Teacher Utilization of Advanced Laboratory Equipment in Secondary Science Instruction: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

AUTHOR(S)

JUNALYN D. VILLATORES ROGAR R. GARCIA, EdD

ABSTRACT

—— Science teachers lack advanced laboratory experience globally. I explored the perceptions of science teachers on their conditions in handling advanced laboratory equipment. I employed descriptive qualitative research design. Interviewing 11 purposively selected science teachers, and analyzing their data via thematic analysis, I found that science teachers experience emotional ambivalence and recognize instructional gaps and challenges in using advanced laboratory equipment, while emphasizing experiential learning, teacher transformation, and the adoption of improved, adaptive, and student-centered teaching strategies. School heads may allocate resources, provide training, mentorship, learning materials, collaboration, feedback, and professional development to support teachers in effectively implementing improved, studentcentered, and experiential teaching strategies. Future research may further quantify these findings through multiple regression analysis and develop a validated survey instrument using exploratory factor analysis to establish a broader framework for understanding effective laboratory instruction. Keywords: Utilization of advanced laboratory equipment, secondary science instruction, descriptive qualitative study