TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page
i
Approval page
ii
Certification: iii
Dedication: iv
Acknowledgement: v
Table of content: vi
Abstract: vii
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the
Study 1
Statement of the
Problem 3
Purpose of the study 4
Objectives of the
study 4
Research questions 5
Scope of the study 6
CHAPTER
TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual Frame
Work 7
Theoretical Frame
Work 11
Review of Related
Empirical Studies 17
Summary of Review of
Related Literature 21
CHAPTER
THREE: RESEARCH METHODS/METHODOLOGY
Design of the study 22
Area of the Study 22
Population of the
Study 23
Sample and Sampling
Techniques 23
Instrument for Data
Collection 23
Validation of the
Instrument 24
Reliability of the
Instrument 25
Method of Data
Collection 25
Method of Data
Analysis 26
CHAPTER
FOUR: ANALYSIS OF DATA AND RESULTS
Research Questions
/Result 27
CHAPTER
FIVE: DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, LIMITATION,
SUGESSIONS AND SUMMARY OF THE STUDY.
Discussion of
findings 33
Conclusions
Recommendations 36
Limitations 37
Suggestions for
Further Research 37
Summary of the Study 38
References 39
Appendix 1 41
Appendix 2 42
Questionnaire 43
Appendix 3 44
ABSTRACT
The
topic of this study is the extent of implementation of safety practices among
senior Secondary Schools in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State.
There has been a persistent decline in implementing safety practices to a large
extent in the biology laboratories among senior secondary schools. This ugly
trend has been of great concern to the government, educators and the society.
The purpose of the study is to identify the extent of implementation and
adherence to safety practices in biology laboratories. The design of the study
was a descriptive survey research. The area of the study is Enugu South Local
Government Area. The populations of the study consist of 14 Secondary Schools
from which 5 schools were selected from the population. The researcher randomly
selected 100 respondents. A sample size of 75 students and 25 teachers was
used. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. The data
collected was analyzed using simple mean which significantly guided the study.
The researcher found out that safety practices is poor and is not encouraging
during practical. The researcher recommended that the Government should
increase their funds in assisting the school management for a suitable
laboratory building and the school administration should send science teachers
for training through seminar and workshop.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
of the study
Biology is a science that is concerned with life processes. The study of biology is mainly accomplished through practical activities usually performed in well equipped biology laboratories. The biology laboratory is a room or a building in a school or college where the practical side of biology is taught. It is usually a place set aside for conducting practical activities in biology .The central role of biology laboratory as identified by Voss (2012) is to provide illustration of some basic principles and to teach the students the applications of the principles so acquired. A well equipped biology laboratory enables students to develop good judgments, self reliance, critical thinking, technical personal contact with apparatus and materials present in the laboratories under the direction\supervision of the teacher.
A
biology laboratory needs to be well organized so that a climate for
investigating scientific concepts will exist such a climate ensures that the
laboratory is safe for those using it. Since laboratory environment is meant
for man to handle, accidents and injuries are bound to occur. Therefore the
teacher in biology laboratory is responsibly committed to teaching his students
on how to handle chemicals and materials, so as to bring about good results in
a safe manner of preserving life. In this regard, Byrd (2004) posited that most
of the accidents and injuries that occur in secondary schools biology mainly
result from inadequate knowledge of safety rules, insufficient skill by the
laboratory workers and carelessness .
The
students when using the laboratory have the obligation to help themselves and
others; the teachers on their own part have to inculcate safety knowledge and
practices into their student so they can develop a philosophy of safety that
emphasizes positive rather than negative habits.
According to the advance learner dictionary, safety is freedom from danger or risk. The importance of safety measures in biology laboratories is very necessary for both students and teachers to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of laboratory hazards. In this regard, Osborne (2012) maintained that most laboratory hazards can be reduced to minimum occurrence by good value, careful manipulation of laboratory apparatus, adequate supervision and the knowledge of the safety practices and their applications. It is obvious that anyone who is not safety conscious stands the greatest risk of turning a minor hazard into an accident which may be fatal. Also, there is need for safety facilities like fume, eye goggles, fire extinguishers, sink, lab coat, waste containers and first aid boxes to be provided in the biology laboratory as their absence may create health hazard. Though it is not enough to provide these safety equipment, supervision of the students during laboratory activities is also necessary.
Appropriate
safety practices in biology laboratories in secondary schools can reduce the
rate of accidents and guarantee safety of the students in the laboratories. A
standard biology laboratory should have certain specified rules and regulations
as well as safety materials and equipment presented to the students before
allowing them to work in the laboratory and their implementation should be
ensured.
These
safety rules are guidelines designed to help keep both the students and the
instructors’ safe when experimenting. Some equipment and chemicals in a biology
laboratory can cause serious harm. It is always wise to follow all laboratory
safety rules which are a sample of the most basic rules that should be followed
when in biology laboratory,
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Since the inclusion of laboratory experience in the teaching and learning of biology, the question of both staff and students during practical work have become crucial. Biology laboratories have been established in some Nigeria secondary schools without safety considerations in their designs and constructions (Abdullahi, 2000). Poor safety practices in biology laboratories have led to accidents such as glass breaking, skin contact with specimens and chemicals, injury, fire out breaks and even death.
In
the light of the above, it is therefore necessary to investigate the extent of
implementation on safety practices in biology laboratories in using randomly
selected secondary schools in Enugu South of Enugu state, Nigeria.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The
purpose of this study is to identify the extent of implementation and adherence
to safety practices among staff and senior secondary school student in biology
laboratories in Enugu South Local Government Area.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Specifically
the study intends to find out:
- The general designs and fittings of
biology laboratories relevant to safety.
- The availability of safety equipment and
materials in biology laboratories
- The services of laboratory assistants
that are employed to ensure safety.
- The extent of implementation of safety
rules biology laboratory.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This
research work will be beneficial to the following groups: National science
teachers association (NSTA), students, teachers and school administrators.
Student
who have phobia for practical’s in science laboratories due to the occurrences
of hazards and accident in the science
laboratory will find this work reliable
in order to develop good attitudes, safe and conscientious laboratory
habits in any practical field of study.
The
teachers and other laboratory staff should also see the need of keeping the
rules, developing slogans about them, writing some of them on the cardboard
sheets hung on the laboratory. With these, practical work will be conducive
through safety measures in the science laboratories.
The
school administrators will find this work relevant by providing an adequate
facility such as good modern and reliable building with necessary equipment
where laboratory investigation can be conducted with ease.
The
national science teachers association will find the best means to administer
the groups of objectives that may be achieved through the use of laboratory in
science classes such as attitude, understanding the nature of science,
cognitive abilities, acquisition of knowledge concept and skills.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
following research questions have been formulated to guide the study.
THE EXTENT OF IMPLEMENTATION AND ADHERENCE TO SAFETY PRACTICES AMONG STAFF AND SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ENUGU SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE
