Shared teacher planning time may be a critical support for improved laboratory teaching, because of the unique nature of laboratory education. Meaning making in secondary science classrooms. Scientific laboratories, college and university science departments, and science museums have launched efforts to support high school science teachers in improving laboratory teaching. Science Education, 85(3), 263-278. Effects of Teaching Science Subjects in Absence of Science Laboratory Duschl, R. (1983). Examining the effects of a highly rated curriculum unit on diverse students: Results from a planning grant. Research on teachers using a science curriculum that integrates laboratory experiences into the stream of instruction indicates that repeated practice with such a curriculum, as well as time for collaboration and reflection with professional colleagues, leads teachers to shift from focusing on laboratory procedures to focusing on science learning goals (Williams, Linn, Ammon, and Gearheart, 2004). For example, among high school teachers who had participated in professional development aimed at learning to use inquiry-oriented teaching strategies, 25 percent indicated that this professional development had little or no impact, and 48 percent reported that the professional development merely confirmed what they were already doing. However, 66 percent of teachers indicated that they regularly shared ideas and materials with their colleagues, perhaps indicating that they do so on their own time, outside school hours (Hudson et al., 2002). In M.C. It will show you how laboratory sessions can differ with respect to their aim and expected learning . The research team focused the curriculum on helping students understand these principles, including flow principles, rate principles, total heat flow principles, and an integration principle. School districts, teachers, and others may want to consider these examples, but further research is needed to determine their scope and effectiveness. One study found that having an advanced degree in science was associated with increased student science learning from the 8th to the 10th grade (Goldhaber and Brewer, 1997). Teacher participants at the institute experienced firsthand learning as students in several laboratory sessions led by high school instructors who were regarded as master laboratory teachers. This professional development institute also incorporated ongoing opportunities for discussion and reflection. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. After receiving his BEd and MEd degrees from the same university in 1985 and 1986 respectively he started his teaching career as Mathematics and Science teacher in 1989 at Windhoek High . Among these factors, curriculum has a strong influence on teaching strategies (Weiss, Pasley, Smith, Banilower, and Heck, 2003). To date, however, few high schools have adopted such research-based science curricula, and many teachers and school administrators are unaware of them (Tushnet et al., 2000; Baumgartner, 2004). Current professional development for science teachers is uneven in quantity and quality and places little emphasis on laboratory teaching. The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, a science curriculum development organization, has long been engaged in the preservice education of science teachers and also offers professional development for inservice teachers. Laboratory experiences as a part of most U.S. high school science curricula have been taken for granted for decades, but they have rarely been carefully examined. Undergraduate science departments rarely provide future science teachers with laboratory experiences that follow the design principles derived from recent researchintegrated into the flow of instruction, focused on clear learning goals, aimed at the learning of science content and science process, with ongoing opportunities for reflection and discussion. Trumbull, D., and Kerr, P. (1993). fessional development aligned with the curricula leads to increases in students progress toward the goals of laboratory experiences (Slotta, 2004). The National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education: Trends from 1977 to 2000. PDF Role of a Physics Teacher - AAPT (2002). Generally, the body of research is weak, and the effects of teacher quality on student outcomes are small and specific to certain contexts. Active assessment for active learning. The teachers, all biology majors, could only list the courses they had taken as a way to organize their fields. However, formulating such questions can be difficult (National Research Council, 2001a, 2001b). These limits, in turn, could contribute to lower science achievement, especially among poor and minority students. Requirements for professional development of in-service science teachers differ widely from state to state. Methods of assessing student learning in laboratory activities include systematically observing and evaluating students performance in specific laboratory tasks and longer term laboratory investigations. The Role of Laboratory in Science Teaching and Learning (2003). Science Education, 75, 121-133. Laboratory teaching assumes that first-hand experience in observation and manipulation of the materials of science is superior to other methods of developing understanding and appreciation. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 4(2), 103-126. Case studies of laboratory teaching show that laboratory activities designed to verify known scientific concepts or laws may not always go forward as planned (Olsen et al., 1996). In a year-long study of prospective biology teachers (Gess-Newsome and Lederman, 1993), the participants reported never having thought about the central ideas of biology or the interrelationships among the topics. The role of the laboratory in science learning. Teachers require deep conceptual knowledge of a science discipline not only to lead laboratory experiences that are designed according to the research, but also to lead a full range of laboratory experiences reflecting the range of activities of scientists (see Chapter 1). A three-way error components analysis of educational productivity. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31, 621-637. Goldhaber, D.D. Knowledge of students cultures and languages and the ability to communicate across cultures are necessary to carry out laboratory experiences that build on diverse students sense of wonder and engage them in science learning. Elementary School Journal, 97(4), 401-417. We then present promising examples of approaches to enhancing teachers capacity to lead laboratory experiences. Data from the 2000 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education. (2002). Large majorities of students indicated that the program had increased their interest in science, while large majorities of teachers said they would recommend the program to other teachers and that the volunteers had had a beneficial effect on their science teaching. Journal of Research on Science Teaching, 37, 963-980. In chemistry laboratories at large universities, the instructors of record are typically graduate or undergraduate . Lab Professional - ASCP Teaching failure in the laboratory. Currently, most schools are designed to support teaching that follows predictable routines and schedules (Gamoran, 2004). Among those who had, an overwhelming majority said the experience had helped them better understand science content and improved both their teaching practice and their enthusiasm (Bayer Corporation, 2004). To lead effective laboratory experiences, science teachers should know how to use data from all of these assessment methods in order to reflect on student progress and make informed decisions about which laboratory activities and teaching approaches to change, retain, or discard (National Research Council, 2001b; Volkman and Abell, 2003). Mathematics and science teachers reported more frequently than other teachers that job dissatisfaction was the reason they left their jobs. In addition, there is little research on whether use of block scheduling influences teachers instruction or enhances student learning. At Vanderbilt University, Catley conducts a summer-long course on research in organismal biology. New York: Pergamon. Providing Expert Assistance to Schools and Teachers. Wright, S.P., Horn, S., and Sanders, W. (1997). Teachers need to decide what kind of phenomena are important and appropriate for students to study as well as the degree of structure their students require. In addition to the many programs to increase teachers knowledge and abilities discussed above, the scientific community sometimes engages scientists to work directly with students. New York: City College Workshop Center. As teachers move beyond laboratory experiences focusing on tools, procedures, and observations to those that engage students in posing a research question or in building and revising models to explain their observations, they require still deeper levels of science content knowledge (Windschitl, 2004; Catley, 2004). Sutman, F.X., Schmuckler, J.S., Hilosky, A.B., Priestly, H.S., and Priestly, W.J. They found that a heat-flow model was better able to connect to middle school students knowledge about heat and temperature than a molecular-kinetic model (Linn, Davis, and Bell, 2004). 4.01 Responsibilities of Teachers and Learners Educational Policy, 17(5), 613-649. Helping students attain the learning goals of laboratory experiences requires their teachers to have broad and deep understanding of both the processes and outcomes of scientific research. Erroneous ideas about respiration: The teacher factor. In these discussions, the teacher helps students to resolve dissonances between the way they initially understood a phenomenon and the new evidence. The organization and structure of most high schools impede teachers and administrators ongoing learning about science instruction and the implementation of quality laboratory experiences. To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter. Science Teacher Job Description - Betterteam Familiarity with the evidence or principles of a complex theory does not ensure that a teacher has a sound understanding of concepts that are meaningful to high school students and that she or he will be capable of leading students to change their ideas by critiquing each others investigations as they make sense of phenomena in their everyday lives. Rethinking laboratories. Improving high school science teachers capacity to lead laboratory experiences effectively is critical to advancing the educational goals of these experiences. Smith, S. (2004). Their previous, closely prescribed laboratory experiences had not helped them to understand that there are many different ways to effect a particular chemical transformation. (2004). School administrators have a strong influence on whether high school science teachers receive the professional development opportunities needed to develop the knowledge and skills we have identified. It was also clear that teachers enhanced their understanding of science subject matter specific to the lab they experienced. Most current professional development for science teachers, such as the activities that had little impact on the teaching strategies among teachers responding to the 2000 survey, is ad hoc. ASCP understands your role in the medical laboratory and has developed cost effective learning products, tools to manage your re-certification, and opportunities for you to grow as a leader in the laboratory. (1994). Tushnet, N.C., Millsap, M.A., Noraini, A., Brigham, N., Cooley, E., Elliott, J., Johnston, K., Martinez, A., Nierenberg, M., and Rosenblum, S. (2000). As students analyze observations from the laboratory in search of patterns or explanations, develop and revise conjectures, and build lines of reasoning about why their proposed claims or explanations are or are not true, the teacher supports their learning by conducting sense-making discussions (Mortimer and Scott, 2003; van Zee and Minstrell, 1997; Hammer, 1997; Windschitl, 2004; Bell, 2004; Brown and Campione, 1998; Bruner, 1996; Linn, 1995; Lunetta, 1998; Clark, Clough, and Berg, 2000; Millar and Driver, 1987). Knowledge of childrens mental and emotional development, of teaching methods, and how best to communicate with children of different ages is essential for teachers to help students build meaning based on their laboratory experiences. Over the course of a years worth of pedagogical preparation and field experiences, the new teachers began to reorganize their knowledge of biology according to how they thought it should be taught. Harlen, W. (2001). It often consists mostly of one-day (or shorter) workshops focusing on how-to activities that are unlikely to challenge teachers beliefs about teaching and learning that support their current practice (DeSimone, Garet, Birman, Porter, and Yoon, 2003). Some research indicates that teachers do not respond to sustained professional development by taking their new knowledge and skills to other schools, but rather by staying and creating new benefits where they are. Looking inside the classroom: A study of K-12 mathematics and science education in the United States. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Drawing up suitable assessments and delivering helpful feedback to students, parents, and other teachers. Laboratory activities have long had a distinct and central role in the science curriculum as a means of making sense of the natural world. ), The black-white test score gap. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Javonovic, J., and King, S.S. (1998). Science Education, 77, 261-278. DeSimone, L.M., Garet, M., Birman, B., Porter, A., and Yoon, K. (2003). The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science, http://www.bayerus.com/msms/news/facts.cfm?mode=detailandid-survey04, http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/July_1213_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html, http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/June_3-4_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html, http://epx.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/613, http://www.educationnext.org/20021/50.html, http://www.sedl.org/connections/research-syntheses.html, http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/July_12-13_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html, http://www.nsta.org/positionstatementandpsid=16, http://www.horizon-research.com/reports/2002/2000survey/trends.php, http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/March_29-30_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html, http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/KTobin_71204_HSLabs_Mtg.pdf, http://www.nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2004/section4/indicator24.asp, http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/LSTPD/about.htm. This is a culminating project for a Forensics course or unit. Is laboratory-based instruction in beginning college-level chemistry worth the effort and expense? Culturally adaptive teaching and learning science in labs. In reviewing the state of biology education in 1990, an NRC committee concluded that few teachers had the knowledge or skill to lead effective laboratory experiences and recommended that "major new programs should be developed for providing in-service education on laboratory activities" (National Research Council, 1990, p. 34). Laboratory Demonstrations: Do start class by demonstrating key techniques or equipment operation or describing the location and handling of special materials. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website. Presentation to the Committee on High School Science Laboratories: Role and Vision, July 12-13, National Research Council, Washington, DC. Modifying cookbook labs. When one college physics professor taught a high school physics class, he struggled with uncertainty about how to respond to students ideas about the phenomena they encountered, particularly when their findings contradicted accepted scientific principles (Hammer, 1997). However, several types of inflexible scheduling may discourage effective laboratory experiences, including (a) limits on teacher planning time, (b) limits on teacher setup and cleanup time, and (c) limits on time for laboratory experiences. One study found that, when laboratories were easily accessible, 14- and 15-year-old students who used the facilities during their free time reported increased interest in academics and took advanced science courses (Henderson and Mapp, 2002). (2001). A teachers academic science preparation appears to affect student science achievement generally. 13-Week Science Methodology Course. Schwartz, R., and Lederman, N. (2002). Loucks-Horsley, Love, Stiles, Mundry, and Hewson (2003) provide a detailed design framework for professional development and descriptions of case studies, identifying strategies for improving science teaching that may be applicable to improving laboratory teaching. McComas and Colburn (1995) established an inservice program called Laboratory Learning: An Inservice Institute, which incorporated some of the design elements that support student learning in laboratory experiences. Science Teacher (October), 40-43. You choose your level of involvement based on your needs. Available at: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/March_29-30_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html [accessed Oct. 2005]. Students were asked to survey the literature for methods to reduce aromatic nitro compounds to the corresponding amines. You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Sanders, M. (1993). However, the undergraduate education of future science teachers does not currently prepare them for effective laboratory teaching. Researchers generally agree that the teachers academic preparation in science has a positive influence on students science achievement (U.S. Department of Education, 2000; National Research Council, 2001a). ), Proceedings of the Conference on K-12 Outreach from University Science Departments. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. The Quality of Vocational Teachers: teacher education, institutional The primary role of a teacher is to establish a learning environment where all students are able to learn and are motivated to learn, an environment that is both challenging and supportive: Establish a learning community consisting of the teacher and the students In 2000, according to a nationally representative survey of science teachers, most school administrators provided inadequate time for shared planning and reflection to improve instruction. Educational Researcher, 27, 12-21. (2001a). 4.8. In addition to science content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, teachers also need general pedagogical knowledge in order to moderate ongoing discussion and reflection on laboratory activities, and supervise group work. Using questioning to guide student thinking. U.S. Department of Energy. Final report on the evaluation of the National Science Foundations Instructional Materials Development Program. (Working paper prepared in collaboration with the National Conference of State Legislatures.) Haase, B.S. The effects of professional development on science teaching practices and classroom culture. Chapel Hill, NC : Horizon Research. Its the nature of the beast: The influence of knowledge and intentions on learning and teaching nature of science. Teachers and teacher aides should lead by example and wear personal protective equipment (PPE); follow and enforce safety rules, procedures, and practices; and demonstrate safety behavior to promote a culture of safety. Center for Education. ), Constructivism in education. It means focusing the students own questions. Implications of teachers beliefs about the nature of science: Comparisons of the beliefs of scientists, secondary science teachers, and elementary science teachers. Time constraints can also discourage teachers from the challenges of setting up and testing laboratory equipment and materials. The study examined the relationship between professional development and teaching practice in terms of three specific instructional practices: (1) the use of technology, (2) the use of higher order instructional methods, and (3) the use of alternative assessment. The laboratory in science education: Foundations for the twenty-first century. Millar, R., and Driver, R. (1987). The Role of Laboratory in Science Teaching | NARST Currently, teachers rarely provide opportunities for students to participate in formulating questions to be addressed in the laboratory. Role Of Task Analysis In Special Education - Number Dyslexia Student outcomes and the professional preparation of eighth-grade teachers in science and mathematics: NSF/NELS. Washington, DC: Author. Laboratory training is also frequently used to develop skills necessary for more advanced study or research. Formulating research questions appropriate for a science classroom and leading student discussions are two important places where the interaction of the four types of knowledge is most evident. It is necessary even to lead students in activities designed to verify existing scientific knowledge. Glagovich, N., and Swierczynski, A. For example, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched its Laboratory Science Teacher Professional Development Program in 2004. Lederman, N.G. Google Scholar Boys and girls in the performance-based classroom: Whos doing the performing? These professionals use specialized instrumentation and techniques to analyze patients' samples, such as blood, urine, body fluids and tissue, and stool. Available at: http://www.educationnext.org/20021/50.html [accessed Feb. 2005]. Active learning opportunities focused on analysis of teaching and learning. Gitomer, D.H., and Duschl, R.A. (1998). The effects of instruction on college nonmajors conceptions of respiration and photosynthesis. In addition, they found that commercially available laboratory manuals failed to provide cognitively challenging activities that might help to bridge the gap between teachers lack of knowledge and improved laboratory experiences (McComas and Colburn, 1995, p. 120). Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features? Full article: Teacher motivation: Definition, research development and Few professional development programs for science teachers emphasize laboratory instruction. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(3), 205-236. A professor engaged upper level chemistry majors in trying to create a foolproof laboratory activity to illustrate the chemistry of amines for introductory students. location_onUniversity of Michigan The mystery of good teaching: Surveying the evidence on student achievement and teachers characteristics. International Journal of Science Education 22(7), 665-701. In addition, few high school teachers have access to curricula that integrate laboratory experiences into the stream of instruction. Despite the weakness of current professional development for laboratory teaching, a growing body of research indicates that it is possible to develop and implement professional development that would support improved laboratory teaching and learning. However, an analysis of national survey data indicates that teachers in block schedules do not incorporate more laboratory experiences into their instruction (Smith, 2004). Deep disciplinary expertise is necessary to help students learn to use laboratory tools and procedures and to make observations and gather data. Teachers require a deep understanding of scientific processes in order to guide students procedures and formulation of research questions, as well as deep understanding of science concepts in order to guide them toward subject matter understanding and other learning goals. Note: The suggestions below were generated by a group of U-M GSIs based on their experiences teaching in a physics lab course. Available at: http://www.sedl.org/connections/research-syntheses.html [accessed May 2005]. Arrangements must be made with Instructor to cover unavoidable absences or planned breaks. Weiss, I.R., Pasley, J.D., Smith, P.S., Banilower, E.R., and Heck, D.J. Enforcing laboratory rules . Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name. Teachers need to listen in a way that goes well beyond an immediate right or wrong judgment. Teachers design and carry out an open-ended field research project, of their own choosing. Zahopoulos, C. (2003). Professional development and preservice programs that combined laboratory experiences with instruction about the key concepts of the nature of science and engaged teachers in reflecting on their experiences in light of those concepts were more successful in developing improved understanding (Khalic and Lederman, 2000). Equity for linguistically and culturally diverse students in science education. (2004). Periodic checks indicated that the science internship helped teachers improve their understanding of [the nature of science] and [science inquiry]. Seattle: University of Washington, Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy. The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study. an increasingly important aspect of their general pedagogical knowledge. At this time, however, some educators have begun to question seriously the effectiveness and the role of laboratory work, and the case for laboratory . While teachers play an active role in lecture-based teaching methods, the students' role is usually reduced to sitting at their desks and listening passively to their teachers, to all. What Are the Duties of a Student Lab Assistant? | Work - Chron (2002). PDF Classroom Teachers' Opinions on Science Laboratory Practices Between sessions, teacher participants reflected on what they were learning and applied some of it in their classrooms, following the active learning approach suggested by the research on professional development for science teachers. It may be useful, however, to begin . Abstract available at: http://epx.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/613 [accessed May 2005]. The literature provides an overview of a range of factors motivating and demotivating pre-service and in-service teachers, and the role teacher motivation plays in possible links with other areas. PDF The Use of Laboratory Method in Teaching Secondary School - IJSER Welcome to the Science Education Partnership. Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Quantitative approach was used to investigate effects of teaching science subjects in absence of science laboratory and to. In C. Jencks and M. Phillips (Eds. Paper prepared for the Committee on High School Science Laboratories: Role and Vision, July 12-13, National Research Council, Washington, DC. Committee on Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards, J.M. They surveyed a sample of 207 teachers in 30 schools, 10 districts, and 5 states to examine features of professional development and its effects on teaching practice from 1996 to 1999 (DeSimone et al., 2002). These findings confirm those from a substantial literature on arts and sciences teaching in colleges and universities, which has clearly documented that both elementary and secondary teachers lack a deep and connected conceptual understanding of the subject matter they are expected to teach (Kennedy, Ball, McDiarmid, and Schmidt, 1991; McDiarmid, 1994).