lab apparatus
TRANSCRIPT
THE NEED FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF LABORATORY PRACTICE TO PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULA
ABSTRACT
Laboratory studies not included in primary and secondary schools curricula has been
identified as one root causes of the poor performances of science students from
secondary schools and which extended to tertiary institutions.
This paper examined the helpless situations surrounding science training in our
educational system, it equally make effort to design laboratory practice skeletal
curriculum which can be very useful in primary and secondary schools. The proposed
skeletal curriculum is to involved identification and drawing of simple laboratory
apparatus, their classification into material type, uses of simple apparatus and
maintenance/care. List of simple apparatus common and required in primary and
secondary school experimental work in biology, chemistry and physics were compiled
and divided into six years work, and further subdivided into eighteen terminal parts.
The paper suggested laboratory practice studies should start from primary 4 to JSS 3 in
secondary school while the senior secondary school continues with the application of
knowledge from the above studies.
INTRODUCTION
In paper work and policy, primary and junior secondary school were designed to
contained simple and introductory laboratory where simple experiment can be carry out
by pupils under supervision of science teachers. Unfortunately, this structure is not
practically in existence to help students understands the rudiment of science
experimental details. The effect of these inadequacies in our educational structure had
grave effect on the product of science students from our tertiary institution of learning.
For instance a first year university student cannot distinguish between beaker and
conical flask, tripod and retort stand, round and flat bottom flask etc. Such ignorance we
should know accompanied the student from secondary school where these types of
instruments may or may be available. In some situations they are available but no
competent hand to use them in training the students. If identification of simple
instruments/ equipments is a problem, how can the students know the uses, its
materials, maintenance and care? This becomes an accumulated ignorance
that multiply even till graduation since the tertiary institution’s curricula has no provision
for this study. For any elementary idea one fail to acquire at the right time tends to
present complication to future interest of learning most especially in the same direction.
This is very true with scientific formulae, calculation, symbols and other relevant ideas
about problems.
Science education has no meaning if no reasonable and function able experimental
work are done or demonstrated before students.
According to L.B. Kolawole 1997, science is any department of knowledge in which the
results of investigation have been logically arranged and systematized in the form of
hypotheses and general laws subjects to verification. How can investigation and
verification be possible when practicals are not done? It is easier to describe what you
see, touch, taste or smell, because science learning employ ones complete senses.
Imagination, prejudice, superstition and dogmatic assertion are enemies of progress
and vigorous development in scientific studies (L.B. Kolowale 1997). Though
elementary science textbooks in primary schools are pictorially rich to assist pupils’
understanding, but other sense of touching, tasting and smelling are completely denied.
The pupils only see the picture and continue to imagine how it is use, set up and
probably how to operate it. This nature of scientific training extended to junior
secondary school class three, and over there in senior secondary school the science of
imagination cast spirit of timidity and fear into students as they may be afraid to
touch/use laboratory equipments/instrument and reagents all in the name of precaution
and safety codes. The problem is further compounded when schools authority employ
incompetent hand to handle science and sometimes wrong professional. Another factor
which promoted darkness in science training in secondary schools is the alternatives to
practical questions; this is already creeping silently into some tertiary institutions
curricula.
This issue of curriculum therefore arrives.
What is curriculum? Why is curriculum necessary?
Curriculum is a directive educational planning which acts as a guide towards training in
any systematized former education. It direct teacher on what, when to start and stop in
a particular subject. It classifies the required subject, topics into various stages of
learning. Without it educational system becomes haphazard in process and
meaningless.
Evaluating Nigerian primary and secondary schools science curricula, direction towards
practical class has no distinctive emphasis and planning. Therefore science teachers
takes decision whether or not experiment should be carried out. Secondly their
academic timetable has no provision for practical work on science subjects, while
theoretical topics are carefully arranged to occupy available weeks in each term. The
matter get worse when such teacher is either to teach the subject in more than one
class or appointed to teach other science subjects. In the case of primary school non-
science teachers are engage to teach all subjects, this is another error which is drawing
back scientific training in our educational system.
An investigation is inadequate if problems are identified but solutions are not proffered.
In view of this fact, out primary and junior secondary school science curricula need the
introduction of laboratory practices to complement theoretical work already in existence.
With this introduction a teacher will not have any excuse for not conducting practical to
pupils/students. Laboratory practice will not only create more understanding to learners
but also established courage and build scientific interest in pupils/students. For these
sake of maturity in relation to safety and care laboratory practice curriculum can be
designed to start from primary four a class when pupils are believe to be matured
enough to handle instruments with care and respect to instructions from teachers or
laboratory staff. This training should continue or extended to junior secondary class
three so that their interest toward science is completely nurtured till senior secondary
where knowledge gained in laboratory practice are competently applied. At such stages
less attention of teacher may be needed by students in laboratory experiment work.
The prerequisite in the development of laboratory practices curriculum involves
developing comprehensive list of elementary/basic laboratory apparatus/instruments,
reagents and some simple laboratory machine. There are six classes or sessions from
primary four to junior secondary class three. And each session has three terms. It
therefore implies that the comprehensive laboratory equipment/reagents must be
divided into six major parts while each major part is subdivided into three parts for real
practical teaching by competent laboratory Technologist.
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT/INSTRUMENTS List of Simple Science Equipment, Apparatus and Reagents
1. Petri dish
2. Hand lens
3. Magnifying glass
4. Simple microscope
5. Aluminum foil
6. Filter paper
7. Distilled water
8. Test tubes
9. Thermometer
10. Beaker
11. Metre rule
12. Chemical balance
13. Spring balance
14. Stop/watch clock
15. Calorimeter
16. Funnel
17. Measuring cylinder
18. Retort stand
19. Round bottom flask
20. Condenser
21. Clamps
22. Flat bottom flask
23. Tripod stand
24. Tistle funnel
25. Spatula
26. U-tube
27. Chemical thermometer
28. Ball and ring apparatus
29. Bimetallic strip
30. Plane mirror
31. Concave mirror
32. Convex mirror
33. Magnet
34. Screen
35. Lens (concave)
36. Lens (convex)
37. Rectangular glass block
38. Triangular glassblock (prism)
39. Weight
40. Hydrometer
41. Optical pins
42. Ammeter
43. Resistors
44. Accumulator
45. Switch
46. Voltmeter
47. Dry cell
48. Galvanometer
49. Lamp
50. Barometer
51. Rain gauge
52. Anemometer
53. Pendulum bob
54. Bunsen burner
55. Wire gauze
56. Wooden block
57. Blockened calorimeter
58. Metal foil
59. Rheostat
60. Heating coil
61. Lagging
62. Ray box
63. Pair of dividers
64. Spiral spring
65. Plasticine
66. Pointer
67. Boss head
68. Drawing board
69. Pulley
70. G. clamp
71. Knife edge
72. Jockey
73. Potentiometer
74. Metre bridge
75. Asbestos
76. Constantain wire
77. Resistance box
78. Key
79. Electrodes
80. Tetraoxosulphate (vii) acid
81. Electrolytes
82. Carbon rod
83. Zinc rod
84. Torch bulb
85. Compass
86. Soft iron rod
87. Copper
88. Wooden retort
89. Tall glass cylinder
90. Tuning fork
91. Sonometer
92. Vernier caliper
93. Micrometer screw gauge
94. Level balance
95. Capacitors
96. Wind vain
97. Friction board
98. Power supply
99. Conical flask
100. Reagent bottle
101. Evaporating basin
102. Boiling tube
103. Water trough
104. Potassium nitrate
105. Blotting paper
106. Dropping tube
107. Iodine solution
108. Microscope slide and cover
109. Scissors
110. Alcohol
111. Potassium hydroxide
112. Sodium bicarbonate
113. Copper I chloride
114. Right-angled tubes
115. Zinc chloride
116. Benedict’s solution
117. Glucose
118. Maltose
119. Hydrochloric acid
120. Clinistix or other test paper strips
121. Million’s reagent
122. Forceps
123. Saline solution
124. Scalpel
125. Stirring rod
126. Crucible
127. Thermometer (minimum, maximum and Clinical)
128. Wet and dry bulb hygrometer
129. Light meter
130. pH
131. Volumetric flask
132. methyl orange indicator
133. phenolphthalein
134. Cleaning agents
135. ammonia
136. litmus paper
137. Retort flask
138. Standard flask
139. Ignition tube
140. Filtering flask
141. Distillation flask
142. Pipe clay triangle
143. Tile
144. Evaporating dish
145. Mortal and pistle
146. Burrette stand
147. Bell jar
148. Crystallizing jar
149. Beechive shelf
150. Dessicator
151. Chromatographic jar
152. Weighing bottle
153. Sample bottle
154. Aspirator bottle
155. Woultt’s bottle
156. Filter funnel
157. Bunchner funnel
158. Separating funnel
159. Dropping pipette
160. Bulb pipette
161. Sample tube
162. Pipette filter
163. Watch glass
164. Water bath
165. Hoffman voltmeter
166. Deflagrating spoon
167. Crucible tong
168. Drying tubes
169. Filter pump
170. Kipp’s apparatus
171. Liebig condenser
172. Brushes
173. Syringes
174. Crocodile clips
175. Aquaria
176. Dissecting needle
177. Test tube rack
178. Dissecting board
179. Autoclave
180. Incubator
181. Oven
182. Leishman stain gas jar
183. Stoppers (rubber, wooden)
184. Kjeldah/flask
185. Slide projector
186. Winchester bottle
187. Cork-borers
188. Specimen tube
SKELETAL DESIGNED OF SUGGESTED SCIENCE LABORATORY PRACTICE CURRICULUM IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
PRIMARY 4: The following laboratory apparatus/tools should be available for pupils
to see and touch. Teachers’ teacher or an instructor appointed teaches them their uses
as well as material used in their design.
1st term (Knife edge (wooden), Drawing boards, wood block and plane, wooden retort,
meter rule and Ray box. Spring balance Scissors,) 2nd term (Retort Stand and
Clamps, Tripod Stand, Magnet, G. Clamp, Lever balance, Cork (wooden and rubber)
Cork borer 3rd term (Pulley, meter bridge, forceps, pendulum bob, weights, tuning
forks, hand lens, sonometer, jockey, aquaria, crocodile clip)
PRIMARY 5: The following laboratory apparatus/tools should be available for pupils to
see and touch. The teacher or an instructor appointed to teach and demonstrate to
them their uses as well as material used in their design.
1st term (Ball and ring apparatus, calorimeter, key, wind vane, petri dish (plastic),
measuring cylinder (plastic), funnel (plastic), mirror (plane, concave and convex),2nd term (rain gauge, water trough, microscope slide and cover, evaporating basin and
dish, reagent bottle, thermometer, beakers, conical flask, compass etc) 3rd term
(.Pupils should be taught how to use hand lens to identify specimen and using forcep to
pick them, how to measure volume of water using plastic measuring cylinder, how to
measure length using meter rule).
PRIMARY 6: As stated in 4 and 5 above: 1st term (Test tube rack, test tube, beehive
shelf, bimetalic strip, bunsen burner, wire gauge, pair of divider, boss head,
deflagrating spoon) 2nd term (dissecting needle, funnel (glass), round bottom flask, flat
bottom flask, lens, rectangular glass, triangular glass block, u-tube, touch bulb) 3rd term (pupils should be taught how to collect specimen such as insects and worms,
how to filter simple solution like sand in water, how use beam balance to weigh).
JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL ONE: The following apparatus/tools should be
available for students to see, touch and draw. The teacher or instructor appointed
should teach and demonstrate their uses, describe type of material and how to draw
them.
1st term (Meter bridge, burrete stand, burrette, vernier caliper, micrometer screw
guages, heating coil, carbon, zinc rod),scapel, spring, thistle funnel, hydrometers,
anemometer,2nd term ( boiling tube, tall glass cylinder, dropping tube, dessicator,
weighing bottle, sample bottle, volumetric flask, standard flask, retort flask),3rd term (
respirator bottle, separating funnel, dropping pippette, sample tube gas jar, glucose,
maltose, iodine solution, iodine (dry), litmus paper, leighman stain.)
JUNIOR SECONDARY TWO: As stated in JSS I and setting and up of
simple equipment like heating and distillation, microscope mirror and some simple
circuit.
1st term (Condenser, distillation flask, delivering tube, tuber, chromatographic jar, filter
funnel, Buchner funnel, voltmeter, drying tubes, specimen tube, kjeldah flask, 2nd term
(alcohol, benedict’s solution, saline solution, methyl organe indicato, potassium
hydroxide, phenol phthalin, million’s reagent, amnonia, 3rd term hand lens, dissection
of rat, storage of parts using formalin,10% alcohol.Using thermometer to know boiling
and melting points filtration,using ruler for simple measurement, using venner caliper,
micrometer screw gauge
Junior Secondary Three: At this stage students are now expected to de demonstrate
simple application of the above apparatus/tools and instruments identified. This simple
application should be part of required knowledge for experiment. They are carried out in
senior secondary section. Some simple experiment in biology, chemistry and physics
should be done in JSS 3, such as:
1st term (In Biology:, Preparing 10% alcohol and formalin, testing for glucose, protein
and fat. In Chemistry: how to operate burser burner, heating seting up distillating
apparatus, testing acid and bases using litmus paper,weighing using mettler balance
transferring specific volume of water from one container to other using pipette and
delivering specific volume using burrette.using spring balance, lever balance. 2nd term
( In Physics: measurement of time using stop clock or watch measuring cylinder,
connecting simple circuit such as battery + bulb + connecting wire, passing current
through ordinary and salt dissolved water. 2ndterm General revision on Jss 1 and 11
Our other colleagues in sports, fine arts and home economics, believe and
demonstrate that primary school pupils and lower secondary school students can be
taught practical activities successfully, why should we in science not exploit this their
understanding and practice so as to further extend science training and create more
interest in students thereby making science simple, relevance and acceptable to all.
DISCUSSIONSThis curriculum is designed taking safety, pupils' maturity and apparatus/instruments
care into consideration. Primary 4 are to be introduced to simple wooden, plastics and
metallic apparatus because glass apparatus are fragile and may be delicate for them to
handle.
But at primary 5 the pupils should be to handle some plastics and surface glass
apparatus that require no special techniques in washing. While at primary 6, pupils are
already well acquainted with the use of laboratory apparatus/instruments.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This paper is of the view that laboratory practice if included in science curriculum will
not only reintroduce science training in a special way but reorient ate the science
teachers interest of creative process and advance unquenchable hunger for
technological breakthrough. The propose curriculum skeletal framework drawn above is
subject to any reasonable amendment and reform by educational experts:
The aim is to draw the education planning sector's attention to primary and Secondary
Schools need of laboratory training. It is true that government may not be able to
provide adequate laboratory apparatus/equipment to all primary and Secondary
Schools. One or two school(s) in a local government area can be equipped up to
standard. Science teachers/instructors of other schools should be able to take their
pupils/students to that school at least once in two weeks for laboratory training. In that
case government should provide schools with mobility facilities. Alternatively,
government should design and provide four or five mobile science laboratory to each
state including FCT. Such mobile laboratory can be design in a spacious vehicle.
Cartons and shelves may be use to carry apparatus, equipment and reagents. They
have to move from one school to the other, and accompanied by team of science
laboratory technologists in case of those schools having none.
For laboratory practice studies to be effective and succeed as focus by this paper, well
trained and experienced technologist should be employ on permanent or temporary
(because of scarcity of technologists) basis into primary and Secondary Schools. They
are to teach this laboratory practice course and demonstrate to students various uses
of apparatus/instruments listed above. Laboratory assistances are equally needed to
assist in this direction.
REFERENCES
G.O. EWELUKWA 1995, A Handbook of practical Physics for senior secondary
schools.
National Primary Education commission (NPEC) 1988 Edited by Bajah and C.B.
guntonade Longman Primary Science Pupil's book 6.
Thomas .b. Igwebuike 1995, curriculum planning and development: Principles and
practices.
Jim Olabode Oluwatayo 1998, Comprehensive practical chemistry fo senior secondary
schools
G.A. odunze; G.O. Ewelukwa Revision Integrated Science for junior school certificate
Examination
Oghojafor Wilson A.I.S.L.T
Department of Physics, Delta State University, Abraka
08077416431, 08034737216.