AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF LABORATORY RESOURCES AND THE TEACHING OF BIOLOGY IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OBOT AKARA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background to the study

One of the most important parts of Nigerian school curriculum is science subject because they are the bedrock in which many professions are based, for example, Medical science, Pharmacy, Surgery, Agriculture, Engineering and lots more. Biology, chemistry and physics happen to the three most popular branch of science taught in Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria. The teaching and learning of science is effective when practical works are being carried out. It has been repeatedly emphasized that scientific enterprise is an activity-packed one, involving continuous exploration and verification of fact (Alebiosu, 2003). The learning of science is done by dealing with findings of nature, so the various schools curricular adequately make provision for practical activities at every stage of learning experiences. Science is experimentation and its teaching especially focuses on making students learn through working of hands, brain and the heart (Alebiosu, 2003).

Biology is the branch of science that deals with the study of living organisms, their relationship with each other and their environment. It is a science subject taught by applying diverse methods and techniques which make use of all sense organs of olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), auditory (hearing), kinesthetic (skin) and optical (seeing) of which only the application of theory in transferring knowledge could not yield hundred percent (100%) accuracy without making use of laboratory resources. Hence, efficient teaching of Biology in senior secondary schools is very necessary with the use of laboratory resources if Biology teachers must gainfully achieve stated aims and objectives.

AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF LABORATORY RESOURCES AND THE TEACHING OF BIOLOGY IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OBOT AKARA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

Science is doing and involves regular hands on practical work for learners to develop knowledge and scientific skills. Biology being a natural science subject can be taught both indoor and outdoor because most biological specimen are plants and animals which are found in the environment. However, some laboratory resources may not found outside the laboratory such as models, reagents, desiccators, etc. Thus, the need to have a well-equipped laboratory with available and adequate resources.

The teaching of Biology in Senior Secondary Schools should take place in laboratories. This is to enhance easy accessibility and usage of material resources stocked in the laboratories for teaching and learning, not only during practical classes but also during normal classroom teaching. Biology adopts laboratory method of teaching which is known as experimentation. The laboratory method is an individual or group activity involving two-way approaches, namely: the exercise approach and the experimental approach. Scientific skills can best be taught and developed if Biology laboratory resources are available and utilized effectively.

The study of Biology students with basic life skills and processes that aid to prepare them become productive members of the society. Azuka (2015), for this reason, there is need for teachers to teach it effectively. This can only be achieved when teachers are favourably disposed to using the appropriate methods and resources in teaching the subject. For science teachers to play their roles in teaching Biology effectively, laboratory facilities should be made available and utilized appropriately. The process in which resources are managed and organized is termed Resource utilization. The utilization of resources in teaching brings about fruitful learning. When materials are utilized effective, it enables less able students to stay on task and remain motivated for longer period of time.

Teaching of Biology cannot be effective without interaction between the teacher, student and the environment. The Biology curriculum is planned to enable the teacher use guided discovery method of teaching to teach (Nzewi and Nwosu, 2010). Therefore, laboratory resources can be said to be supplies of teachers, learners, laboratory assistants/technologists, Instructional materials and other necessary devices made available to the school in order to increase the wealth of knowledge, which gives help, support in the teaching and learning process in the secondary schools.

Laboratory resources are classified into two (2), namely: human and material. As the name implies, human laboratory resources are human beings or resource persons/individuals which make the available laboratory equipment to be utilized effectively during teaching –learning process. Such human resources are: teachers, learners, resource persons, laboratory assistants and technologists together with other non-professional personal (Okoli and Osuafor, 2010). Laboratory material resources are those things which can be used by humans to facilitate teaching and learning. They carry terms in education such as instructional materials, teaching aids and instructional facilities. Chimezie, Ike and Iwu (2002) pointed that these are devices which present a complete body of information and largely self-supporting rather than supplementing in the teaching learning process. Such material resources include: models, textbooks, charts, chalkboards, mock-ups, newspapers, specimens, reagents, chemicals, radio, television, projected and non-projected devices.

This study is concerned about the availability and utilization of laboratory resources and the teaching of Biology in Senior Secondary Schools in Obot Akara Local Government Area.

AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF LABORATORY RESOURCES AND THE TEACHING OF BIOLOGY IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OBOT AKARA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

1.2  Statement of the Problem

In recent times, there has been a persistent outcry against low resources used in teaching and learning (Pioneer 2003, as cited in Eshiet, 2013). Also, there is a persistent rise in the cost of providing laboratory resources. These however, affects the teaching of Biology in yielding desirable results as required in the subject. When laboratory facilities are available, adequate and utilized properly, the teaching of Biology will have immense outcome (Hallack, 2010). The level of availability and utilization of laboratory resources gives a serious concern to the teaching of Biology in Senior Secondary Schools. As such, facilities should be made available to schools adequately and utilized for effective teaching to take place.

However, Biology teachers in most Secondary schools have these facilities at their disposal and properly utilize while some who have them, do not use it in teaching, some others have them but not adequate enough for teaching. The differences in the teaching outcome in Biology can be liken to the unavailability and utilization of laboratory resources.

Consequently, based on the problems so far stated, the researcher seeks to carry out an investigation on the level of availability and utilization of laboratory resources in the teaching of Biology in Senior Secondary schools in Obot Akara Local Government Area.

Originally posted on April 29, 2021 @ 2:57 am