DEVELOPMENT OF SMART LABORATORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR ENHANCING SCIENCE EDUCATION IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Abstract

Practical laboratory work is central to effective science education, developing the critical
thinking, inquiry and problem-solving skills that distinguish genuine scientific understanding from
rote learning. This study developed, validated and evaluated a smart laboratory management
system for enhancing the management, utilisation and safety of science laboratories in Southwest
Nigeria. A design-and-development research approach was employed, combining system
development with field deployment and empirical evaluation at three purposively selected
secondary schools and two colleges in Osun State. The system integrated radio-frequency
identification (RFID) readers and tags for inventory and equipment tracking, Internet of Things
sensors (temperature, humidity, gas, motion) for monitoring laboratory conditions and safety, and
management software with a dashboard supporting scheduling and utilisation. Baseline
assessment revealed significant management challenges: 38.4% of equipment was untracked,
maintenance was overdue for 42.6% of equipment, laboratory utilisation averaged only 42.8% of
capacity, and safety incidents were reported at 2.4 per month per institution. Post-deployment
results showed equipment tracking improved to 91.2% (137.4% increase), maintenance
compliance improved to 78.4% (84.0% increase), laboratory utilisation increased to 76.4%
(78.4% increase), and safety incidents decreased to 0.8 per month (66.7% reduction). Expert
validation rated the system highly for functionality (3.60), reliability (3.40), and usability (3.60),
while teachers and laboratory staff reported high satisfaction (mean 3.54). The system achieved
payback within 9.2 months based on reduced equipment loss and maintenance costs. The findings
demonstrate that smart laboratory management is technically feasible, educationally beneficial
and economically viable in the Nigerian context, and they provide a replicable implementation
framework for strengthening practical science education in the region.