Student Attitudes Toward Laboratory Work and Its Impact on Academic Performance in Chemistry
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The cordial objective of this study is to find out the present attitude of students to laboratory in chemistry and its impact on academic performance in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
Specifically, the study also sought to:
- Find out if the quality of the teacher influence student’s attitude towards chemistry laboratory work?
- Ascertain if the quality of the chemistry laboratory equipments influences student’s attitude towards chemistry laboratory work?
- Find out if the time spent on laboratory activities influences students attitude towards chemistry laboratory works?
This will be done with the view of identifying laboratory work that would enhance the performance of positive attitude towards chemistry. Also, the purpose of this study is to find out if there are differences in attitude of students towards laboratory work in chemistry between boys and girls in secondary schools.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
THE LABORATORY WORK IN SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING
Laboratory is a room or a building or place where experimental study or research is carried out. In this place a person or group of persons are engaged in human enterprise of examining and explaining natural phenomena in a practical way. Ali (2001) defined laboratory as a place set aside for carrying out scientific investigation. It could be a very sophisticated and well equipped or poorly equipped place, and it could be a small corner of a room, on the veranda or under a tree. The important thing is that it is a place where a scientist works and perhaps produces things that become very vital to humanity. Indeed laboratory is described as “the heart of a good scientific programme” which allows students in the school to have experiences, which are consistent with the goals of scientific literacy (Alebiosu, 1999) Laboratory is a place that gives the learner opportunity to investigate information via experimental procedures. These procedures need careful observations and interpretation of data. It has the characteristics of questioning, investigating and confronting the unknown. While the exercise approach is a regular activity which tests predetermined answers to know the ability or skill of the students, the desirable experiments are exercises, arranged as logical thought and intellectual action rather than performance (Ali, 1998). Science being the study of natural phenomena requires laboratory which permits and encourages discovery and creativity which involves students in real situations, using real materials and working equipment (Glasson, 2001). Fridler and Tamir (2009) opined that laboratory is the right place where students learn to do what scientists do, specifically where they use the skills and attitudes of science to go through the scientific process to seek knowledge. It is through laboratory teaching and learning processes that students put into practice those scientific skills and attitudes developed in them to make them self-dependent in the future. Orlich (2006) inferred that the goal for laboratory instruction in modern science courses focuses on the inquiry and discovery process or methodological phase of science and upon its intellectual constituents. Besides, laboratories are useful for teaching of science in schools and the success of science or any science-related course so much relies on the laboratory provision made for it. Osobonye (2002) maintained that students depend on the laboratory as a place where they can watch the teachers demonstrate and as well carry out practical works themselves. Biology as a science subject is to some extent experimental. A laboratory- oriented approach is closer to the true nature of science since it helps students to know what experimental scientists do and how they develop a rational approach in generating and answering questions Based on the foregoing, Hofstein and Lunetta (2013) reported that the advantages of the laboratory work which represent important goals in biology education and also demonstrate how to teach biology in the laboratory is appropriate with advancement in science and technology.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought student attitudes toward laboratory work and its impact on academic performance in chemistry
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain student attitudes toward laboratory work and its impact on academic performance in chemistry. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of student attitudes toward laboratory work and its impact on academic performance in chemistry
Summary
This study was on student attitudes toward laboratory work and its impact on academic performance in chemistry. Three objectives were raised which include: Find out if the quality of the teacher influence student’s attitude towards chemistry laboratory work, ascertain if the quality of the chemistry laboratory equipment’s influences student’s attitude towards chemistry laboratory work, find out if the time spent on laboratory activities influences students attitude towards chemistry laboratory works. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected secondary schools in Oredo local government of Edo state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made of principals, vice principals administration, senior staff and junior staff were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
From the results obtained in the study on the effects of modes of laboratory activities on students’ achievement in science, it was found out that: Students taught biology, chemistry and mathematics using group laboratory activity performed better than their counterparts, taught chemistry using individual laboratory activity. Male students performed better than their female counterparts in science subject achievement test but that was due to chance factors as the difference was not statistically significant. There was no significant interaction effect of mode of laboratory activities and gender on students’ mean achievement score in science.
Recommendation
Based on the findings of this study, and their implications, the following recommendations were made.
- Science teachers should be trained on how best to involve students into group laboratory activity during science practical instructions so as to facilitate students’ achievement in the lesson. This could be achieved through seminars and workshops for teachers in secondary schools.
- The curriculum planners should ensure that they laboratory activity approach in science curriculum, as it will help to promote students’ achievement in the subject.
- In view of the fact that group laboratory activity was more effective in enhancing student’s achievement in science practical than individual laboratory activity, the Ministries of Education should ensure that textbook authors should incorporate group laboratory activity in the instructional methods for secondary schools biology practical.
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