Laboratory Safety Practices and Accident Avoidance among Secondary School Physics Students in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67487/jprss.v2i3.257Keywords:
laboratory safety, personal protective equipment, physics, safety awarenessAbstract
The study investigated the influence of laboratory safety practices on accident avoidance among secondary school physics students in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria. The study focused on two safety practices: the use of personal protective equipment and safety awareness. The study was guided by two research questions and two research hypotheses. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population of the study was 2,623 physics students from the study area. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 347 respondents, and the sample size was determined using Taro Yemane’s formula n=N/1+N(e)². Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Laboratory Safety Practices Questionnaire (LSPQ). The questionnaire adopted a four-point Likert scale consisting of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. The instrument was validated through face and content validation by experts in science education. A reliability test was conducted, and the instrument yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.81 - 0.88 using Cronbach’s alpha. The data collected were analyzed using simple linear regression. The results showed that the use of personal protective equipment significantly influenced accident avoidance in physics laboratories. It was therefore recommended that physics teachers should emphasize laboratory safety procedures and ensure that students comply with established laboratory safety rules.
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