CHEMISTRY PROJECT: AVAILABILITY AND USABILITY OF CHEMISTRY LABORATORY FACILITIES FOR TEACHING ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IN SENIOR
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of Study
Science and Technology have been used and are still being used in solving many human problems.
The aim of science is to better the life of man and to conquer nature and also its effect in our schools .is to produce men and women who are scientifically literate. Science and technology education have been sure ways in the promotion of economic development, alleviation or eradication of poverty and improvement of social welfare in any country. This is the reason why many countries of the world, developed and developing, are investing heavily in science and technology education yearly (Nwagbo, 2005). In Nigeria the story is the same, many policies have been formulated since independence educationists and curriculum developers have equally developed and advanced the school curriculum to take care of the immediate and distant scientific and technological needs of the Nigerian society with a view of making graduate of our school system self-reliant, employable and highly productive in the face of mounting unemployment.
Science therefore, is the study of nature and natural phenomena. Nature according to Butler and Tanner (2003) is a thing or person’s innate or essential qualities or characters. The study of science operates on physical measurable and observable realm. According to Mbajiogu (2003) science is a systematic process of investigation that employs observation and experimentation as tools.
Science is not a techniques or a body of knowledge, though it uses both, it is rather an attitude of inquiry, of observation and reasoning with respect to the world. It can be developed not because memorizing facts or using formula to get an answer, but only by actual practice of scientific observation and reasoning.
Academic America Encyclopedia (1989), defined science as the development and systematization of positive knowledge about physical universe. In other hand, technology is the art of making things generally useful to man, so science generates the body of knowledge and understanding which technology depends on to produce goods and services. It is worthy to note that the major advances made in medicine. Pharmacy, industrial chemistry and engineering are based on researches being conducted in many areas of science and technology such as chemistry. Therefore, within the contest of science education, chemistry has been identified as a very important science subject and its importance in scientific and technological development of any nation has been widely reported. It was as a result of the individual and the nation that chemistry was also made a core subject among the natural science and other science related courses in Nigeria education system because it is a pre-requisite subject for offering most science oriented courses such as nursing, medicine, pharmacy, engineering, science education, Biochemistry and so on in the tertiary institutions.
Chemistry education is intended among other things to provide grounds for students to become competent in information and communication Technology (ICT) application which leads them to acquire entrepreneurial skills and subsequently apply these skills in solving scientific problems.
According to free online dictionary (2010) chemistry is defined as the scientific study of the structure, properties and reaction of the chemical elements and the compound they form. Chemistry, according to the world book encyclopedia (1997) is also defined as a branch of science that studies the composition and properties of matter and the changes it undergoes; chemistry is far more than a collection of facts and a body of knowledge. It’s all about matter, which is anything that has mass and occupies space, classroom teaching of chemistry is done in two main forms. The theoretical form and most importantly the practical work. The basic vehicle used in understanding of chemistry at all levels of education is experiment. The experimentation helps to enhance scientific understanding through the process science such as observing, classifying, country, measuring and interacting with objects and event of science interest.(Egbunonu and Okeke 2005). Experiment in chemistry is designed to make the students active participant in the study they are to be actively involved in doing their own thinking, evolving solution to problems using their own hands and heads and therefore growing in skills development at the at the end of every experiment.(Egbunonu and Okeke,2005)
Research has shown that chemistry experiment embarked on in our school system are such that students only engage in those activities that lead them to verification of information already established by others. This provides little incentives for further inquiry, (Shaibu and Mari, 2000). They are not given opportunity to carry out investigation that involves them collecting and interpreting data, and to think and evolve solution problems the teaching of organic chemistry in secondary schools is being hindered due to the problem of availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for the teaching of organic chemistry to serve its original purpose as designed by curriculum developers.
There should be an adequate provision of laboratory facilities for the teaching of organic chemistry in secondary schools.
The extent to which the available laboratory facilities needed for teaching organic chemistry is being used in senior secondary schools has a lot to tell on any chemistry student especially in his or her final examination. If there is no lack of laboratory facilities or if the laboratory facilities available are not properly used for the teaching of chemistry especially organic chemistry which will help in better assimilation of scientific theories, there will be problem. It is the most influential science processes established. Tamir (1991) stated that the pre-requisite knowledge of concept and principles can be obtained only if the students have certain underlying capability of science subject especially chemistry. The availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry is seen as an important aspect of chemistry because it gives students opportunity to gain meaningful learning, appropriate skills and attitudes that enables them live and contribute to the development of the society. The evidence according to Solomon (1989), shows that laboratory method of teaching chemistry brings student beyond knowledge and comprehensive to the distinctive character of science education through manual work. Also Evans Bakar (1997) said that laboratory creates excitement in students and improve their attitude towards science. Balogun (1982) also said that practical activities offer students opportunity for full participation in the activities of scientist, this is why the national policy on education (FRN,2004) Stipulated that students should be taught to encourage practical. “Exploratory and experimental methods should be used to impact the necessary skills from senior secondary school one to three in other to prepare the students very well for the senior school Certificate examination in chemistry, but the rate of failure of students in senior Certificate examination for years has remained persistently high nation wide. According to West African Examinations Council. (WAEC), Chief Examiner’s report (2002) it was stated that students senior school certificate examination performance in practical chemistry has not been generally impressive. They further mentioned that students poor performance in most of the chemistry practical during West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examination can be said to be as a result of lack of availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching chemistry especially organic chemistry in senior secondary schools, teacher’s qualifications and ability to use the available chemistry laboratory facilities, and non functional state of the available laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry may be some of the factors that militate against the teaching of organic chemistry using laboratory facilities in senior secondary schools. Therefore this study helps to find out the availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry in senior secondary schools in Nsukka Local Government area of Enugu State.
Statement of the Problem
In recent years, manpower and money have been devoted in effort to improve science teaching in the schools because of the decrease in standard of education. In Nigeria, despite this, West Africa examination council (WAEC) chief examiner report (2010) stated that students perform poorly in chemistry, many factors may be responsible for this development and one of such factors may be the teacher’s qualification and ability to use chemistry laboratory facilities to teach organic chemistry or lack of availability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry before the students’ final examination.
In this present era, there has been shortage of teachers with good knowledge of ways of imparting scientific knowledge and results have shown that laboratory method of teaching science subject helps to increase our students’ scientific skills and knowledge acquisition. Based on the above there will be obvious adverse effect of not exposing the students to sufficient laboratory work before they sit for external examinations. This study sought to investigate the availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry in senior secondary schools.
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this research work is to assess the availability and the usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry in senior secondary schools in Nsukka Local Government area of Enugu State.
Ø Ascertain the extent of availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry in senior secondary schools in Nsukka local government area of Enugu State.
Ø Determine how far the teacher’s make use of available chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry.
Ø Determine the challenges facing the availability and use of laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry.
Significance of the study
Since every well research work is to solve an existing problem, the study will be of great important to teachers, curriculum planners, the government and society at large. This present research will help in obtaining useful information concerning the availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry in senior secondary schools. The result obtained will provide relevant information on factors that influence the availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry in senior secondary school. In the area of teachers it will help them to know the importance of using available chemistry laboratory facilities for the teaching of organic chemistry.
To school administrators it will give room for amendment or correction in the area of availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry. It will be of benefit to government towards distributing necessary resources that will help in the effective teaching of organic chemistry using laboratory facilities. This work will also add on to the existing literature on the availability of laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry in senior secondary schools.
Scope of the Study
The study is limited to investigating the availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry in secondary schools. The study is limited to the sampled schools in Nsukka Local government area of Enugu State.
Research Question
In view to actualize the purpose of this study, this is guided by the following research questions.
@ To what extent are laboratory facilities available for teaching organic chemistry in senior secondary schools?
@ To what extent do chemistry teachers make use of available facilities in the laboratory for the teaching of organic chemistry?
@ What are the challenges facing the availability and usability of laboratory facilities for the teaching of organic chemistry?
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
For easy imparting of science knowledge, there is need for fully equipped science laboratories. Laboratory according to Longman dictionary of contemporary English is a building or room in which scientific work with apparatus for the examination and testing of materials. Many types of laboratories exist and they are named according to the particular roles in science, education, technology, health, industries research and so on. For example science laboratory found in educational institution are used for teaching and learning and research in the science. Chemistry and other science are practical oriented and are better understood through laboratory experience with adequate apparatus and material.
In review of literature of the availability and usability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry, it can be studied under the following sub-heading.
@ The concept of chemistry
@ The role of chemistry in National development
@ The concept of Organic Chemistry
@ The concept of laboratory
@ Availability of chemistry laboratory facilities for teaching organic chemistry
@ Utilization of chemistry laboratories facilities for teaching organic chemistry.
@ Factors that militate against availability and utilization of available laboratory facilities.
@ Related empirical studies.
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