However, many high school teachers currently lack strong academic preparation in a science discipline. Literature review: The role of the teacher in inquiry-based education. McDiarmid, G.S., Ball, D.L., and Anderson, C.W. 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). Shulman, L.S. National Research Council. The poor quality of laboratory experiences of most high school students today results partly from the challenges that laboratory teaching and learning pose to school administrators. The role of practical work in the teaching and learning of science. Khalic, A., and Lederman, N. (2000). (2003). Sanders, M. (1993). Teacher-Student Interaction . 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. Minstrell, J., and van Zee, E.H. (2003). DeSimone, L.M., Porter, A.S., Garet, M.S., Yoon, K.S., and Birman, B. National Research Council. It is unclear whether these and other ad hoc efforts to provide summer research experiences reach the majority of high school science teachers. 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. They are relevant for new lab instructors in a wide range of disciplines. Effects of professional development on teachers instruction: Results from a three-year longitudinal study. the photo below). One theme that emerges from such research is that the content knowledge gained from undergraduate work is often superficial and not well integrated. Prospective and practicing secondary school science teachers knowledge and beliefs about the philosophy of science. The teaching profession is evolving on a regular basis, with new technology being incorporated into teaching methods and information updated regularly. How can school organization contribute to effective laboratory teaching. Final report on the evaluation of the National Science Foundations Instructional Materials Development Program. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Not a MyNAP member yet? Further research is needed to evaluate these and other efforts to link scientists with K-12 education. It means focusing the students own questions. Volunteers receive training, a sourcebook of activities appropriate for middle school students, a kit of science materials, and a set of videotapes. Because many current science teachers have demographic backgrounds different from their students (Lee, 2002; Lynch, Kuipers, Pyke, and Szeze, in press), the ability to communicate across barriers of language and culture is. All rights reserved. Project ICAN includes an intensive three-day summer orientation for science teachers followed by full-day monthly workshops from September through June, focusing on the nature of science and scientific inquiry. 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). The role of the laboratory in science learning. Other studies report that undergraduate laboratory work consists primarily of verification activities, with few opportunities for ongoing discussion and reflection on how scientists evaluate new knowledge (e.g., Trumbull and Kerr, 1993, cited in Windschitl, 2004). 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. Report equipment problems in writing to the Lab Staff. Committee on Techniques for the Enhancement of Human Performance: Occupational Analysis. Committee on Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards, J.M. They should advise teachers where any concerns arise regarding safety, scheduling or resourcing of 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. (71) $4.50. The role of the laboratory in science teaching: Neglected aspects of research. Philadelphia: Open University Press. Elementary School Journal, 97(4), 401-417. The traditional didactic pedagogy to which teacher candidates are exposed in university science courses equips learners with only minimal conceptual understandings of their science disciplines (Duschl, 1983; Gallagher, 1991; Pomeroy, 1993, cited in Windschitl, 2004). Page 111 Share Cite. 357-382). It will show you how laboratory sessions can differ with respect to their aim and expected learning . The authors concluded that professional development activities that are short-term interventions have virtually no effect on teachers behaviors in leading laboratory experiences. The Higher Education Chemistry (RSC), 5 (2), 42-51. Maienschein, J. The purpose of this paper is to explore and discuss the role of practical work in the teaching and learning of science at school level. Marjolein Dobber a. , Rosanne Zwart b. , Marijn Tanis a b 1. , Bert van Oers a. 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. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, April, St. Louis, MO. 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). In W. Fowler (Ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Their previous, closely prescribed laboratory experiences had not helped them to understand that there are many different ways to effect a particular chemical transformation. 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. Hein, G.E., and Price, S. (1994). Reynolds (Ed. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The program was designed in part to address weakness in science teachers understanding of the nature of science, which was documented in earlier research (Khalic and Lederman, 2000; Schwartz and Lederman, 2002). Teachers, Laboratory Attendants and Gardeners must be made to attend, at regular . ), International handbook of science education (pp. Among these factors, curriculum has a strong influence on teaching strategies (Weiss, Pasley, Smith, Banilower, and Heck, 2003). Discovery learning and discovery teaching. Available at: http://www.nsta.org/positionstatementandpsid=16 [accessed Oct. 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. Resource Provider. 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). Once on the job, science teachers have few opportunities to improve their laboratory teaching. Welcome to the Science Education Partnership. Cumulative and residual effects of teachers on future student academic achievement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 24(2), 81-112. Millar, R., and Driver, R. (1987). They need to carefully consider written work and what they observe while students engage in projects and investigations. 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. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Goldhaber, D.D., and Brewer, D.J. (2001). 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. This is knowledge drawn from learning theory and research that helps to explain how students develop understanding of scientific ideas. Designing computer learning environments for engineering and computer science: The scaffolded knowledge integration framework. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Physics Department. develop and implement comprehensive safety policies with clear procedures for engaging in lab activities; ensure that these policies comply with all applicable local, state, and federal health and safety codes, regulations, ordinances, and other rules established by the applicable oversight organization, including the Occupational Safety & Health Scientific laboratories, college and university science departments, and science museums have launched efforts to support high school science teachers in improving laboratory teaching. Schwartz, R., and Lederman, N. (2002). 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. What does research tell us about learning in high school science labs? educational outcomes (Ferguson, 1998; Goldhaber, 2002; Goldhaber, Brewer, and Anderson, 1999; Hanushek, Kain, and Rivkin, 1999; Wright, Horn, and Sanders, 1997). 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. Hirsch, E., Koppich, J.E., and Knapp, M.S. The role of teacher in the acquisition of scientific knowledge in Secondary School Science class cannot be underestimated.