Appraising Undergraduate Science Education Students Awareness of Laboratory Waste Disposal Management Techniques

Abstract

The study was an appraisal of undergraduate students’ awareness of laboratory waste disposal management techniques (LAWDMT) in the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted in collecting respondents’ awareness on laboratory waste disposal (LWD). The population of the study was 154 final years (500 level) Science Education (SED) students who were completing their study in 2018/2019 academic session in the University. A sample of 40 Biology and Chemistry education students were randomly selected and given the questionnaire to complete and return the same. The sample size consisted of 17 males (42.5%) and 233 females (57.5%) science education students. The instrument for data collection was titled ‘LABORATORY Waste Disposal Management Techniques Awareness Questionnaire (LAWDISMAQ) containing 20 items developed by the researcher and validated by laboratory Technologist in Chemistry and Biology Laboratories of the University. It is a 4-point Likert type scale. The reliability coefficient was determined using Cronbach alpha statistic and was found to be 0.84. LAWDISMAQ was distributed and collated by the research assistants who also helped in coding the respondents’ views. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data collected using Means (X) and Standard Deviations. Findings of the study shows that science Education students have awareness on Laboratory Waste Disposal Management Techniques with a Mean score of 2.75. There was however no difference between male and female students on laboratory awareness techniques. It was recommended that laboratory Technologist should continue to maintain laboratory safety standards to forestall accidents and equipment damage control measures in the laboratories.