The purpose of this study was to evaluate the undergraduate biology practical
instructions and the level of competence of undergraduate biology students in practical
laboratory skills in some Ethiopian universities using skill performance rubric and
questionnaires. A sample of 208 third year students and 26 instructors and laboratory
assistants from three universities were selected as sample of the study. Students reported that
more than 84.2% of the laboratory activities are below the average number of laboratory
activities recommended by the curriculum with no significant difference between universities.
The laboratory skill performance test score was below the midpoint. None of the students
could be able to estimate and determine fields of vision of a microscope. There is a significant
and a positively linear relationship between the students’ grade point average (GPA) with
identification of laboratory equipment, handling of microscope, setting of microscope,
estimation of diameter of field of vision and measuring liquid. Laboratory skill performance
test score is correlated with higher education entrance exam score but not with students’ high
school laboratory back ground. There is no significant difference in instructor’s manipulative
skills among universities (p ≥ 0.09) and instructors manipulative skills is neither correlated
with qualification nor teaching experience (P≥0.056). The most common method of
assessment instructors’ use in the laboratory is laboratory report and identification of
specimen examination (46.4%) and written exam and identification of specimen examination
(35.7%). The number of courses having laboratory manuals is as low as 14.3%, in the new
university. Manipulating materials, measuring and using numbers, and pre lab activity were
common activities, and were found in every manual and in every university. Moreover, the
result also revealed that the manuals contain high percentage rate of basic science process
skills (75.4%) as compared to the integrated science process skills (24.6%). Correlation and
multiple regression analyses revealed that students’ laboratory performance skills is significantly positively correlated with higher education entrance exam score, availability of
laboratory resources and instructors experiences. Instructors’ experience has significant
positive regression weights / Life and Consumer Sciences / D. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:umkn-dsp01.int.unisa.ac.za:10500/20223 |
| Date | 19 May 2016 |
| Creators | Getachew Fetahi Gobaw |
| Contributors | Atagana, H. I. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (ix, 125 leaves) ; tables, graphs |
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