European Journal of Scientific Research ISSN 1450-216X Vol.51 No.2 (2011), pp.193-202 EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2011 http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr.

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Effect of the Availability and the use of Science Laboratories on Academic Achievement of Students in Punjab (Pakistan)
Muhammad Arshad Dahar PhD Candidate, Department of Education International Islamic University Islamabad (Pakistan) E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +92-606313003 Fayyaz Ahmad Faize PhD Candidate, Department of Education International Islamic University Islamabad (Pakistan) Abstract This study investigates effect of the availability and the use of science laboratories on academic achievement of students in Punjab (Pakistan). Science laboratories play a very important role in the teaching-learning process of science subjects. However, teachers and management do not take interest in using science laboratories in the public schools in Pakistan. Population of the study comprised all secondary and higher secondary schools, secondary teachers and secondary students in Punjab. Overall, a total of 288 schools, then 20 students and 10 teachers from each school were randomly selected as the sample of the study. School Profile Proforma, a questionnaire for teachers and Result Sheet were the instruments of the study. Pearson correlation was used to find out the relationship (association) and Stepwise Regression analysis with linear function was used to find out the differential impact (causal-relationship). The study identified that there is a great deficiency in the availability and the use of science laboratories. The study concluded that the less availability, misallocation and the deficiency in the use of science laboratory items lead to the wastage of resources, the less effectiveness of science laboratory and lower academic achievement. The policy implications of the study are that science laboratory can have an enormous effect if science laboratory items are properly allocated, equalized per student and efficiently used with the standard quantity and quality.

Keywords: Science laboratories, deficiency in the availability, Inefficient use, Academic achievement

1. Introduction
Science laboratories have very important role in the education system for science students. These are the science laboratories that have made this world very advanced and scientific in its purposes. Many researchers in the subject of science suggested that learning in science is enhanced and the understanding level is improved when students are engaged in science laboratory for practical experiments (Hofstein and Lunetta, 2004; Tobin 1990; Hodson, 1993; Lazarowitz and Tamir, 1994; Lunetta 1998; Hofstein, 2004; Lunetta et al., 2007). The advanced countries have developed the

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scientific knowledge and at now they are inventing and discovering new horizons of advancement in the 21st century, particularly science education as Hofstein & Mamlok-Naaman (2007) pointed out that: Both the content and pedagogy of science learning and teaching are being scrutinized. , and new standards intended to shape and rejuvenate science education are emerging (National Research Council, 1996; 2000). The National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) and also the 2061 project (AAAS, 1990) reaffirm the conviction that inquiry in general and inquiry in the context of practical work in science education is central to the achievement of scientific literacy. Inquiry-type laboratories have the potential to develop students' abilities and skills such as: posing scientifically oriented questions (Krajcik et al., 2001; Hofstein et al., 2005), forming hypotheses, designing and conducting scientific investigations, formulating and revising scientific explanations, and communicating and defending scientific arguments. (p. 1) Developing countries have thousands of chances available for their development in science education. Many developing countries are trying their hard. However, the situation of Pakistan is very dismal for the science education, particularly at school and college levels. First of all the availability of equipments, apparatus and material and chemicals are very less provided to schools. Most of the science teachers are indolent and incompetent for their subjects. They have bookish knowledge but very less professional ability and competency for teaching science as compared to the teachers of the advanced countries. The best of all is that science teachers do not use science laboratories with the available equipments, apparatus and material and chemicals. The availability of resource inputs has no value for academic objectives as until they are actually used; therefore, the use of science laboratories is very important for the achievements of science education. Hanushek (2006) clarified it in the words: And, if the resource use is inefficient, the relationship between added resources and outcome is unclear. This simple observation motivates a direct investigation of the relationship between outcomes and inputs to schools. (p. 4) The government is spending enough in the education sector but still low quality resource inputs are provided to schools. Overall, quality of education has a declining trend in Pakistan; particularly science education that is reaching its lowest ebb; therefore, the need is to identify the factors responsible for the present state of affairs (Government of Pakistan, 2002). Identifying researches on resource inputs around the globe, the discussion is broad in coverage and narrow in its focus when we emphasize the differential impact of SRIs on academic achievement at secondary level in Pakistan. This study provides an overview of the current state of knowledge and investigates whether a great deficiency in the present usage of science laboratories leads to the wastage of resources and lower academic achievement in Punjab (Pakistan). 1.1. Objectives of the Study 1. To identify the availability of equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals in the science laboratories at the secondary stage 2. To identify the extent of use of equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals in the science laboratories at the secondary stage 3. To find out the prior achievement of students 4. To identify the academic achievement at secondary stage 5. To find out the relationship (association) between the availability and the use of science laboratories with the academic achievement of students 6. To find out the differential impact (causal-relationship) of the use of school laboratories on academic achievement.

195 1.2. Assumptions of the Study

Muhammad Arshad Dahar and Fayyaz Ahmad Faize

The availability and the use of school laboratories have a strong relationship with academic achievement of students at the secondary stage. 1.3. Delimitations of the Study 1. Secondary Sage 2. Public schools 3. Aggregate marks of the Classes VI, VII & VIII (The Middle Standard Examination) are taken as prior achievement (PA) of students. 4. School laboratories include the laboratory equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals for the subjects of Physics, Chemistry and Biology. 5. Aggregate marks of students in the Annual SSC Examination 2008 at secondary stage are taken as academic achievement. 1.4. Limitations of the Study 1. Aggregate marks of the Classes VI, VII & VIII (The Middle Standard Examination) are taken 2. SES and Family-background: Owing to limited time and resources, this study cannot measure the contributions of SES, peers group and family background at secondary stage. 3. Tuition: Some students utilize extra time for study with their tutors in their school or at home while others cannot afford this facility. However, this factor or determinant cannot be measured within the limited time and resources.

2. Review of Literature
Science laboratory is a very important resource input for teaching science and is an important predictor of academic achievement. The study of physical science is not possible without a laboratory. However, the facilities for teaching science are not up to the mark at secondary and higher secondary stages in the country. Only 35% of these schools are sufficiently provided with laboratories. Furthermore, it was planned to build science laboratories in 3000 schools and to provide the additional equipments to laboratories in about 5000 schools. (Government of Pakistan, 2004)
Table 1: Number of Science Laboratories to be constructed in the Different Areas of Pakistan

Province / Agency Punjab Sindh NWFP Balochistan FANA ICT FATA TOTAL Construction of 192 86 212 22 14 75 11 612 Science Laboratories Source: Government of Pakistan, 2005: Monitoring reports provided by the Provincial and Area Governments to the P&P Wing Ministry of Education.

Table 1 exhibits that the government planned to construct a large number of science laboratories in the different areas of the country. Science laboratory is an important component in learning science subjects but it depends upon the degree to which it is efficiently used. Only the availability of science laboratory is not a guarantee of students performance until both the students and teachers actually use SL facilities efficiently (Lewin, 2000). The proper use of laboratory and demonstration of experiments are the indicators of student performance. Science laboratories are important only when they are used in the school setting. If science laboratory are provided to schools, there are three possibilities that they remain unused, used inefficiently and used efficiently. Still, the standards of efficiently utilization of resource inputs have not been formulated in Pakistan. Furthermore, science laboratories are provided to schools with the deficient quality and less quantity of equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals owing to the

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limited funds. However, science laboratories may contribute higher level of academic achievement if used effectively and properly with national commitment. Hofstein & Mamlok-Naaman (2007) described the concept of the use science laboratory in these words: Over the years, many have argued that science cannot be meaningful to students without worthwhile practical experiences in the school laboratory. Unfortunately, the terms school laboratory or lab and practical have been used, too often without precise definition, to embrace a wide array of activities. Typically, the terms have meant experiences in school settings where students interact with materials to observe and understand the natural world. Some laboratory activities have been designed and conducted to engage students individually, while others have sought to engage students in small groups and in large-group demonstration settings. Teacher guidance and instructions have ranged from highly structured and teacher centered to open inquiry. The terms have sometimes been used to include investigations or projects that are pursued for several weeks, sometimes outside the school, while on other occasions they have referred to experiences lasting 20 minutes or less. Sometimes laboratory activities have incorporated a high level of instrumentation, and at other times the use of any instrumentation has been meticulously avoided. (p. 1) Adesoji and Olatunbosun (2008) cited Raimi (2002), Adeyegbe (2005) and Farounbi (1998). According to Raimi (2002) & Adeyegbe (2005), laboratory adequacy was reported to affect the performance of students in chemistry. Likewise, about the use of laboratory, Farounbi (1998) argued that students tend to understand and recall what they see more than what they hear. Students see when they actual use laboratories in the teaching and learning of science. Similarly, Adesoji and Olatunbosun (2008) described that laboratory adequacy was also found to enhance achievement through attendance at chemistry workshop. Many research studies were conducted to investigate the educational effectiveness of science laboratories whether they facilitates the student achievement; however, these studies did not show any relationship laboratory experience and student learning (Hofstein and Lunetta 1982; 2004; Blosser, 1980; Bryce and Robertson 1985; Hodson, 1993; Lazarowitz and Tamir 1994). Hodson (1990) concluded that laboratory experience is unproductive; however, he called for more emphasis on what students are actually doing in the laboratory. According to Tobin (1990),Laboratory activities appeal as a way to learn with understanding and, at the same time, engage in a process of constructing knowledge by doing science (p. 405). This study concluded that the laboratory may facilitates the meaningful learning in the subject of science if students are given opportunities to manipulate equipment and materials in order to be able to construct their knowledge of phenomena and related scientific concepts.

3. Methodology
Population of the study comprised of all the 4801 secondary schools and all the secondary students in Punjab. A total of 288 secondary and higher secondary schools and 20 students from each school were the sample of the study. However, a total of 4860 students participated in the study. Three instruments i.e. School Profile Proforma, Questionnaire for teachers and Result Sheet were developed and the data were collected. The study used the value added approach and the longitudinal data of academic achievement of the same students. Mean of the annual marks of the classes VI, VII & VIII (session 2003-06) was used as the prior achievement (PA) of the students. However, marks of class X (The Annual SSC Examination 2008) were used as academic achievement of the secondary stage (session 2006-08). The collected data were summarized at the school level. Then the summarized data showing the between school variation were carried into the SPSS data file to analyze the data. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze and find out the value of relationship (association) between the availability and the use of science laboratories, and academic achievement. However, the

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Stepwise Regression Analysis was used to analyze and find out the differential impact (causalrelationship) of science laboratories on academic achievement.

4. Results and Discussion

The data were analyzed first at school level and then collectively for the whole study. The following table shows the availability of equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals. In this table, S for Sufficient, T for To Some Extent, Ins for Insufficient and N for Not at All.
Table 2: Analysis of the Availability of Equipments, Apparatus, Material and Chemicals (Individual Items)
Combined Sample S T Ins N 96 105 86 21 72 99 96 21 60 117 86 24 18 84 147 39 Urban Areas T Ins N 69 0 3 63 18 3 78 9 3 63 66 3 Rural Areas T Ins 36 66 36 78 39 78 21 81

Name of the Variables Physics Equipments.& Apparatus Chemistry Equipments & Apparatus Biology Material Chemicals

S 72 60 54 12

S 24 12 6 6

N 18 18 21 36

Table 2 shows the data separately for the urban and rural areas as well as for the combined sample. It is evident that out of 288 schools, the sufficient equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals are only 96 for Physics, 72 for Chemistry, 60 for Biology and 18 for chemicals. Furthermore, there are many schools where equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals are not at all in the science laboratories at the secondary stage.
Table 3: Analysis of the Availability of Equipments, Apparatus, Material and Chemicals (Indexed Item)
Mean of the Total Sample 1.68 Urban Areas Min. Mean 0 2.14 Rural Areas Min. Mean 0 1.23

Name of the Variable The availability of science laboratories (Indexed Item)

Max. 3.00

Max. 3

Table 3 shows the school level maximum, minimum and mean of the availability of science laboratories i.e. equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals in science laboratories in the urban and rural areas and also the mean of the total sample. It is evident that out of 3, only 1.68 is the mean of the availability of science laboratory equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals in the 288 secondary schools in Punjab.
Table 4: Analysis of the Use of Science Laboratories
Questionnaire Items 4 5 2 2.20 2.79 3.08

Rural Areas Urban Areas

1 2.13 2.94

2 1.63 2.85

3 1.5 3

6 0.73 0.56

7 0.94 0.92

8 1.44 2.67

Table 4 exhibits the low score for the usage of science laboratories in the urban areas but lower in the rural areas. The items of the use of science laboratories were grouped and indexed. The items 2, 3 and 4 were indexed into a single item The use of laboratory rooms, equipments, apparatus or material and chemicals and the two items 7 and 8 were indexed into The misuse of laboratory equipments, apparatus or material and chemicals. However, the items 1, 5 and 6 remained as separate items. It is evident that scores for the use of science laboratories are very low out of 4 that is the maximum.

Effect of the Availability and the use of Science Laboratories on Academic Achievement of Students in Punjab (Pakistan)
Table 5:

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Relationship of the Availability of Science Laboratory Equipments, Apparatus or Material & Chemicals with the Academic Achievement of Students
Correlations No. of Schools: Science Students----N = 252

Science Laboratory Equipments, Apparatus or Material & Chemicals

Correlation Sig.

Academic Achievement .258 .000**

Table 5 shows the magnitude of relationship of equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals in science laboratory with academic achievement as measured by the Pearson correlation coefficient. It is evident that there is the significant correlation between these variables for science students.
Table 6: The Differential Impact of the Availability of Science Laboratory Equipments, Apparatus/ Material & Chemicals the Academic Achievement of Students
Coefficients a No. of Schools: Science Students-N= 252 Laboratory Equipments, Apparatus or Material and Chemicals a. Dependent Variable: Academic Achievement t -2.391 Sig. .018**

Table 6 indicates the magnitude of the differential impact of the science laboratory equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals on academic achievement as measured by the Stepwise Regression analysis coefficient. It is evident that t-value is in the negative direction for science students.
Table 7: Relationship (Association) of the Use of Science Laboratories with the Academic Achievement of Students
Correlation No. of Schools: Science StudentsN = 252 Science laboratories are used only near to the examination (Item 1) Laboratory Rooms are used in the school (Item 2) Equipments, Apparatus or Material are used in the school(Item 3) Chemicals are used in the school (Item 4) Teachers facilitate the students to do only the selected experiments (Item 5) Teachers have to manage time for experiments with in the theory period (Item 6) Equipments, Apparatus or Material are misused or wasted in the school (Item 7) Chemicals are misused or wasted in the school (Item 8) Correlation Sig. Correlation Sig. Correlation Sig. Correlation Sig. Correlation Sig. Correlation Sig. Correlation Sig. Correlation Sig.

Academic Achievement .425 .000** .133 .229 .522 .000** .467 .000** .334 .002** .282 .009** -.229 .036** .075 .497

Table 8 indicates the magnitude of correlation between the use of science laboratories (SL) and academic achievement as measured by the Pearson correlation coefficient.

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Table 9:

Muhammad Arshad Dahar and Fayyaz Ahmad Faize

The Differential Impact (Causal-relationship) of the Use of Science Laboratories with the Academic Achievement of Students

Coefficients a No. of Schools: Arts Students--N = 258, Science Students--N = 252 SL 4 Excluded Variable SL 1 SL 2 SL 3 SL 5 a. Dependent Variable: Academic Achievement

t 5.654 -.058 -1.352 1.468 -.258

Sig. .000 .954 .178 .143 .797

Table 9 presents the magnitude of the differential impact (causal-relationship) of the use of science laboratories on academic achievement as measured by the Regression analysis. It is evident that t-value of SL 4 is significant; however, the impact is insignificant for all the other items. From both the above analyses, the following interpretation is drawn: SL 1 (item 1) has the positive and significant relationship; however, the t-value of this item is insignificant. The negative direction of the t-value shows that this item has a minor role in the education process and an inverse effect on academic achievement. The analysis about SL 2 (items 2, 3 & 4) shows that item 15 has the insignificant relationship; however, items 16 and 17 have significant relationship. However, the t-value of SL 2 is insignificant. The negative direction of t-value shows that it has an inverse effect on academic achievement. Furthermore, SL 3 (item 5) has the significant and positive relationship; however, it has a positive and insignificant differential impact on academic achievement. The relationship and the differential impact of SL 4 (item 6) are significant and positive for both types of students. Overall, if teachers have to manage time for experiments with in the theory period, they manage it with difficulty but produce academic achievement effectively. Additionally, SL 5 (items 7 & 8) has the significant and negative relationship for item 8, and an insignificant and positive relationship; however, the t-value is negative and insignificant. Overall, if apparatus and chemicals are misused, they have the insignificant and negative differential impact on academic achievement. The study found that the relationship of the availability of most of the SL equipments, apparatus or material and chemicals with academic achievement is positively significant. Likewise, the Stepwise Regression analysis indicates that mean of the availability of laboratory equipments, apparatus or material and chemicals has a significant impact. Furthermore, the use of SL is also very important. There are many items included in the questionnaire as the indicators of the use of SL. The Stepwise Regression analysis shows that the t-value of SL 4 is significant. However, SL 1, 2, 3 and 5 are excluded from the model, as their t-value is insignificant. Furthermore, the study found the low level of the availability and the deficient use of the SL items. These are the main factors of the less effectiveness of SL. The findings of the study support Jamison et al (1981) that described that the physical facilities like SL appeared as the predictors of student achievement. The findings of the study also support Mwamwenda & Mwamwenda (1987) that SL equipments are the factors that contribute student achievement. Likewise, the findings of the study also support Raimi (2002) and Adeyegbe (2005) that laboratory adequacy affected the performance of students in chemistry. Furthermore, the findings of the study support Farounbi (1998) that the effective use of the SL may have a significant effect. According to Farounbi (1998), students tend to understand and recall what they see more than what they hear because of using laboratories in the teaching and learning of science. However, the findings of the study do not support (Hofstein and Lunetta 1982; 2004; Blosser, 1983; Bryce and Robertson 1985; Hodson, 1990; 1993; Lazarowitz and Tamir 1994) that concluded that laboratory experience had not any relationship with student learning. The findings of the study also support Tobin (1990) that the use of science laboratories have enormous effect if students are given opportunities to manipulate

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equipment and materials in order to be able to construct their knowledge of phenomena and related scientific concepts.

5. Conclusions and Policy Implications

All the items of science laboratory (SL) equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals is less provided and inefficiently used in the schools; therefore, the availability and the use of science laboratory have negative impact on academic achievement. However, if all the items of the items of SL are better provided, properly allocated and efficiently used, it may have a large impact. According to the findings of the study, it is very regretful to describe that students are taught the theoretical lessons of Physics, Chemistry and Biology without experiments or practicals in the laboratory. In the end of the year, most of science teachers use SL for demonstrating the experiments before or after the final examination; however, many of them do not use SL throughout the session. This is not a good act. Actually, the use of SL is very necessary and some use of laboratories is better than not using at all; therefore, this act has a significant relationship with the academic achievement. Furthermore, the overall scores of the use of SL rooms, equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals are very less. The very less scores show that SL rooms, equipments, apparatus, material and chemicals are very less used in the laboratories whenever science teachers use them in the end of the year, before or after the examination. The indolent attitude and approach science teachers and school management throughout in the province of Punjab show that there is no interest and craze of development in this very underdeveloped nation. The big gap between the deficient level and the full level of usage of SL is a gigantic wastage of resource inputs of this nation; however, no one is aware of this big loss. Furthermore, it should be a great concern for the school management and policy makers what the perception and understanding level of the science lessons is developed in students in the present system of education. The study concluded that misallocation and the deficiency in the use of science laboratory items lead to the wastage of resources and lower academic achievement. Thus, it is recommended to allocate funds and resource inputs on a suitable formula. The economy of Pakistan is not such that can afford the provision of school resource inputs to schools as compared to the advanced countries. However, within the scarce resources, policy decisions are to be made for the provision of the quantity and quality of resource inputs to schools. It is also to be decided how school resource inputs should be used efficiently and what outcome a unit of school resource inputs has to produce. Therefore, it is recommended to develop the education standards for the provision, the use and the outcomes of science laboratories within the scarce funds provided to the education sector. In addition to the education standards, policy and guidelines for the efficient use of science laboratories should be formulated and intimated to all the stakeholders of education. The education system of Pakistan is still underdeveloped. Funds for education are very less and goals and targets are the biggest. These goals and targets can be achieved by multiplying the growth rate. The higher growth rate can be achieved only if the resource inputs are effectively used in the education process at all the levels of education in the country. Therefore, it is recommended that the effective use of science laboratories should be ensured at all the levels of education. The policy implication of the study is that science laboratory can have an enormous effect on the academic achievement of students if the standard quantity and quality of science laboratory items are properly allocated, equalized per student and efficiently used.

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