Abstract
The study deals with student attitude towards laboratory work and its impact on academic performance in chemistry in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. Eight schools were involved in the study. Attention was paid to a close examination of three selected factors which are assumed, affected students attitude towards chemistry laboratory work.
- Chemistry student quality and availability of the chemistry laboratory equipment.
- The teachers quality, qualification and experience and personality.
- The amount of time or period spent on laboratory work.
The main instrument used for the research was mainly student’s questionnaire the questionnaire were administered by the investigator.
Also from the study, student attitude towards laboratory work has influence on their academic programme. Teachers and parents are advised by the investigator to make it a matter of duty to encourage and direct their children towards development of positive attitude in laboratory work in particular and chemistry in general.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background of the study
In the rapid changing technological age that we are in, the importance of science and technology to nation like Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. Consequently great attention is been given to the teaching and learning of science so as to yield the desired results and achieved the national goals on science education. The promotion of social and economic development through science and technology has been vigorously pursued by countries such as USA and Japan. The importance of science and technology to socio-economic development was eluded by Fafunwa in his keynote address in (1971) when he stated that we in the underdeveloped countries must use our human and natural resources to solve our economic problem. He added that we need to improve our diet, develop our mineral resources, introduce modern scientific farming and improve our health programme. Chemical knowledge is a part of science and technology. The contribution of chemical knowledge and skills have made to economic and industrial progress of our modern society are too obvious to be underestimated. A sufficient experimental training is believed to have been provided as long as the students has been introduced to the laboratory in the preparation and determination of the various properties of a compound or substance. Therefore, the nature and type of the laboratory play an important role in influencing students attitude towards chemistry laboratory works. In spite of the reaffirmation by science teachers association of the use of the laboratory in the 1980, most laboratories are skill in a deplorable situation. This has made laboratory work uninteresting so much that many of the students now view chemistry laboratory work as unpleasant waste of time and energy. Beside, administration which bent on cutting cost even display lukewarm attitude towards the supply equipment needed in the laboratory and in providing opportunities for students to measure, observe, perform experiments and use scientific method of problem solving.
Shulman and Tamir (1973) stressed that with the advent of the new curriculum which emphasizes on the process of higher cognitive skills, the laboratory has acquired a central role not just as a place for demonstration but as a place for real practical exercise in the teaching and learning of chemistry as a science subject. Laboratory activities are very essential and indispensable in the effective teaching and learning of chemistry. To facilitate the use of chemistry to advance the understanding of how science operates, the instructor we have to identify the behavioural indices by trying to promote and design objectives that we meet this end. Underscores the central role of laboratory in chemistry teaching and learning.