Assessment of Availability and Utilization of Laboratory Equipment for Teaching Food and Nutrition in Nigerian Universities

Abstract

This paper assessed the availability and utilization of laboratory equipment for teaching Food and Nutrition in Nigerian Universities. Three research questions guided the study. Employing a descriptive survey design, all 68 Home Economics lecturers from four public universities in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones were purposively sampled. The instrument use for data collection was a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire contained 130 items on availability and utilization of laboratory equipment and 10 items on the challenges faced by lecturers in utilizing the available material resources for effective teaching Food and Nutrition in the Universities. The instrument was face validated by three experts, and the reliability coefficient was established using Cronbach Alpha statistics which yielded a coefficient of 0.96, 0.94 and 0.88. Data collected through questionnaire was analyzed using percentages and frequency counts. The study revealed inadequate availability and utilization of laboratory equipment for teaching Food and Nutrition in Universities in South-South and South-East geopolitical zone in Nigeria. Based on the findings of the study, the researchers recommended among others that government at all levels should provide adequate laboratory equipment and train lecturers on the utilization of Food and Nutrition laboratory equipment as well as ensure proper monitoring and supervision of the Universities to ensure that the laboratory equipment available are adequately utilized and maintained.

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