2. Methodology of the Study The study adopts descriptive survey design. Descriptive research is a study designed to depict the participants in an accurate way and a method is appropriate which enables to make an assessment and investigation of the events [14]. Hence, the present study employed multi-method research (both quantitative and qualitative methods) to assess factors influencing practical work in chemistry in secondary school in Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia.
2.1. Population, sample size and sampling techniques The study was conducted on 50 government secondary schools in Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia. The targeted populations were chemistry teachers, students, and school principals of Wolaita zone. The sample size for the study was selected
As shown in table 2, the majority of respondents (87.50 %) claimed that the lack of awareness and motivation of school managements towards practical work are the major factor that influences practical work in chemistry. 53.57, 41.86, 39.29, 32.14 and 28.57 % of the respondent claimed that the full-time occupancy of chemistry teacher, low commitment of teachers for the practical classes, absenteeism of teachers’ from practical class , teachers poor knowledge about practical work and low qualification of chemistry teacher are influencing practical work in chemistry of secondary schools, respectively. Moreover, the respondents replied through open-ended question and FGD that, “teachers’ skill gap towards practical work” and “lack of competent staff” is the factors that influenced practical work in chemistry. This results showed that the Practical works in chemistry of secondary schools in Wolaita zone are being scared by the measurements involved, lack of motivation and awareness of school managements, the full-time occupancy of chemistry teachers, low commitment of teachers for the practical classes, absenteeism of teachers’ from practical class, teachers poor knowledge about practical works, low qualification of chemistry teachers/ attendant, teachers skill gap towards practical work and lack of competent staff. This
Furthermore, 64.29, 60.71 and 44.64 % of the respondents claimed that the lack of competent laboratory attendant, ineffective maintenance of laboratory instruments and lack of separate chemistry laboratory room are influencing the practical work in chemistry (table 3). On the other hand, 55.36 % of respondents claimed that in their school being there of separate laboratory room for chemistry practical work. However, they were indicating that other factors influencing practical work in chemistry related with physical resources through open-ended question and FGD are: “unsafe laboratory rooms to conduct practical work, “lack of laboratory equipment, chemicals and personal protective safety equipment” and lack of policy and regulation of waste management. Among the respondent replied, “Expired chemicals and contaminated equipments in the workplace of their laboratory unsafely stored for the long period of years, because of this chemistry teachers as well as students worry for themselves rather than conducting practical work in the laboratory room.” Laboratory has been given a central and distinct role in science