INFLUENCE OF LABORATORY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND PRACTICAL ANXIETY ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN GENETICS IN AMAC (ABUJA MUNICIPAL AREA COUNCIL)

TOPIC: INFLUENCE OF LABORATORY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND PRACTICAL ANXIETY ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN GENETICS IN AMAC (ABUJA MUNICIPAL AREA COUNCIL)

TOPIC IS SUITABLE FOR:
1-Department of Biology Education
2-Department of Science Education
3-Department of Educational Psychology
4-Department of Education
This research material contains:
1-Chapter One to Five
2-Recent References/citations
3-Tables/Charts/Graphs in Chapter Four
4-Accurate Data Analysis
5-Table of Contents
6-Questionnare

ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to examine the influence of laboratory learning environment and practical anxiety on students' academic achievement in Genetics in AMAC (Abuja Municipal Area Council). The study was specifically carried out to determine the level of students' perception of the laboratory learning environment in terms of equipment availability, safety, teacher support, and student autonomy in Genetics laboratories in AMAC, assess the level of practical anxiety experienced by students during Genetics laboratory sessions, examine the relationship between the laboratory learning environment and students' academic achievement in Genetics, and examine the relationship between practical anxiety and students' academic achievement in Genetics. The study employed the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 1,235 respondents consisting of 45 Genetics teachers and 1,190 senior secondary school students from selected schools in AMAC. A sample size of 302 respondents was determined using the Taro Yamane formula, while 287 validated questionnaires were used for the analysis. Stratified sampling technique was used to select the participating schools, while convenience sampling technique was used to select the individual respondents. Hence, the questionnaire was used for data collection, while the data collected were analyzed using frequencies, means, and standard deviations. The hypotheses were tested using Simple Linear Regression with the aid of SPSS. From the responses obtained and analyzed, the findings revealed that the laboratory learning environment had a significant positive relationship with students' academic achievement in Genetics at β = 0.648, R² = 0.420, P = .000. The study also revealed that practical anxiety had a significant negative relationship with students' academic achievement in Genetics at β = -0.534, R² = 0.285, P = .000. Furthermore, students generally perceived the laboratory learning environment as favourable with a grand mean of 3.65, while the level of practical anxiety experienced during Genetics laboratory sessions was moderate with a grand mean of 3.61. The study therefore recommends that school authorities should provide adequately equipped and safe Genetics laboratories, while teachers should adopt supportive instructional strategies that reduce students' practical anxiety and encourage active participation during laboratory activities in order to improve students' academic achievement in Genetics.
Keywords: Laboratory Learning Environment, Practical Anxiety, Academic Achievement, Genetics, Senior Secondary School Students.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION (Preview)
1.1 Background to the Study
The dynamic and continuous process of human learning has developed in an astonishing way due to the variety of the teaching methods and classroom settings which provoke intellectual development and desire to learn. In its broadest sense, education is the cornerstone of social development and technological progress, as it gives those being educated the intellectual and practical skills necessary to live in a world in continuous change (Han, Li, & Haider, 2022). The evolution of the education paradigm from rote memorization to experiential learning has promoted the necessity of learner-centered environments to stimulate critical thinking and applied knowledge. With the advent of more scientific and technological subjects in the academic systems of the world, the practice has come to the limelight as an important component of holistic education (Nasir, 2020). This paradigm shift recognizes that actual learning extends beyond the boundaries of theoretical knowledge to include exploration, experimentation and discovery.
The laboratory educational space has become important pedagogical space that aims at active learning through experimentation and observation. Laboratory learning explains the formal use of controlled environments where students engage in practical activities that complement the learning process of theory (Yuksel, Soruç, Horzum, & McKinley, 2023). It provides students with the power to manipulate variables, draw conclusions, and make sense of empirical data, in doing so, closing the gap between theory and practice. Agyei (2022) says that the laboratory experience is effective in terms of cognitive engagement as the students develop their meaning through direct contact with the scientific phenomena. This environment stimulates curiosity, teamwork and problem-solving, which are invaluable in science education. Biological sciences, in particular genetics, make use of the laboratory not just for the performance of the experiments but also for the development of scientific thinking, technical abilities and reflective practice.
Practical anxiety is a specific psychological state, fearful, nervous, or apprehensive feelings by learners at performing practical or hands-on activities. Taking the example of science education, this experiential anxiety was a result of many different factors such as fear of failure, unfamiliarity with advanced laboratory equipment or fear of being evaluated in the process (Revathi, Dhanalakshmi, & Nachimuthu, 2024). According to Rhees (2024, practical anxiety was a cognitive-emotional experience that impaired concentration and performance, which may prevent the acquisition of new technical skills. While high levels of anxiety inhibited cognitive processing and led to reduced learning outcomes, low levels of anxiety were sometimes a motivating factor leading to increased student preparation. Understanding this dual nature of this anxiety is crucial to educational practices that place a lot of emphasis on lab engagement to master complex concepts.
Academic achievement is a quantifiable outcome of a student's learning activity, and is usually expressed in standardized test scores, grades, and demonstrated conceptual reasoning (Zhou, Liao, Allegrini, Rimfeld, Wertz, Morris, Raffington, Plomin, & Malanchini, 2025). In the realm of science, success was judged not only by the ability to memorize facts, but the skill of experimental design, the analysis of data, and the scientific communication. According to Martschenko (2020), the success of students in complex subjects was closely related to the quality of the design of the instruction and the level of exposure to practical experience. High quality learning environments that were supportive and well-planned stimulated intrinsic motivation and cognitive assimilation, and that resulted in superior academic outcomes. Conversely, those conditions that did not provide instructional support or that provided too much stress often led to performance levels that were below a student's true level of intellectual potential.
In the schooling environment in Nigeria especially in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), genetics has been one of the most difficult subjects for senior secondary school students. However, reports of the performance of candidates in major examination bodies, including the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), consistently revealed poor performance in the section of the biology examination that deals with heredity and variation. According to the WAEC Chief Examiners' Report (2023), candidates found it difficult to answer questions that required the application of genetic principles, including Punnett squares and pedigree analysis. Statistical data over the past three years showed the trend of decreasing biology practical score; for instance, the number of candidates who attained a credit pass in biology in the FCT region in 2022 was only 42%, with the report giving "inability to accurately carry out or interpret biological experiments" as one of the main reasons for failure. These factual trends from education stakeholders implied that it is not enough with knowledge about theory and indicated a substantial gap in laboratory and a possible prevalence of anxiety about laboratory practice among students.
The current interdependence between the laboratory environment, practical anxiety, and success in school underscores the importance of creating a balanced educational environment that promotes cognitive and emotional health. Han, Li, & Haider (2022) cited that a quality learning environment should provide access to quality resources and psychological assistance to develop student confidence. Implementing guided teaching, peer-to-peer learning, and feedback systems has been uncovered as being able to reduce anxiety and increase retention (Yuksel, Soruç, Horzum, & McKinley, 2023). As stakeholders in Nigeria seek to improve the outcomes of science education, putting the role of the laboratory environment and practical anxiety in genetics into perspective becomes very critical. This study localized these universal variables within AMAC to provide information about the intersection of pedagogical and psychological variables that affect student effectiveness in the sciences.

1.2 Statement of the Problem  
Irrespective of the fundamental importance of genetics to the secondary school biology curriculum, the students in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) have consistently recorded sub-optimal academic achievement in this unit. Evidence from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Chief Examiners' Reports shows that students find it difficult to apply the practical work of genetics, which has led to a failure rate of about 58% in questions relating to genetics in the last few examination cycles. While the laboratory is supposed to be a place of refuge for experiential learning in which complicated abstract concepts such as Mendelian inheritance and DNA sequencing have been made simple through experimentation, many schools of AMAC struggle with challenges ranging from inadequate laboratory facilities to the absence of organized guides to practical learning. This deficit in the learning environment usually results in students having a patchworked background on heredity, which in turn leads to rote memorization, which does not translate into success during practical assessments or standardized examinations.
Beyond the physical confinement of the laboratory setting, there is a growing concern about the psychological influence that practical sessions have on student performance, namely, through the expression of practical anxiety. Many students in AMAC report having a high level of nervousness and apprehension when confronted with laboratory equipment or complex genetic calculation; this phenomenon has been associated with a significant drop in cognitive clarity during assessments. This anxiety is, in most cases, compounded by a learning environment that fails to offer enough instructional support or psychological safety, resulting in a barrier that creates a situation in which students cannot engage fully with the subject matter. To address this, there is a critical need for investigation as to how the interaction between the laboratory learning environment and these levels of practical anxiety contribute to the ongoing poor academic achievement in genetics. Unless these variables are clearly understood and addressed, the aim of producing scientifically literate graduates who can pursue careers in the fields of biotechnology and medicine may remain unfulfilled within the region.
1.3 Purpose Of The Study
The overall aim of this study is to critically examine the influence of laboratory learning environment and practical anxiety on students’ academic achievement in Genetics in AMAC (Abuja Municipal Area Council). Hence, the study will be channeled to the following specific objectives;
1.Determine the level of students’ perception of the laboratory learning environment (e.g., equipment availability, safety, teacher support, and student autonomy) in Genetics laboratories in AMAC.
2.Assess the level of practical anxiety experienced by students during Genetics laboratory sessions (e.g., fear of handling equipment, making mistakes, or performing procedures).
3.Examine the relationship between the laboratory learning environment (independently) and students’ academic achievement in Genetics.
4.Examine the relationship between practical anxiety (independently) and students’ academic achievement in Genetics.
OTHER PARTS OF CHAPTER ONE INCLUDE:
1.4 Research questions
1.5 Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8 Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE (Preview)
This chapter critically examines relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and, furthermore, recognizes the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps. This chapter, therefore, focuses on the concept of laboratory learning environment, the concept of practical anxiety, factors influencing students’ practical anxiety, the concept of academic achievement, the relationship between laboratory learning environment and students’ academic achievement in Genetics, and the influence of practical anxiety on students’ academic achievement etc. The chapter is sub-grouped into the following major headings:
2.1 Conceptual Framework
2.2 Theoretical Framework
2.3 Empirical Review
2.4 Summary of Literature Review

CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY (Preview)
Presented below is a snapshot of key areas of the study methodology, the full and detail chapter three methodology is contained in the instant download document.

Research Design: The study adopted a descriptive research design.
Population of the Study: The population of the study comprises genetics teachers and students from selected senior secondary schools in AMAC (Abuja Municipal Area Council), making a total population of respondents.
Sample Size Determination: The study adopted the Taro Yamane (1967) formula to determine a sample size of 302 participants.
Sampling Technique: The study employed a stratified sampling technique to select the schools, while convenience sampling technique was used to select the individual respondents.
Research Instrument: The study utilized a structured questionnaire titled "Influence of Laboratory Learning Environment and Practical Anxiety on Students' Academic Achievement in Genetics Questionnaire (LLLPASAGQ)" as the instrument for data collection.
Methods of Data Analysis: The collected data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations to summarize and present the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their responses. Inferential statistics, such as Simple Linear Regression, were used to analyze the data.
Full outline for chapter three;
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Population of the Study
3.3 Sample Size
3.4 Sampling Technique
3.5  Instrument for Data Collection
3.6 Validity of the Instrument
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument
3.8 Method Of Data Collection 
3.9 Method of Data Analysis
3.10 Ethical Consideration

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
MAJOR FINDINGS (Preview)
The analysis results were presented in tables and charts. Based on the results obtained from the analysis, the following major findings were made:

i. The study found that the laboratory learning environment for Genetics practical activities in selected senior secondary schools in AMAC is generally favourable, as evidenced by a grand mean of 3.65, which is above the criterion mean of 2.50. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.648, t-value of 14.377, F-value of 206.701, and p-value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis.

ii. The study found that students experienced a moderate level of practical anxiety during Genetics laboratory sessions, as evidenced by a grand mean of 3.61, which is above the criterion mean of 2.50.

iii. The study found that practical anxiety has a significant negative relationship with students' academic achievement in Genetics, as evidenced by a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.534. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a regression coefficient (β) of -0.534, t-value of -10.208, F-value of 104.202, and p-value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis.

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter covers the following outline:
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary 
5.3 Conclusion
5.4 Limitations of the Study
5.5 Recommendations
5.6 Suggestions for Further Studies
Reference
Appendix

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