LABORATORY EQUIPMENT UTILITY AND STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCES FOR SELECTED SCHOOLS OF NYAMAGABE DISTRICT, RWANDA

Abstract

The current study entitled “Laboratory Equipment Utility and Students’ Performance in Sciences for selected schools of Nyamagabe District, Rwanda” aimed at analyzing the role laboratory equipment plays in the improvement of students’ academic performance. Three objectives guided this study: to investigate the influence of laboratory equipment utility on students’ performance in secondary schools, to identify challenges that are associated with the availability of laboratory equipment in schools and to establish strategies that can be used to improve science secondary school students’ performance. In order to reach to the fore stated objectives, effective methodology was refereed to. The study used a descriptive cross sectional survey design with a study population of one thousand, nine hundred and fifty-nine (1959) out of whom 727 people from Groupe Scolaire Kigeme A, 699 people from Nyamagabe Secondary School, 216 people from College de Mudasomwa and 317 people from Groupe Scolaire Kibyagira. The targeted sample of this study was composed of head teachers and deputy headteachers, teachers and students from the above mentioned science secondary schools. The total number of respondents is expected to be three hundred ninety eight (398) respondents. Various research instruments were used to collect data namely, documentary analysis, questionnaires and interviews which were administered to respondents in accordance with ethical rules and validity and reliability principles. The same data was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Data findings revealed that science laboratory equipment positively influences students’ performance. This was based on the fact that science secondary schools equipped with modern and sophisticated tools perform better in the national examinations. On the contrary, secondary schools without laboratory perform poorly due to the lack of fixed laboratories with sophisticated tools. As a result, the study recommends that parents should financially contribute to their children’s education, MINEDUC and MININFRA should try their best to offer electricity in remote areas for the installment of science laboratories and teachers should be facilitated to benefit from in service training so that they can be familiar with modern laboratory equipment.