Facilities: The plan or layout of the building or buildings collectively used for instructional purposes

Student Performance and Achievement: Data provided for a percentage of students passing all tests as well as disaggregated by percentages passing language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

Abbreviations

MDGs: millennium development goals; 

TSR: teacher student ratio; 

UBE: universal basic education.

NPE: National Policy of Education

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