Laboratory Resources

Resources as defined by Hornby (2006) are supplies of something that a country, an organization

or a person has and can use, especially to increase wealth. Hornby further explained that

resources are things that can be used to help achieve an aim, e.g. a book, equipment etc that

provide information for teachers and students. In the context of this work, resources are

discussed as it concerns chemistry laboratory.

Laboratory resources can be viewed as supplies of individuals and materials whose utility in one

way or the other help in the actualization of educational objectives. All resources have unique

qualities of utility, availability and consumption (wikipedia, 2011). Resources are vital for any

teaching-learning process to proceed effectively. The desirability of adopting material resources

for teachi chemistry cannot be over emphasized in making the lesson concrete and practicable.

They are necessary tools that facilitate learning. Chime (2010) is of the opinion that resource

materials enable the teacher to teach more effectively or better still enable the children to learn

more readily. Learning resources motivate students and serve as effective ways to explain and

illustrate subject content. In a similar vein, Oladipo (2008) asserted that resource materials

facilitate understanding of concrete materials, creative motivation and interests for the subject.

These laboratory resource materials reinforce learners to retain information for a long period of

time. Chukelu (2009) agrees with Okafor (2000) that utilization of material resources for

teaching-learning processes has the following positive effects on the learners:

 Holds students’ interest.

 Retains information.
  Provides concrete and realistic experience.

 Stimulates imagination and self-activity.

 Helps to clarify abstract ideas.

 They promote greater acquisition and longer retention of factual knowledge.

 They offer real life experience which stimulates self activity on the students. In the same

vein, Chimezie, Ike & Iwu (2002) explained that these materials provide opportunities for

students to develop independent learning, holds students interest and reduce meaningless

word responses from the sstudent.

Laboratory resources are broadly classified into two, namely: human and material resources.

Researchers have identified different types of resources. For instance, resources could be

identified as human resources; natural resources; material resources; community resources;

capital resources and personnel resources. Chimezie, Ike and Iwu (2002) categorized resources

into message, people, materials, devices, techniques, settings and the learner. For the purpose of

this research work, only human and material resources are discussed.

Nwagbo (2005) highlighted some of qualities of Chemistry teacher as a competent resource

person as: being emotionally stable, have good disposition, show a democratic and cooperative

attitude. She/he should also demonstrate empathy, patience, humor and fairness. These

personality traits of the teacher add to his effectiveness in teaching and learning of chemistry.

Nwafor (2008) listed the professional duties of chemistry laboratory resource persons as follows:

 Help to determine the objectives of the school system.

 Help to develop relevant curricular and learning materials

 Assist in the development and evaluation of resources for school learning.

 Serve as speakers on career days.

 Help in the implementation of chemistry laboratory innovations.

 Organize meetings, workshops, conference and seminars for teachers and or students

 Providing advice on budgeting, financing, purchasing, policies and procedures to be

employed in biology laboratories.

 Help in the development of programmes for the maintenance of chemistry laboratory

building and equipment.

 Monitoring and evaluation of staff, students and all available material resources.

Ozofor 2001 and Neboh 2008; Oladipo 2008) advocate to the proper utilization of material

resources for teaching and learning since it produces the under listed effects on students:

 They develop a continuity of thought; this is especially true of motion pictures.

 They supply a concrete basis of conceptual thinking; hence they reduce

meaningless word responses of students

 They contribute to the growth of meaningful learning and vocabulary development.

special details. In spite of the above advantages of research reports, (Okoli and Osuafor,

2010) indicate that chemistry laboratory resources are lacking or inadequate in schools. It

is sad to note that even where chemistry laboratory resources are present, they are not

effectively utilized for instruction due to certain factors.

Availability of Laboratory Facilities

The use of aids in teaching is of importance as they help to stimulate Learners interest and

promote understanding. According to Akoano and Akpokiere (2006) the teaching and learning of

science which is practical course requires practical laboratory activities because experiment is

the hall mark of science education. Uyoata (2006) also opined that meaningful learning of

science requires the use of multisensory approaches where appropriate instructional resources are

selected and used. This is necessary because in this kind of learning students make use of more

than one sense modality in learning. Dangbin (2008) also reported that practical activities using

sufficient facilities enable learners to acquire cognitive skills such as formulation of hypothesis,

making assumptions, designing investigations, understanding variables, observing, recording

date etc and associated with these activities are scientific attitudes like curiosity, perseverance etc

which are necessary for engaging in faithful science investigation. However, Lawal (2006)

reported that chemicals and Laboratory equipments are inadequate. Ajayi (2008) also reported

that chemistry teachers in secondary schools have always lamented that among the various

obstacles to effective teaching of chemistry practicals includes lack of laboratory space and

equipment, large class and in adequate time allocation. Oludare Abiodun and Ajayi (2006) also

reported that there are no enough classrooms and laboratories. Laboratories have poor facilities

and equipment and that, supplies of chemicals and reagents for experiments are quiet low. Also
schools lack laboratory assistance resulting in the poor maintenance and obsolete nature of

laboratory facilities. Adepoju (2000) also reported that the quality of the products of the

education system is daily depreciating due to obsolete, inadequate or even non-availability of

materials. There is a general consensus among science educators that science teaching in schools

has continued to be theoretical and not practically oriented (Ihieglulem 2006, Oludare Abiodun

and Emmanuel 2009) As a result of this learners do not think practically and they are not able to

apply the knowledge acquired. Little encouragement is given to learners to find out things for

themselves instead they are being fed with fact and dogmas. As a result of this many science

classrooms are characterized by for the purpose of passing examination. Supporting this view

Ogu (2008) reported that in most schools emphasis is more on the memorization of facts with a

view to passing examination and less on the method of finding out the facts and learning to apply

them. That the practice is to defer practice to few weeks to the external examination. This

practice prepares the students for the examination but does not give room for any meaningful

learning. Resources are aids to learning rather than teaching, sourcing them however, is the

responsibility of the teacher. Sourcing for resources makes the teachers work cumbersome as a

result of which few teachers would like using them (Dangbin, 2008) That some teachers may not

want to use facilities simply because they are too lazy to go for them even when they are

available. Also some teachers may not want to use teaching facilities because they have been

trained in the use of excessive verbalization of ideas and they are reluctant to shed the old

practice. According to Lewin (2000) high institutions in Nigeria charged with the responsibility

of training science teachers are increasingly turning out teachers without requisite experiences in

laboratory practices. Such trained teachers usually lack the necessary competence and confidence

to conduct practical classes thus even when materials are within easy reach they may refuse to
use them. The conditions under which many teachers function do not engender any enthusiasm

for practical work. The class size especially in urban schools is sometimes larger. According to

Chika (2010) there is a general increase in the environments f students who study chemistry

without a corresponding increase to school facilities. Adebayo (2000) had earlier reported that

the population of students has continued to grow every year at the expense of available physical

facilities for their use that government as failed to expand or put in place new facilities thereby

making existing facilities to be over utilized because of the pressure on them. supporting this vie

Lewin (2000) reported the importance attached to laboratory activities does not match

government's provision of laboratory resources and equipment possibly due to the condition of

the national economy which is deteriorating. Justifying this Lewin (2000)noted that in most state

governments have given up the hope of adequate equipping all schools with science facilities.

Instead they have designated some schools as 'special science schools' which hey equip with

their meagre resources .Another related problem is the practice in which teachers are not

involved in planning and procurement of relevant instructional facilities for use in schools.

According to Uyoata (2006) truckloads of items some of which are so strange and not related to

the contents of the science curriculum are imposed on the teachers. Such materials are packed

away where they collect dust for years which leads to malfunctioning of such facilities. They

may lie waste because the teacher does not know how to use. And when they are faulty the

replacement parts are hardly available.

Utilization of Laboratory Resources

resource utilization (Lewin 2000) Resources utilization has to do with the extent to when

facilities are provided to schools, these are three possibilities, they are either used effective or

inefficiently or they may remain unused. When item of equipment is maximally used such as

equipment is effectively utilized. If the equipment is not maximally used it can be said to be

underutilized. When there is so much pressure on the use of an equipment this may result to over

utilization which could lead to breakdown of such item of equipment.

Teaching leaning facilities improves the quality of teaching and make learning content

meaningful. According to Ihiegbulem (2006) resource materials utilization during practices

lessons inculcates in the students the spirit of careful observation, manipulative skills, respective

thinking and creativity in the learners, Lewin (2000) however reported that science facilities are

only important when they are used. One of the major problems facing the teaching and learning

of science is connected with the management of available resources (Ogunleye, 2003) movement

of resources requires the science teacher himself be resourceful and creative and be careful in

handling and using available facilities are handled cautiously especially the fragile ones. This is

necessary because once the facilities are misused they cannot offer the best service required.

Maintenance of Facilities
The process in which good care is taken of tools and equipment to prolong their life span is

referred to as maintenance. It involves all activities put in place to keep and restore the condition

of facilities. Momoh and Onjewu (2006) define maintenance as any action or group of action

taken to keep a facility in good working conclusion for as long as possible. When activities such

as repairs, servicing, greasing etc are put in place to keep or restore the component of an item,

the item is being maintained.

Laboratory equipment and facilities must be adequately taken care of in order to ensure their

normal working conditions. Maintenance prevents deterioration and also weeds out obsolete

items which no longer serve the required function. Momoh and Onjewu (2006) identified the

followings as objectives of maintenance of facilities:- -To ensure that facilities are always

available to provide services to for maximum benefits to staff and students.

 To ensure operational readiness of facilities for continuous service so as to reduce losses

which may result from down time.

 To protect operating personnel and save facilities

 To extend the use of the facility for maximum benefit. Maintenances could be routine

ongoing activities such as daily or weekly cleaning of the laboratory equipment and

facilities, it could be periodic activities such as inspection and lubrication of parts of

equipment to ensure continued working condition or corrective maintenance which

include activities carried out to fix back a failed equipment or facility maintenance also

involves the security of the equipment and facilities. Security here covers protection from

physical damage from pests, fire, rain etc. It also pertains to protection from theft or

unauthorized use.
Teachers should not wait for an equipment to breakdown completely before it is serviced. Report

of the need for repairs or replacement of equipment must be made to school authority with the

view to making immediate arrangement for the repairs and maintenance to avoid waste and

depreciation.

However it has been reported that one of the major problems facing the teaching and learning of

science is connected with the management of available resources (Ogunleye, 2003) that inability

to appropriately manage resource in the laboratory is a sign of poor management. Kalat (2006)

also reported poor maintenance culture among teachers. That outright hostility, manhandling,

inferior texture, weathering, over use etc are among the factors inhibiting proper management of

facilities. Moses (2006) reported that maintenance culture is very poor in Nigerian schools,

homes, offices and industries. That facilities and equipment are laying waste due to breakdown;

some are forced to breakdown by dust and cobwebs due to negligence and lack of care.

Influence of Availability of Chemistry laboratory Equipment

Adegbemile (2011) observed that lack of science equipment and laboratory are some of the

constraints acing science teaching which make the students to become less indebted in chemistry.

This result in running away by some students from science class.

Availability of laboratory equipment could help student connect to the object of study and

increase students intent to the subject.

When the laboratory equipment are not properly utilized this could undoubtedly lead to the

scarcity of the equipment in the laboratory and consequently touches the students interest in

learning science.