STATUS OF BIOLOGY LABORATORY RESOURCES IN ORDINARY SECONDARY SCHOOLS: A CASE STUDY OF MOROGORO MUNICIPALITY, TANZANIA

The availability of biology laboratory resources plays an important role in the success of the practical activities for teachers to carry out their roles in the teaching processes. This study examined the current status of biology laboratory resources in ordinary secondary schools. The study was carried out in seven public and six private ordinary-level secondary schools within Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. The study involved a mixed method approach and 40 participants, including 13 biology teachers, one laboratory technician and 26 students. We collected data through a questionnaire and structured interviews, then analyzed it using descriptive analysis, chi-square tests, and content analysis. The findings of this study showed a significant difference in the availability of laboratory resources between public and private schools (χ2 =67.105, df = 2, p = 0.000). 50% of laboratory items were sufficient in both school types, while 33% and 14% were absent in public schools and private schools, respectively. Also, the study shows that practical manuals had a higher deficit than other resources. Additionally, the study identified limited time as the primary challenge to conducting practical activities in public and private schools. We recommend increasing the allocation of laboratory resources to public schools and providing more laboratory time for students in both schools.