International Journal of Science Education, 18(7), 775-790. Linn, E.A. Further research is needed to assess the extent to which such programs help teachers develop the knowledge and skills required to lead laboratory experiences in ways that help students master science subject matter and progress toward other science learning goals. Arrangements must be made with Instructor to cover unavoidable absences or planned breaks. Educational Policy, 14(3), 331-356. Haase, B.S. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum. As we have discussed, teachers face an ongoing tension between allowing students greater autonomy in the laboratory and guiding them toward accepted scientific knowledge. Note: The suggestions below were generated by a group of U-M GSIs based on their experiences teaching in a physics lab course. Abstract available at: http://epx.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/613 [accessed May 2005]. Undergraduate science students, including preservice teachers, engage. Finally, an . Harlen, W. (2000). They should be proactive in every aspect of laboratory safety, making safety a priority. 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. Goldhaber, D.D., and Brewer, D.J. The teachers ability to use sophisticated questioning techniques to bring about productive student-student and student-teacher discussions in all phases of the laboratory activity is a key factor in the extent to which the activity attains its goals (Minstrell and Van Zee, 2003). Laboratories in science education: Understanding the history and nature of science. Further research is needed to inform design of professional development that can effectively support improvements in teachers laboratory instruction. Further research is needed to evaluate these and other efforts to link scientists with K-12 education. ), Development in school finance, 1996. 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). 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. Davis, and P. Bell (Eds. This paper explores the role of laboratory and field-based research experiences in secondary science education by summarizing research documenting how such activities promote science learning. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 24(2), 81-112. Science educators, school administrators, policy makers, and parents will all benefit from a better understanding of the need for laboratory experiences to be an integral part of the science curriculumand how that can be accomplished. In 1999-2000, 39.4 percent of all physics teachers in public high schools had neither a major nor a minor in physics, 59.9 percent of all public high school geology teachers lacked a major or minor in geology, 35.7 percent of chemistry teachers lacked a major or minor in that field, and 21.7 percent of biology teachers had neither a major nor a minor in biology (National Center for Education Statistics, 2004). In another approach, schools can schedule science classes for double periods to allow more time for both carrying out investigations and reflecting on the meaning of those investigations. Leading laboratory experiences is a demanding task requiring teachers to have sophisticated knowledge of science content and process, how students learn science, assessment of students learning, and how to design instruction to support the multiple goals of science education. 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). Kennedy, M., Ball, D., McDiarmid, G.W., and Schmidt, W. (1991). ReviewLiterature review: The role of the teacher in inquiry-based education. Sanders, M. (1993). DeSimone and others conducted a three-year longitudinal study of professional development in science and mathematics provided by school districts. Henderson, A.T., and Mapp, K.L. Science Education, 77(1), 25-46. Internet environments for science education. (1995). ), How students learn: Reforming schools through learner-centered education (pp. We do not yet know how best to develop the knowledge and skills that teachers require to lead laboratory experiences that help students master science subject matter, develop scientific reasoning skills, and attain the other goals of laboratory education. National Research Council. A three-way error components analysis of educational productivity. To succeed at it and ask the types of higher level and cognitively based questions that appear to support student learning, teachers must have considerable science content knowledge and science teaching experience (McDiarmid, Ball, and Anderson, 1989; Chaney, 1995; Sanders and Rivers, 1996; Hammer, 1997). The main role of a teaching assistant is to provide support to the course instructor to ensure the effective delivery of the required materials and to foster a positive learning environment. They are relevant for new lab instructors in a wide range of disciplines. In M.C. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Physics Department. Professional Development Partnerships with the Scientific Community. (1997). Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. Studies in Science Education, 14, 33-62. Available at: http://www.educationnext.org/20021/50.html [accessed Feb. 2005]. Many preservice teachers hold serious misconceptions about science that are similar to those held by their students (Anderson, Sheldon, and Dubay, 1990; Sanders, 1993; Songer and Mintzes, 1994; Westbrook and Marek, 1992, all cited in Windschitl, 2004). goals of laboratory experiences. The teachers skills in posing questions and leading discussions also help students to effectively and accurately communicate their laboratory activities and the science sense they make from them, using appropriate language, scientific knowledge, mathematics, and other intellectual modes of communication associated with a particular science discipline. Gamoran, A. Page 111 Share Cite. Supovitz, J.A., Mayer, D.P., and Kahle, J. Why staying ahead one chapter doesnt really work: Subject-specific pedagogy. 357-382). 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. The final section concludes that there are many barriers to improving laboratory teaching and learning in the current school environment. Khalic, A., and Lederman, N. (2000). In the Seattle program, teachers attend a 13-day summer workshop in which they work closely with each other, master teachers, and program staff to develop expertise in molecular biology. 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. Crime scenes are set up and the students play the role of Crime Scene Investigators to process the scene. However, an analysis of national survey data indicates that teachers in block schedules do not incorporate more laboratory experiences into their instruction (Smith, 2004). Fraser and K.G. Ingersoll, R. (2003). Few professional development programs for science teachers emphasize laboratory instruction. Hirsch, E., Koppich, J.E., and Knapp, M.S. What can they contribute to science learning? Erroneous ideas about respiration: The teacher factor. The distinction between key ideas in teaching school physics and key ideas in the discipline of physics. Data from a 2000 survey of science and mathematics education indicate that most current science teachers participate infrequently in professional development activities, and that many teachers view these activities as ineffective (Hudson, McMahon, and Overstreet, 2002). Volunteers receive training, a sourcebook of activities appropriate for middle school students, a kit of science materials, and a set of videotapes. (2002). On the basis of a review of the available research, Lunetta (1998, p. 253) suggests that, for students, time should be provided for engaging students in driving questions, for team planning, for feedback about the nature and meaning of data, and for discussion of the implications of findings, and laboratory journals should provide opportunities for individual students to reflect upon and clarify their own observations, hypotheses, conceptions.. The role of practical work in the teaching and learning of science. 1 Introduction, History, and Definition of Laboratories, 3 Laboratory Experiences and Student Learning, 5 Teacher and School Readiness for Laboratory Experiences, 7 Laboratory Experiences for the 21st Century, APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings, APPENDIX B Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff. Duration (total contact hours, span of time). Research on the efficacy of strategies used for professional development related specifically to laboratory experiences, however, is not readily available. Current professional development for science teachers is uneven in quantity and quality and places little emphasis on laboratory teaching. Using questioning to assess and foster student thinking. Linn describes aspects of the model as pragmatic principles of heat that are more accessible goals than the microscopic view of heat that is commonly taught (Linn, 1997, p. 410). (2000). instructors and laboratory assistants working in school or college settings in vocational . Chemistry laboratories play an essential role in the education of undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM students. Catley (2004) reports that having gone through the process of frustration, false starts and the elation of completion, [the teachers] came away with a deeper understanding of how inquiry works and a sense of empowerment. teacher in the classroom and thus cause tension like tools, materials, negative working conditions, student violence on teachers, increasing teacher expectations and tiredness of teacher. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. The teachers skills in posing questions and leading discussions affect students ability to build meaning from their laboratory experiences. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Science teachers may be modeling instructional practices they themselves witnessed or experienced firsthand as students in college science classes. Rethinking the continuum of preparation and professional development for secondary science educators. [I]t represents the blending of content and pedagogy into an understanding of how particular topics, problems, or issues are organized, represented and adapted to the diverse interests and abilities of learners, and presented for instruction. (1995). Williams, M., Linn, M.C., Ammon, P., and Gearhart, M. (2004). One theme that emerges from such research is that the content knowledge gained from undergraduate work is often superficial and not well integrated. Designing computer learning environments for engineering and computer science: The scaffolded knowledge integration framework. Fulfilling the promise: Biology education in the nations schools. Some school and school district officials may be reluctant to invest in sustained professional development for science teachers because they fear losing their investments if trained teachers leave for other jobs. 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). What does research tell us about learning in high school science labs? Assistants show the students how to handle chemical spills, dispose of broken glassware and get rid of non-hazardous and chemical waste . Linn, M.C. They must guide and focus ongoing discussion and reflection with individuals, laboratory groups, and the entire class. Formative assessment, that is, continually assessing student progress in order to guide further instruction, appears to enhance student attainment of the goals of laboratory education. These might include websites, instructional materials, readings, or other resources to use with students. These professionals use specialized instrumentation and techniques to analyze patients' samples, such as blood, urine, body fluids and tissue, and stool. They lock up all the reagents and unplug all electrical equipment to minimize the chances of accidents and fires. Reston, VA: Association of Teacher Educators. Anderson, C., Sheldon, T., and Dubay, J. (1998). (2002). 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. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum. teacher is teaching both chemistry and physics, requiring more preparation time (American Association of Physics Teachers, 2002). The Higher Education Chemistry (RSC), 5 (2), 42-51. Institute participants also asked for more discussion of assessment methods for laboratory teaching, including the role of video testing, and also recommended inclusion of sessions that address teaching science laboratory classes on a small budget. Science Education, 88, 28-54. Brown, A.L., and Campione, J.C. (1998). (2001). The Chemistry Department of City College (City University of New York) places undergraduate science and engineering majors in middle school classrooms to assist teachers during laboratory activities and learn classroom management from the teachers. School administrators can take several approaches to providing time for this type of ongoing discussion and reflection that supports student learning during laboratory experiences. Use these dos and donts to help you think about what you can do to be a successful new instructor: Allen, D., OConnell, R., Percha, B., Erickson, B., Nord, B., Harper, D., Bialek, J., & Nam E. (2009). For example, the teacher might use descriptive or qualitative language or images to convey concepts related to. 1071 Palmer Commons University of Michigan Physics Department: GSI training course. How can school organization contribute to effective laboratory teaching. Reporting on a post-institute survey, McComas and Colburn note that a surprising number of teachers felt that the safety sessions were most important (p. 121) (no numbers were reported). Journal of Research on Science Teaching, 37, 963-980. Teachers must consider how to select curriculum that integrates laboratory experiences into the stream of instruction and how to select individual laboratory activities that will fit most appropriately into their science classes. Goldhaber, D.D., Brewer, D.J., and Anderson, D. (1999). Lederman, N.G. The design of this professional development program incorporated the principle of integrating laboratory experiences into the stream of instruction and the goal of providing a full range of laboratory experiences, including opportunities for students to participate in developing research questions and procedures. 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 impact of longer term intervention on reforming the approaches to instructions in chemistry by urban teachers of physical and life sciences at the secondary school level. The research also indicates that undergraduate laboratory work, like the laboratory experiences of high school students, often focuses on detailed procedures rather than clear learning goals (Hegarty-Hazel, 1990; Sutman, Schmuckler, Hilosky, Priestley, and Priestley, 1996). Journal of the Learning Sciences, 6(2), 227-269. Results of the study also confirmed the effectiveness of providing active learning opportunities. These school-based teacher communities, in turn, not only supported teachers in improving their teaching practices, but also helped them create new resources, such as new curricula. Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name. Designing professional development for teachers of science and mathematics. 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. McComs (Eds. Available at: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/June_3-4_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html [accessed May 2005]. Science Teacher (October), 40-43. 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. With the support of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), several medical colleges and research institutions provide laboratory-based science experiences for science teachers and their students. Available at: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/July_12-13_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html [accessed May 2005]. New York: City College Workshop Center. At this time, however, some educators have begun to question seriously the effectiveness and the role of laboratory The functions of the laboratory teaching assistant are to provide instruction, supervision, and assistance, as required, to the students in his/her section. Laboratory activities have long had a distinct and central role in the science curriculum as a means of making sense of the natural world. 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). (1994). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. At the same time, teachers must address logistical and practical concerns, such as obtaining and storing supplies and maintaining laboratory safety. Washington, DC: Author. Science Educator, 12(1), 1-9. Their previous, closely prescribed laboratory experiences had not helped them to understand that there are many different ways to effect a particular chemical transformation. Lee, O., and Fradd, S.H. Available at: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/June_3-4_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html [accessed Oct. 2004]. (71) $4.50. The 2000 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education: Compendium of tables. (2001). 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. Teachers College Record, 105(3), 465-489. The available evidence indicates that the current science teaching workforce lacks the knowledge and skills required to lead a range of effective laboratory experiences. (Working paper prepared in collaboration with the National Conference of State Legislatures.) A student lab assistant ensures that students do not practice any unsafe behaviors in the lab. ), International handbook of science education (pp. One study found that schools that provide more support to new teachers, including such professional development activities as induction and mentoring, have lower turnover rates (Ingersoll, 2003, p. 8). In addition, some researchers argue that, although professional development expends resources (time, money, supplies), it also creates new human and social resources (Gamoran et al., 2003, p. 28). in a limited range of laboratory experiences that do not follow the principles of instructional design identified in Chapter 3. To be successful in leading students across the range of laboratory experiences we have described, teachers must choose laboratory experiences that are appropriate at any given time. The culture of education. The Integral Role of Laboratory Inves-tigations in Science Instruction, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA, 2007) presents a similar sen- . In N.M. Lambert and B.L. The guidelines note that simply maintaining the laboratory requires at least one class period per day, and, if schools will not provide teachers with that time, they suggest that those schools either employ laboratory technicians or obtain student help. (2004). People working in the clinical laboratory are responsible for conducting tests that provide crucial information for detecting, diagnosing, treating, and monitoring disease. A focus on deepening teachers knowledge of science or mathematics. Science Education, 75, 121-133. Sutman, F.X., Schmuckler, J.S., Hilosky, A.B., Priestly, H.S., and Priestly, W.J. The National Science Teachers Association takes a slightly different position, suggesting that administrators provide teachers with a competent paraprofessional. 13-Week Science Methodology Course. Some individual teachers told our committee that they did not have adequate preparation and cleanup time. The role of the laboratory in science teaching: Neglected aspects of research. 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).