), Faculty development for improving teacher preparation (pp. Background: The paper recommend among others: . Clearly, their preservice experiences do not provide the skills and knowledge needed to select and effectively carry out laboratory experiences that are appropriate for reaching specific science learning goals for a given group of students. Lynch, S., Kuipers, J., Pike, C., and Szeze, M. (in press). Chemistry laboratories play an essential role in the education of undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM students. To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter. It is important for the teacher to be a good learner so as to keep up with the changes. Younger workers in a variety of occupations change jobs more frequently than their older counterparts (National Research Council, 1999). To date, over 400 RE-SEED volunteers have worked with schools in 10 states. 99-138). School administrators play a critical role in supporting the successful integration of laboratory experiences in high school science by providing improved approaches to professional development and adequate time for teacher planning and implementation of laboratory experiences. 100 Washtenaw Ave. These strategies included arranging seating to facilitate student discussion, requiring students to supply evidence to support their claims, encouraging students to explain concepts to one another, and having students work in cooperative groups. Cognition and Instruction, 15(4), 485-529. Wojnowski, and S.K. Darling-Hammond, L., Berry, B., and Thoreson, A. (1990). Laboratory training is also frequently used to develop skills necessary for more advanced study or research. The laboratory in science education: Foundations for the twenty-first century. on specific instructional practices increased teachers use of these practices in the classroom. Students were asked to survey the literature for methods to reduce aromatic nitro compounds to the corresponding amines. In M.D. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. A three-way error components analysis of educational productivity. Another analysis of the data from the National Center for Education Statistics found that students in high schools with higher concentrations of minority students and poor students were more likely than students in other high schools to be taught science by a teacher without a major or minor in the subject being taught (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). in a limited range of laboratory experiences that do not follow the principles of instructional design identified in Chapter 3. They also modeled longer postlaboratory activities focused on using student data and observations as the engine for further instruction. The institute included a blend of modeling, small group work, cooperative learning activities, and theoretical and research-based suggestions (p. 122). ReviewLiterature review: The role of the teacher in inquiry-based education. Gamoran, A. Duration (total contact hours, span of time). 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. However, the students were surprised that methods taken from the literature did not always work. 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. The changing nature of work: Implications for occupational analysis. 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 Teachers design and carry out an open-ended field research project, of their own choosing. (2002). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 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). The actual crime scene processing takes place in one day and the entire project can take up to 7 depending on your schedule. Students cannot be admitted to the classroom until you arrive. What does research tell us about learning in high school science labs? The web-based inquiry science environment (WISE): Scaffolding knowledge integration in the science classroom. What do they contribute to science learning? Kennedy, M., Ball, D., McDiarmid, G.W., and Schmidt, W. (1991). 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. (2004). Why staying ahead one chapter doesnt really work: Subject-specific pedagogy. A study of a much smaller sample of teachers yielded similar findings (Catley, 2004). The paraprofessional would help with setup, cleanup, community contacts, searching for resources, and other types of support (National Science Teachers Association, 1990). Williams, M., Linn, M.C., Ammon, P., and Gearhart, M. (2004). (2001). 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. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, April, St. Louis, MO. Participation of groups of teachers from the same school, department, or grade. 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). University of Michigan Physics Department: GSI training course. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. In M.C. 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. A teacher knows how to work well as part of a team. Educational Policy, 14(3), 331-356. At this time, however, some educators have begun to question seriously the effectiveness and the role of laboratory work, and the case for laboratory . No national survey data are available to indicate whether science teachers receive adequate preparation time or assistance from trained laboratory technicians. The committee identified a limited portfolio of examples of promising approaches to professional development that may support teachers in leading laboratory experiences designed with clear learning outcomes in mind, thoughtfully sequenced into the flow of classroom science instruction, integrating the learning of science content and process, and incorporating ongoing student reflection and discussion. The final section concludes that there are many barriers to improving laboratory teaching and learning in the current school environment. (2004). Science Education, 88, 28-54. 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). . American Association of Physics Teachers. 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). Studies focusing specifically on science teacher quality and student achievement are somewhat more conclusive. Pre-service education and in-service professional development for science teachers rarely address laboratory experiences and do not provide teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to lead laboratory experiences. Presentation to the Committee on High School Science Laboratories: Role and Vision, June 3-4, National Research Council, Washington, DC. For example, in developing the Computers as Learning Partners science curriculum unit, Linn and colleagues researched how well models of thermodynamics at various levels of abstraction supported students learning. Science Teacher (October), 40-43. It appears that the uneven quality of current high school laboratory experiences is due in part to the preparation of science teachers to lead these experiences. 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). London, England: Kluwer Academic. (2002). ), Internet environments for science education. ), International handbook of science education (pp. A student lab assistant ensures that students do not practice any unsafe behaviors in the lab. The. Shared teacher planning time may be a critical support for improved laboratory teaching, because of the unique nature of laboratory education. 7082.) Hofstein, A., and Lunetta, V.N. It may be useful, however, to begin . In addition, few high school teachers have access to curricula that integrate laboratory experiences into the stream of instruction. To make these choices, they must be aware not only of their own capabilities, but also of students needs and readiness to engage in the various types of laboratory experiences. (2004). Further research is needed to inform design of professional development that can effectively support improvements in teachers laboratory instruction. 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). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Presentation to the Committee on High School Science Laboratories: Role and Vision, July 12-13, National Research Council, Washington, DC. 357-382). All rights reserved. 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). Review of Educational Research, 52 (2), 201-217. Classroom assessment and the national science education standards. Educational Researcher, 15, 4-14. 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). McComas, W.F., and Colburn, A.I. 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. 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). Mathematics and science teachers reported more frequently than other teachers that job dissatisfaction was the reason they left their jobs. 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. However, their study was criticized for being conducted in laboratory environment (Taylor, Ntoumanis, . Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. The authors of the review found that, when laboratory education is available, it focuses primarily on the care and use of laboratory equipment and laboratory safety. Gamoran and others studied six sites where teachers and educational researchers collaborated to reform science and mathematics teaching, focusing on teaching for understanding. Sanders, M. (1993). However, compared with other types of professionals, a higher proportion of teachers leave their positions each year. The teaching communities that developed, with their new leaders, succeeded in obtaining additional resources (such as shared teacher planning time) from within the schools and districts (Gamoran et al., 2003) and also from outside of them. 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). Gamoran and colleagues found that, although the educational researchers provided an infusion of expertise from outside each of the six school sites, the professional development created in collaboration with the local schools had its greatest impact in supporting local teachers in developing their own communities. 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). The available evidence indicates that the current science teaching workforce lacks the knowledge and skills required to lead a range of effective laboratory experiences. Hein, G.E., and Price, S. (1994). These studies confirm earlier research findings that even the best science curriculum cannot teach itself and that the teachers role is central in helping students build understanding from laboratory experiences and other science learning activities (Driver, 1995). 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. 13-Week Science Methodology Course. Respecting childrens own ideas. Boys and girls in the performance-based classroom: Whos doing the performing? Trumbull, D., and Kerr, P. (1993). Rockville, MD: Westat. or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one. 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). (2001). Committee on Techniques for the Enhancement of Human Performance: Occupational Analysis. Undergraduate science students, including preservice teachers, engage. A new wave of evidenceThe impact of school, family, and community connections in student achievement. Finally, adequate time is essential for student learning in laboratory experiences. (2004). Available at: http://www.bayerus.com/msms/news/facts.cfm?mode=detailandid-survey04 [accessed Dec. 2004]. We begin by identifying some of the knowledge and skills required to lead laboratory experiences aligned with the goals and design principles we have identified. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31, 621-637. Evaluating the effect of teacher degree level on educational performance. (2000). Current professional development for science teachers is uneven in quantity and quality and places little emphasis on laboratory teaching. 4. 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). Using questioning to assess and foster student thinking. In J.M. Internet environments for science education. Available at: http://www.nsta.org/positionstatementandpsid=16 [accessed Oct. 2004]. Haase, B.S. Driver, R. (1995). Beyond process. 153-186). Can schools narrow the black-white test score gap? At Vanderbilt University, Catley conducts a summer-long course on research in organismal biology. The authors concluded that professional development activities that are short-term interventions have virtually no effect on teachers behaviors in leading laboratory experiences. 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. Key words: Laboratory, chemistry, teaching, achievement, students. ), Internet environments for science education. (1989). However, a review of the literature five years later revealed no widespread efforts to improve laboratory education for either preservice or in-service teachers (McComas and Colburn, 1995). (71) $4.50. They need to carefully consider written work and what they observe while students engage in projects and investigations. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Lunetta, V.N. However, it also reveals some gaps in the . Coffey, Everyday assessment in the science classroom (pp. Paper prepared for the Committee on High School Science Laboratories: Role and Vision, June 3-4, National Research Council, Washington, DC. The research described above indicates that undergraduate laboratory experiences do not integrate learning of science content and science processes in ways that lead to deep conceptual understanding of science subject matter. High school science laboratories. Teacher-Student Interaction . Weiss, I.R., Pasley, J.D., Smith, P.S., Banilower, E.R., and Heck, D.J. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 23(1), 57-77. The limited evidence available indicates that some undergraduate science programs do not help future teachers develop full mastery of science subject matter. 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. Second group of factors are the environmental factors. 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. 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. Transforming teaching in math and science: How schools and districts can support change. Cobus van Breda was born and schooled in Windhoek, Namibia. of habitual errors aids pupil in understanding nature of satisfactory performance Managing Practice Effectively laboratory and clinical experiences not merely repeating same exercise essential to goal attainment in psycho-motor and cognitive areas a teacher can manipulate whole-part approaches Helping Students . Register for a free account to start saving and receiving special member only perks. 791-810). National Center for Education Statistics. Khalic, A., and Lederman, N. (2000). 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). Currently, most schools are designed to support teaching that follows predictable routines and schedules (Gamoran, 2004). The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) suggests that physics teachers should be required to teach no more than 275 instructional minutes per day. 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. Professional development opportunities for science teachers are limited in quality, availability, and scope and place little emphasis on laboratory instruction. The Higher Education Chemistry (RSC), 5 (2), 42-51. As already known, most of the teacher candidates carry out closeended laboratory - practices throughout their university education [14]. What types of knowledge do teachers use to engage learners in doing science? As 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. This is not a simple task (National Research Council, 2001b, p. 79): To accurately gauge student understanding requires that teachers engage in questioning and listen carefully to student responses. Presentation to the NRC Committee on High School Science Laboratories, March 29, Washington, DC. How do teachers work and learnspecifically related to labs. They further report (Lederman, 2004, p. 8): By observing practicing scientists and writing up their reflections, teachers gained insight into what scientists do in various research areas, such as crystallization, vascular tissue engineering, thermal processing of materials, nutrition, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, protein purification and genetics. National Research Council. They should be proactive in every aspect of laboratory safety, making safety a priority. Supovitz, J.A., and Turner, H.M. (2000). Harlen, W. (2000). Evaluating the evidence on teacher certification: A rejoinder. Teachers require several types of knowledge to succeed in these multiple activities, including (1) science content knowledge, (2) pedagogical content knowledge, (3) general pedagogical knowledge, and (4) knowledge of appropriate assessment techniques to measure student learning in laboratory education. Before its too late: A report to the nation from the national commission on mathematics and science teaching for the 21st century. A teachers academic science preparation appears to affect student science achievement generally. Brown, A.L., and Campione, J.C. (1998). Laboratory Learning: An Inservice Institute. One theme that emerges from such research is that the content knowledge gained from undergraduate work is often superficial and not well integrated. Laboratory experiences and their role in science education. (1994). Synergy research and knowledge integration. Deng (2001) describes pedagogical content knowledge for science teachers as an understanding of key scientific concepts that is somewhat different from that of a scientist. Shulman, L.S. 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. Do all student have access to laboratory experiences? During the school year, teachers may access kits of materials supporting laboratory experiences that use biomedical research tools. As discussed in Chapters 2 and 3, there are curricula that integrate laboratory experiences into the stream of instruction and follow the other instructional design principles. Gitomer, D.H., and Duschl, R.A. (1998). It means focusing the students own questions. 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. Olsen, T.P., Hewson, P.W., and Lyons, L. (1996). Science Education, 75, 121-133. Further research is needed to examine the scope and effectiveness of the many individual programs and initiatives. 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). (2002). 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. The National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education: Trends from 1977 to 2000. These limits, in turn, could contribute to lower science achievement, especially among poor and minority students. Bell, P. (2004). In L.P. Steffe and J. Gale (Eds. Teacher and classroom context effects on student achievement: Implications for teacher evaluation. 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. U.S. Department of Energy. Zip. The limited quality and availability of professional development focusing on laboratory teaching is a reflection of the weaknesses in the larger system of professional development for science teachers. The culture of education. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 23(1), 79-86. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 13(2), 189-206. Its the nature of the beast: The influence of knowledge and intentions on learning and teaching nature of science. 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). Teachers, Laboratory Attendants and Gardeners must be made to attend, at regular . The Role of the Teacher in . Washington, DC: Author. A survey of students, teachers, and volunteers yielded positive results. Currently, few teachers lead this type of sense-making discussion (Smith, Banilower, McMahon, and Weiss, 2002). Examining the effects of a highly rated curriculum unit on diverse students: Results from a planning grant. 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. goals of laboratory experiences. 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. [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. 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).