Availability, Accessibility and Effectiveness of Chemistry Laboratories in Senior Secondary Schools in Ekiti State

The general purpose of this study was to investigate the availability, accessibility, and effectiveness of chemistry laboratories in senior secondary schools in Ekiti State. Specifically, the study examined the extent of availability, accessibility, and effectiveness of chemistry laboratories in senior secondary schools across the state.Three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The population consisted of all secondary school students offering chemistry in both public and private schools within Ado-Ekiti. The sample comprised 100 students, consisting of 50 students each from public and private senior secondary schools.The instrument used for data collection was a closed-ended questionnaire titled Chemistry Laboratory Assessment Questionnaire (CLAQ). Data obtained from the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The research questions were answered using frequency counts and percentages, while the hypotheses were tested using the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation (PPMC) at a 0.05 level of significance.The findings revealed that chemistry laboratories are more available in public senior secondary schools than in private ones in Ekiti State; however, private schools performed better in terms of accessibility and effectiveness. Conducting practical experiments was found to be one of the most effective strategies for explaining complex chemistry concepts. Such approaches create a learning environment where students feel motivated, supported, and confident in their ability to succeed in chemistry.Based on the findings, it was recommended that the government should provide more funds to public senior secondary schools for the provision and maintenance of well-equipped chemistry laboratories, while private school proprietors should invest in upgrading their laboratory infrastructure to meet national standards of effectiveness. Furthermore, policy makers should enforce equitable resource distribution policies to minimize disparities between public and private schools in science education.