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Impact of Physics Laboratory Equipment Exposure on Academic Performance among Senior Secondary Students in Kwali Area Council, FCT Abuja, Nigeria

The central purpose of this study was to ascertain the effect of physics laboratory equipment exposure on the academic performance of senior secondary students, specifically within Nigeria’s Kwali Area Council, FCT Abuja. The research employed a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design. Out of a total population of 450 SSII students in the Kwali Area Council, 70 participants were selected via purposive sampling, using two intact classes from public secondary schools in separate locations. The study was framed by two specific research questions and two corresponding null hypotheses tested at the significance level. A 25-item multiple-choice Physics Achievement Test (PAT) served as the data collection instrument, which was administered both before and after the treatment phase. All collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS (version 27). The findings indicated that the pedagogical intervention involving Physics Laboratory Equipment produced a demonstrably significant and positive impact on student performance in Physics, especially when compared against conventional instruction. Students who were provided with more extensive engagement with laboratory equipment achieved at a higher level in Physics than their peers who had minimal or no such exposure. Additionally, the intervention was found to be gender-neutral in its effectiveness. The study, therefore, concludes with the recommendation that improving access to laboratory equipment and mandating regular practical work are vital strategies for enhancing the teaching and learning of Physics in Nigerian secondary schools.