The research project investigates the challenges encountered by students in Biology
practical that affect their academic performance in public secondary schools in Kibra Sub-County,
Nairobi, Kenya. The objectives of the study include establishing the influence of the availability
of Biology laboratory resources on students’ academic performance, determining the effect of
utilizing Biology laboratory resources to students’ academic performance, analyzing the effects of
students’ attitude towards Biology practical to their academic performance, and investigating the
effects of teacher competency on students’ academic performance. The study was guided by John
Dewey’s constructivism theory. A descriptive survey research design was used, and a quantitative
approach was adopted for data analysis. The study used a sample of 131 respondents comprising
of 123 Form Three and Four students, and 8 teachers drawn from public secondary schools in
Kibra Sub-County, Nairobi, Kenya. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 21) was
used to analyze the data collected from the target population. The finding underlines the critical
role of practical activities in students' understanding and performance in Biology. The study
concludes that inadequate laboratory resources, limited access to functional equipment, absence
of laboratory technicians, and overcrowded learning environments hinder effective practical
learning experiences, consequently resulting in poor academic performance. The study
recommends that students should make good use of the laboratory resources, teachers and
laboratory technicians should engage in professional development programs, and the ministry of
education should provide more laboratory equipment and employ trained laboratory technicians to
facilitate practical engagement.