Participant teachers were also interviewed. Elementary School Journal, 97(4), 401-417. The investigators found that professional development focused. Committee on Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation, Center for Education. Bruner, J. (2004). It was also clear that teachers enhanced their understanding of science subject matter specific to the lab they experienced. The laboratory has been given a central and distinctive role in science education, and science educators have suggested that there are rich benefits in learning from using laboratory activities. instructors and laboratory assistants working in school or college settings in vocational . The National Science Teachers Association takes a slightly different position, suggesting that administrators provide teachers with a competent paraprofessional. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Laboratory Demonstrations: Do start class by demonstrating key techniques or equipment operation or describing the location and handling of special materials. 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). Ferguson, R. (1998). MyNAP members SAVE 10% off online. Catley, K. (2004). 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). Active assessment for active learning. Teachers also need to know how to judge the quality of students oral presentations. Presentation to the Committee on High School Science Laboratories: Role and Vision, June 3-4, National Research Council, Washington, DC. A cross-age study of student understanding of the concept of homeostasis. Center for Education. 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. Science Education, 77, 261-278. 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). Available at: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/June_3-4_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html [accessed May 2005]. Maduabum (1992) sees a laboratory as a place where scientific exercises are conducted by the science teachers for the benefit of the students (learners). The contents of the institute were developed on the basis of in-depth field interviews and literature reviews to tap the practical knowledge of experienced science teachers. Clark, R.L., Clough, M.P., and Berg, C.A. 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. a deeper understanding of abstract concepts and theories gained by experiencing and visualising them as authentic phenomena the skills of scientific enquiry and problem-solving, including: recognising and defining a problem formulating hypotheses designing experiments collecting data through observation and/or experimentation interpreting data Schwartz, R., and Lederman, N. (2002). Further research is needed to evaluate these and other efforts to link scientists with K-12 education. It means figuring out what students comprehend by listening to them during their discussions about science. A research agenda. Anderson, C., Sheldon, T., and Dubay, J. Atkin, P. Black, and J. Coffey (Eds.). The role of teacher in the acquisition of scientific knowledge in Secondary School Science class cannot be underestimated. This lack of discussion may be due to the fact that high school science teachers depend heavily on the use of textbooks and accompanying laboratory manuals (Smith et al., 2002), which rarely include discussions. McDiarmid, G.W. laboratory notebooks, essays, and portfolios (Hein and Price, 1994; Gitomer and Duschl, 1998; Harlen, 2000, 2001). ), Internet environments for science education. Introduction The laboratory in the school has been defined by several authors in different ways. In D.G. (2004). The arts and science as preparation for teaching. A supportive school administration could help teachers overcome their isolation and learn from each other by providing time and space to reflect on their laboratory teaching and on student learning in the company of colleagues (Gamoran, 2004). It may also be because teachers lack the content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, and knowledge of assessment required to lead such discussions (Maienschein, 2004; Windschitl, 2004). Educational Policy, 14(3), 331-356. 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. As is known, it is suggested that closedended - experiments cannot contribute much to meaningful the learning of students [13]. Washington, DC: Author. Building on existing teacher internship programs at several of the national laboratories, the program will engage teachers as summer research associates at the laboratories, beginning with a four-week stint the first summer, followed by shorter two-week internships the following two summers (U.S. Department of Energy, 2004). Raleigh: Science House, North Carolina State University. Moreover, the teacher console (keyboard) is usually fitted with a tape recorder to monitoring each compartment in the class by the teacher headset and an intercom facility to enable 2-way communication between the teacher and his/her students individually. National Research Council. Lederman, N.G. A series of studies conducted over the past several decades has shown that teachers are one of the most important factors influencing students. In N.M. Lambert and B.L. The culture of education. The following 10 roles are a sampling of the many ways teachers can contribute to their schools' success. 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). (2004). Available at: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/March_29-30_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html [accessed Oct. 2005]. Loucks-Horsley, S., Love, N., Stiles, K.E., Mundry, S., and Hewson, P.W. Forty-seven percent completed and returned the questionnaire. Seattle: University of Washington, Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy. Volkmann, M., and Abell, S. (2003). The teacher strives to fathom what the student is saying and what is implied about the students knowledge in his or her statements, questions, work and actions. TA may not leave the lab unattended while students are in the room. The group employs a variety of long-term strategies, such as engaging teachers in curriculum development and adaptation, action research, and providing on-site support by lead teachers (Linn, 1997; Lederman, 2004). He suggests that a high school physics teacher should know concepts or principles to emphasize when introducing high school students to a particular topic (p. 264). Other studies indicate that high-quality professional development can encourage and support science teachers in leading a full range of laboratory experiences that allow students to participate actively in formulating research questions and in designing and carrying out investigations (Windschitl, 2004). Studies focusing specifically on science teacher quality and student achievement are somewhat more conclusive. 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). When students have more freedom to pose questions or to identify and carry out procedures, they require greater guidance to ensure that their laboratory activities help them to master science subject matter and progress toward the other goals of laboratory experiences. The teachers participated in and analyzed practical laboratory activities, studied theoretical underpinnings of the science education they were receiving, and learned about safety issues during hands-on activity. Welcome to the Science Education Partnership. Further research is needed to inform design of laboratory-focused teacher professional development that can support teachers in improving laboratory instruction. All rights reserved. At this time, however, some educators have begun to question seriously the effectiveness and the role of laboratory (2002). Further research is needed to inform design of professional development that can effectively support improvements in teachers laboratory instruction. Review of Educational Research, 52 (2), 201-217. They reported that the chief function of their school was instruction, followed, in order of emphasis, by preservice teacher education, research, and inservice teacher education. 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). 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). (2001). This chapter describes some of the factors contributing to the weakness of current laboratory experiences. We then present promising examples of approaches to enhancing teachers capacity to lead laboratory experiences. (2001a). (1995). In a case study of his experience, this professor called for reducing science teachers class loads so they have more time to reflect on and improve their own practice. Weiss, I.R., Pasley, J.D., Smith, P.S., Banilower, E.R., and Heck, D.J. Prospective and practicing secondary school science teachers knowledge and beliefs about the philosophy of science. The degree to which teachers themselves have attained the goals we speak of in this report is likely to influence their laboratory teaching and the extent to which their students progress toward these goals. Internet environments for science education. At this time, however, some educators have begun to question seriously the effectiveness and the role of laboratory work, and the case for laboratory . They are relevant for new lab instructors in a wide range of disciplines. Linn, M.C. (1996). Reston, VA: Association of Teacher Educators. However, formulating such questions can be difficult (National Research Council, 2001a, 2001b). (2001). Supovitz, J.A., and Turner, H.M. (2000). Science Teacher, September, 38-41. Professional Development Partnerships with the Scientific Community. NSTA position statement: Laboratory science. 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. 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). Statistical analysis report. Once on the job, science teachers have few opportunities to improve their laboratory teaching. After completion of the course, teachers classroom behaviors were videotaped and analyzed against traditional and reformed instructional strategies. 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. Teacher-Student Interaction . Paper prepared for the Committee on High School Science Laboratories: Role and Vision, June 3-4, National Research Council, Washington, DC. Why staying ahead one chapter doesnt really work: Subject-specific pedagogy. ), Knowledge base for the beginning teacher. Washington, DC: Author. London, England: Kluwer Academic. Program faculty report that many teachers tend to dwell on hands-on activities with their students at the expense of linking them with the nature of science and with abilities associated with scientific inquiry. A science methodology course for middle and high school teachers offered experience in using the findings from laboratory investigations as the driving force for further instruction (Priestley, Priestly, and Schmuckler, 1997). Kennedy, M., Ball, D., McDiarmid, G.W., and Schmidt, W. (1991). (2001). Chapel Hill, NC : Horizon Research. Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. National Research Council. Goldhaber, D.D. Cobus van Breda was born and schooled in Windhoek, Namibia. The California Institute of Technology has a program to help scientists and graduate students work with teachers in elementary school classrooms in the Pasadena school district. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 6(2), 120-124. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 23(1), 79-86. Professional development opportunities for science teachers are limited in quality, availability, and scope and place little emphasis on laboratory instruction. Chaney, B. Presentation to the Committee on High School Science Laboratories: Role and Vision, June 3-4, National Research Council, Washington, DC. Teachers need to use data drawn from conversations, observations, and previous student work to make informed decisions about how to help them move toward desired goals. 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. 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. Participation of groups of teachers from the same school, department, or grade. Science for all, including students from non-English-language backgrounds. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31, 621-637. They knew little about how various ideas were related to each other, nor could they readily explain the overall content and character of biology. The final section concludes that there are many barriers to improving laboratory teaching and learning in the current school environment. 1071 Palmer Commons This book looks at a range of questions about how laboratory experiences fit into U.S. high schools: With increased attention to the U.S. education system and student outcomes, no part of the high school curriculum should escape scrutiny. Establishing classroom, lab, and field trip rules and regulations and ensuring that . Emerging issues and practices in science assessment. The research comprised both quantitative and qualitative approaches. National Research Council. Committee on Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards, J.M. During the school year, teachers may access kits of materials supporting laboratory experiences that use biomedical research tools. 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). The condition of education. Do higher salaries buy better teachers? (2002). 4. Copyright 2023 National Academy of Sciences. Only 11 percent of responding teachers indicated that science teachers in their school regularly observed other science teachers. Hanusek, E., Kain, J., and Rivkin, S. (1999). However, an analysis of national survey data indicates that teachers in block schedules do not incorporate more laboratory experiences into their instruction (Smith, 2004). To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter. The organization and structure of most high schools impede teachers and administrators ongoing learning about science instruction and the implementation of quality laboratory experiences. It may be useful, however, to begin . (2003). It examined the role of laboratory method of teaching in improving the quality of education, strategies for effective use of laboratory method and the problems facing the effective use of laboratory method in teaching science. Tobin (Eds. Research conducted in teacher education programs provides some evidence of the quality of preservice science education (Windschitl, 2004). Synergy research and knowledge integration. light, such as reflection, transmission, and absorption. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 24(2), 81-112. You will need to develop your own teaching style, your own way of interacting with students, and your own set of actions that determine the learning atmosphere of the classroom. What types of knowledge do teachers use to engage learners in doing science? The role of practical work in the teaching and learning of science. Mathematics and science teachers reported more frequently than other teachers that job dissatisfaction was the reason they left their jobs. There are promising examples of teacher professional development focused on laboratory experiences. Harlen, W. (2000). Chemistry laboratories play an essential role in the education of undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM students. Block scheduling is one approach schools have used to provide longer periods of time for laboratory activities and discussion. Modifying cookbook labs. The paraprofessional would help with setup, cleanup, community contacts, searching for resources, and other types of support (National Science Teachers Association, 1990). You choose your level of involvement based on your needs. Sanders, W.L., and Rivers, J.C. (1996). Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(3), 205-236. Literature review: The role of the teacher in inquiry-based education. As a GSI you are transitioning from a student to an instructor, from someone whose responsibility was to learn in the lab class to someone who now helps others learn in the lab class. (2001). We then go on to describe approaches to supporting teachers and improving their capacity to lead laboratory experiences through improvements in professional development and use of time. Paper prepared for the Committee on High School Science Laboratories: Role and Vision, July 12-13, National Research Council, Washington, DC. 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.. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Value-Added Research and Assessment Center. Laboratory work also gives the students the opportunity to experience science by using scientific research procedures. 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. (2004). Specifically, it challenges the assumption that having a college degree in science, by itself, is sufficient to teach high school science. Laboratory learning: Addressing a neglected dimension of science teacher education. They need to carefully consider written work and what they observe while students engage in projects and investigations. Chapel Hill, NC: Horizon Research. 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. 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. U.S. Department of Energy. Administrators who take a more flexible approach can support effective laboratory teaching by providing teachers with adequate time and space for ongoing professional development and shared lesson planning. 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). It will show you how laboratory sessions can differ with respect to their aim and expected learning . They also concluded that longer term interventions13 weeks in this caseresult in some change in the instructional strategies teachers use. They felt confident to guide their students through the same process, where there is no right answer.. 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. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Student outcomes and the professional preparation of eighth-grade teachers in science and mathematics: NSF/NELS. 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. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education, 11(1), 57-67. Results of the study also confirmed the effectiveness of providing active learning opportunities. International Journal of Science Education 22(7), 665-701. (71) $4.50. Implications of teachers beliefs about the nature of science: Comparisons of the beliefs of scientists, secondary science teachers, and elementary science teachers. Evaluating the evidence. For example, Northeastern University has established a program called RE-SEED (Retirees Enhancing Science Education through Experiments and Demonstration), which arranges for engineers, scientists, and other individuals with science backgrounds to assist middle school teachers with leading students in laboratory experiences. Some individual teachers told our committee that they did not have adequate preparation and cleanup time. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book. A teachers academic science preparation appears to affect student science achievement generally. (2003). 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). The authors concluded that professional development activities that are short-term interventions have virtually no effect on teachers behaviors in leading laboratory experiences. Transforming teaching in math and science: How schools and districts can support change. Prepare lab apparatus and equipment. The main purpose of laboratory work in science education is to provide students with conceptual and theoretical knowledge to help them learn scientific concepts, and through scientific methods, to understand the nature of science. (1998). Sutman, F.X., Schmuckler, J.S., Hilosky, A.B., Priestly, H.S., and Priestly, W.J. They also face uncertainty about how many variables students should struggle with and how much to narrow the context and procedures of the investigation. (1999). Washington, DC: National Academy Press. In this approach, school administrators recognize that leadership for improved teaching and learning is distributed throughout the school and district and does not rest on traditional hierarchies. 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). In an ideal world, administrators would provide adequate laboratory space and time to allow students to continue investigations over several weeks or months, and they would also provide time for students to work outside regular school hours. The Role of the Teacher in . Journal of Science Education and Technology, 13(2), 189-206. In J.M. Teachers play a critical role in leading laboratory experiences in ways that support student learning. Retired scientists and engineers: Providing in-classroom support to K-12 science teachers. Similarly, Hilosky, Sutman, and Schmuckler (1998) observe that prospective science teachers laboratory experiences provide procedural knowledge but few opportunities to integrate science investigations with learning about the context of scientific models and theories. Guiding students through the complexity and ambiguity of empirical. London, England: Kluwer Academic. Perhaps this is because, among scientists, decisions about the kinds of questions to be asked and the kinds of answers to be sought are often developed by the scientific community rather than by an isolated individual (Millar, 2004). What do they contribute to science learning?